DCU’s ECIU University Challenge to look at how the Midlands can pivot from reliance on fossil fuel energy production

Students from ECIU University member universities have been chosen to join a DCU-led project ‘Carbon-intensive regions in transition’ as part of the ECIU University Spring Challenges initiative. 

Led by DCU’s Deiric Ó Broin, the project hopes to solve the challenge of how the Midlands can pivot from reliance on fossil fuel energy production to greener renewable energy production. 

Speaking about the challenge, Deiric Ó Broin, explained:

“The region is central in the country, is well connected, especially to the capital city, and it can provide a release valve for the development pressures on the eastern coastal areas including Dublin. This can be achieved by relocated business, second site or back of house facilities and remote working facilities, with attractive high quality of living, and lower operating costs than coastal locations. The project team will look at the challenge involved in reskilling the existing workforce who are impacted by the transition and to attract high skilled workers to the region.”

We hope to provide some additional insights for our challenge partner, the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, in their efforts and opportunities for our students to consider and begin to address the inter-related nature of the complexities of the challenges facing the region as it transitions.”

The project forms part of ECIU University Spring Challenges, which encourages master’s and final year undergraduate students to tackle local, national and global problems with a challenge-based approach, gaining invaluable real-world experience and the opportunity to make an active contribution towards real societal change.

Other challenges include: Making urban areas and complexes more green; Promoting active means of transportation in Hamburg; The User eXperience challenge, whereby students will analyse, evaluate and re-design the user experience of digital products and services of Italian companies. 

For further information about the ECIU University challenges, including DCU’s contribution on Carbon-intensive regions in transition, visit ECIU University.