The certificate programme from École Polytechnique and KIC InnoEnergy, designed with the collaboration of HEC Paris was launched in September last year. It will provide participants with the unique opportunity to develop skills in renewable energy engineering and entrepreneurship.

The course will be showcased at an event on 6th September 2016 in Paris at the Maison des Polytechniciens from 17:30 to 19:00. Applications for the part-time course close on 26th September 2016.

The programme features eight days of classroom instruction at the École Polytechnique campus, a five-week small private online course, and an eight-week group project. Isabelle Schuster, France Education Director at KIC InnoEnergy, says: “One of the biggest challenges faced by markets the world over is integrating the growing number of renewable energy sources into national and local energy mixes. This course doesn’t just develop students’ engineering skills. It will provide them with the commercial acumen to take renewable energy ideas to market and equip them to support the transition to a more renewable energy mix.”

The course has been designed primarily for three audiences:

• Entrepreneurs working on or considering a start-up project in renewable energy,
• Engineers and intrapreneurs in companies considering a move to the renewable energy sector,
• Technical staff of public institutions supporting entrepreneurship in new renewable energy projects.

Frank Pacard, Vice President for academic affairs at École Polytechnique, adds: “Innovation and commercial awareness do not always go hand in hand but this combination of skills is essential for the sector of renewable energies to flourish. This one of a kind programme is designed to create a new breed of entrepreneurs in renewable energies. It meets the expectations of the industry and will set our students up to support one of the fastest growing energy sectors.”

All of KIC InnoEnergy’s online courses are available to view on Institute of Sustainable Energy (iSE) by KIC InnoEnergy the new portal for professional online learning in sustainable energy.