Power electronic (PE) devices are a key enabler for integrating renewable energy into our power system. However, to achieve interoperability of PE devices, barriers are present in technology but also in intellectual property and regulation. To overcome these barriers, Inter-oPEn offers a unique doctoral training program for 10 researchers that integrates multi-sectorial knowledge, gathering electrical engineering and legal researchers. To achieve the common goal of the interoperable PE-dominated power system, openness will be a pivotal factor across the different doctoral projects, tackling fundamental aspects of modern PE-based electrical systems such as control, protection, interoperability, governance, and intellectual property challenges. In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the EU Green deal, Inter-oPEn’s research program is divided into three complementary parts, (1) Engineering components for swift interoperability, (2) Integration of a resilient and flexible power system, and (3) Enabling interoperability from a legal and regulatory viewpoint. Inter-oPEn’s training program puts a particular emphasis on maneuvering the complex and rapidly growing power system/electronics sector with specific intersectoral trainings on, e.g., change management in critical infrastructure, how to give good recommendations, or simplification approaches for an efficient description of complex contexts to other domains. Comprised of 8 academic partners and 13 industrial associated partners, Inter-oPEn offers a broad industry and transmission system operator expertise for doctoral trainings, research, and secondments. Compared to previous EU projects and doctoral training networks on the interoperable PE-dominated grid, Inter-oPEn is innovative by including two fundamental and new aspects: (1) the interplay of technical and legal perspectives is considered, and (2) openness principles are the heart of engineering and legal research, as well as, training.

Training Objectives

• Train personnel to meet the complex technical and legal challenges of future multivendor power electronics dominated systems.
• Enable doctoral candidates, through their tailored training and international, interdisciplinary, and inter-sectoral mobility, to “cross-pollinate” industry and academia.
• Give the doctoral candidates the opportunity to be close to industry with an innovation-oriented mindset and to face actual engineering challenges.
• Create a multidisciplinary environment where industries and academia will share ideas and find innovative and sustainable engineering solutions together.
• Deliver the best training to doctoral candidates and address their scientific and transversal needs.
• Create understanding between technical and legal aspects and make sure they understand each others’ language.
• Provide key training both in technical and legal aspects.
• Provide training in transferrable skills to efficiently manoeuvre a rapidly growing industry sector.

(by default, check  “About Inter-oPEn“!)