Education on the use of renewable energy in the South Baltic area, raising awareness, and competence development for energy communities are the main objectives of the project ‘Building Engagement to Accelerate Clean Energy Transitions in the South Baltic - BALTICBEAT’. The project, led by dr hab. Sylwia Mrozowska, prof. UG, is co-financed by the European Union under the ‘Interreg South Baltic’ programme. The kick-off meeting was held on October 8-9, 2024, at the UG Faculty of Social Sciences.
The project will be implemented as part of an international consortium comprising partners from Sweden, Poland, Denmark, and Lithuania representing the scientific, business, and local government communities. The University of Gdańsk is the project leader.
BALTICBEAT will diagnose the educational needs of municipal government employees responsible for energy issues and local entrepreneurs; based on this diagnosis, various forms of education will be developed: online courses, workshops and expert consultations. The project also aims to create a database of experts and enable contact between experts and representatives of local communities (local governments, entrepreneurs, and individuals) who need support in specific energy transition activities.
‘Every energy community is different,’ says project manager dr hab. Sylwia Mrozowska, prof. UG. ‘Despite the vast experience of our partners in Denmark and Sweden in the development of energy communities, they cannot simply be directly transferred to another location. Local specificities in terms of needs, opportunities, and resources have to be taken into account. Therefore, research and analysis of formal, legal, economic, and social conditions will be crucial.’
Prof. Sylwia Mrozowska emphasised that the project is not only international and cross-border, but also cross-sectoral; it has a scientific, educational, and developmental component. The project team includes representatives from both science and social sciences as well as practitioners. In addition to its research potential, the project is oriented towards cooperation with the socio-economic environment and sustainable development, being in line with the postulate of social responsibility of the University of Gdańsk, which is part of the University of Gdańsk Strategy.
The project office is located at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Gdańsk (room D309). The project coordinator is mgr inż. Jolanta Mrozek-Kwiatkowska.
BALTICBEAT partners:
o University of Gdańsk - project leader
o Pomerania Development Agency
o Roskilde University
o Linnaeus University
o EUCC Baltic Office
o TERGO Company
o Energy Communities Denmark
