Summer and Winter Schools

SUMMED-PV strives to raise awareness among PhD students and future managers about the essential requirement for raw and critical materials in Photovoltaic (PV) technology, encompassing all associated devices such as cells, modules, circuits, and systems. This program aims to impart a comprehensive understanding of the pivotal role that Raw Materials (RMs) play as a foundational element in advancing PV industrial development within the European ecosystem.

Partners:

• University of Milano- Bicocca
• University of Torino
• University of Salerno
• University of Trieste
• Hochschule Anhalt
• Bitron S.p.A.
• ERION

EPICENTRE PhD winter-summer school focuses on LCA, LCC and new business development, aiming to bridge the gap in comprehension and communication surrounding life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC). This initiative actively champions sustainable practices within the raw materials sector, aligning with the goals of the EU Green Deal. The programme implements the deployment of a comprehensive and dynamic educational platform that integrates e-learning, simulations, and workshops. This multifaceted strategy ensures an innovative and engaging learning experience for participants from industry and academia.

Partners: 

• Riga Technical University
• Luleå University of Technology
• Aarhus University
• Tallinn University of Technology
• Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute

PhD BalticTeach is addressed to doctoral students interested in research areas such as advanced materials, sustainability, circular economy, and technology commercialization. The programme empowers aspiring researchers with a systems-thinking approach and challenge-based learning, mastering the commercialization and scaling of research results for successful market entry. 

During the programme, three PhD schools will be organized, each of them containing:

• Individual online learning courses (approx. 60 hours);
• A three-day in-person PhD school (approx. 30 hours);
• Incubation programme (approx. 60 hours).

Students have the opportunity to apply and participate in one or more face-to-face PhD schools. Each of them will focus on different topics and take place at specific times from 2024 to 2025:

• Summer PhD School: "Market and the Customer", June 2024, Riga;
• Autumn PhD School: "The Business Case", November 2024, Tallinn;
• Spring PhD School: "Investor Readiness", March 2025, Kaunas.

Before participating in a face-to-face school, students must complete an individual online learning course, including systems-thinking, sustainable materials, circularity, and challenge-based content. If students decide to participate in all three schools, they must complete the online learning course only once before starting the first in-person school. After each face-to-face school, the incubation programme will provide students with inspiring online lectures, practical seminars, and one-on-one mentoring sessions. Participation in each of the schools will provide students with the possibility of earning 6 ECTS credits.

Project partners:

• Riga Technical University Science and Innovation Centre
• Tallinn University of Technology
• Kaunas University of Technology
• Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
• Technical University of Kosice
• Geological Survey of Slovenia

ADMA3 - Advanced Materials Doctoral Program with Industry​ is a unique initiative dedicated to advancing PhD students’ training in sustainable discovery and supply of mineral resources.

Addressing the evolving challenges in the mining industry driven by factors such as energy transition and climate change mitigation, this programme aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate these complex issues. It connects academia and industry, offering valuable insights to experts in both sectors. It provides models and skills for establishing enterprises, fostering sustainable development (SD), promoting business innovation, and addressing ethical challenges.

In collaboration with esteemed partners the University of Oulu, Feasib Ltd, Tallinn Technical University, Politecnico di Milano, and support from 10 industry-leading companies, the ADMA3 PhD School offers a comprehensive learning experience.

Courses are tailored for PhD and M.Sc. students entering into PhD education, covering a diverse range of fields, including engineering, science, economy, and humanities, and are open to company employees for continuous lifelong learning.

Partners:

• University of Oulu
• Tallinn University of Technology
• Politecnico di Milano
• Feasib Ltd

The  Educational Learning Modules on Li-ION batteries ELMO-LION is a new European battery technology and innovation Ph.D. course including 6 ETCS credits. The Ph.D. School consists of online lectures offered by experts on fabrication, spectroscopy, simulations, advanced diagnostics, market and working cases, and challenges from the industry.

ELMO LION is a venture‐creation summer school where students can prepare their projects related to industrial challenges and have personal communication with experts from the academy and industry.

Partners:

• Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology
• Alto University
• Politecnico di Milano
• Delft University of Technology
• University of Padova
• University of Eastern Finland
• University of Helsinki
• University of Oulu
• Suomen Malmijalostus Oy 
• Metso Finland Oy
• EMPA - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
• Centro Ricerche Fiat S.C.p.A.

CLOCKS is an international Ph.D. Summer School lasting 1 week and entitled “Closing the loop: building circular skills on the entire value chain for Circular Economy”. The school has a strong focus on technical and scientific topics, delivered as class teaching, webinars, and MOOCs. Target attendees, to which an Open Badge will be awarded, are Ph.D. students but also professionals working in the fields of circular economy and/or raw materials. Based on challenges and hackathons provided by companies, in field laboratories to be performed in companies, highly transversal and intersectoral teaching contents, the program and the structure of the schools aim at building interdisciplinary proficiency, skills, and entrepreneurial mindset. Teaching contents foster the synergetic combination of academic/scientific experts, while challenges proposed by the companies to the Ph.D. students are related to real industrial problems.

Partners:

• University of Padova
• University of Ljubljana
• Justus Liebig University Giessen
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. 
• Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (MEERI)
• UMICORE AG & Co. KG
• Novu s.r.l.

Become a sustainability pioneer and help us unlock solutions to pressing raw materials challenges. RACE is a two-week, challenge-based learning programme across the raw materials value chain that unites sustainability pioneers to connect, learn and innovate for pressing raw materials challenges.