Co-funded by the
European Union
From Master’s in Energy for Smart Cities to Northvolt, the story of George Arende
Some unforeseen crises such as Covid-19 can create many challenges. However, EIT InnoEnergy students continuously demonstrate adaptability and innovative solutions to make sure that they achieve their goals. MSc Energy for Smart Cities student George Arende’s story demonstrates how the pandemic need not get in the way of education or career. The Kenyan/Southern Africa native took full advantage of the EIT InnoEnergy Master School’s remote learning opportunities at the time. He followed his second-year classes at Universitat Politecnica de Calatunya in Spain while still based in Sweden, which allowed him to secure an internship within EIT InnoEnergy, assisting to develop the roadmap for energy storage and smart grids. This connection led to his current internship and Master’s thesis work at the innovative green lithium-ion battery manufacturer, Northvolt. George shares how EIT InnoEnergy has helped him make those all-important connections to industry – as well as offered support along the way.
Learning about engineering and entrepreneurship
George stumbled across the EIT InnoEnergy community while searching for start-up accelerators online. “What was astounding about EIT InnoEnergy was that they provided a master’s school that develops both technical and business skills. I found out that EIT InnoEnergy has been behind many successful European start-ups, and the more I read about their initiatives, the more I was impressed. Such as the Hardt Hyperloop, where they assisted students with no entrepreneurial experience or financial resources, just technical skills, to start their own initiatives. This made me want to be part of their network and get myself to the centre of the green revolution – Europe. I knew that the EIT InnoEnergy Master school was the best place to start.”
