TRAINWIND

KICK-OFF MEETING

Minutes of the Meeting

Date: 24th November, 2011, from 9:30 to 17:00 hrs

Location: Conference Hall - Technical University of Varna, Studentska str N1, Varna, Bulgaria

Agenda:

09:30	Opening Session · Welcoming speech by the Rector of the Technical University of Varna – Prof. Ovid Farhi · Short summary of the project and planed activities – Prof. Vencislav Valchev  - TUV
10:00	Consortium  partners presentations · Presentation from P1 - Foundation for Training in Renewable Energies, SP · Presentation from P2 - Embrace Cooperation Ltd., UK · Presentation from P3 - Syntra West vzw, BE · Presentation from P4 - ABC Wind Farm Ltd, BG · Presentation from P5 - Association of Producers of Ecological Energy, BG
11.00	Coffee Break
11.15	Technical discussion – Part I · Nominations and selection of members of the Steering Committee (SC) · Introduction and discussion on the project’s budget
13.00	Lunch
14.00	Technical discussions – Part II · Review of allocations of tasks, responsibilities and deadlines -        Presentation from P4 on the needs of the business, statistic data, analysis -        Presentation from P5 on the needs of the business, statistic data, analysis -        Presentation from P2 on the preparation of the Need’s analysis hand book, activities in WP2, approach, methods to be used -        Presentation from P1 on the transferred system for education in Wind energy technologies, activities in WP3, approach, methods to be used -        Presentation from P3 on the self test system
15:15	Coffee Break
15:30	Final discussions
17:00	Free Time
18.30	Dinner

SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS AND RESULTS

Opening Session

Summary: The opening session was conducted as a press conference announcing the project, its aims and objectives, main activities and planned results. As set in the agenda:

-        An introductory presentation into the project was carried out by prof. Vencislav Valchev ;

-        Short presentations were carried out by each of the partners - excluding the representatives from the Embrace Cooperation – whom due to flight delay arrived later. The partner presentations informed the wide public about the organizations and their activities.

The public attending the meeting in general included:

• Students,
• Academic personal and researchers,
• Representative from the business,
• Media.

Several questions were asked by the public in the discussion following the presentations: the industry needs, the possible realization in wind energy sector, the existing training programs – disadvantages, the cooperation with industry.

Participants (project members):

Country	Organization	Position	Name
Project members
Bulgaria	TU-Varna	Project Leader	prof. Ovid Farhi
		Coordinator	prof. Vencislav Valchev
		WP leader	prof. Rozalina Dimova
		WP leader	prof. Svetlana Lesidrenska
		WP leader	Emilian Bekov
		WP leader	Angel Marinov
		Researcher	Elena Draganova
		Financial assictance	Ana Naumova
		Technical assistance	Ralica Ivanova
		IT administrator	Miroslav Marinov
Spain	CENIFER	WP leader	Idoia Arteta
Belgium	Syntra West	WP leader	Valerie Vanhecke
		Partner representative	Kurk Demurie
Bulgaria	ABC Wind Farm	Business representative	Cvetan Ivanov
			Ivan Ivanov
	APEE		Momchil Merkulov
			Velizar Kirqkov
General Public total 71 participants ( for details see list of participants)

Conclusions and decisions in result of the discussion:

1. 1. Short summary of the project and planed activities - by  Prof. Vencislav Valchev - TUV, coordinator of the project
2. 2. Consortium partners presentations

-        Presentation from P1 - Foundation for Training in Renewable Energies, SP - by Idoia Arteta

-        Presentation from P3 - Syntra West vzw, BE - By Kurk Demurie

-        Presentation from P5 - Association of Producers of Ecological Energy, BG - By Momchil Merkulov

-        Presentation from P4 - ABC Wind Farm Ltd, BG - By  Ivan Ivanov

Technical discussion – Part I

Summary: After closing the opening session, the meeting continued following the agenda with the technical discussions, which were open only to project participants. Members from the Embrace Cooperation joined the meeting.

During the first part of the technical discussion, the following decisions and conclusions were drawn:

-        Nominations for Steering Board members were carried. As described in the project proposal one member of each partner was nominated. The nominees were selected by full majority of vote.

-        During the “Introduction and discussion on the project’s budget” the contract of each partner was discussed. It was suggested by the partners to rather have two installments by 40% for the two years of the project and one final 20% installment after its completion. It was agreed upon that if approved by the National Agency this approach will be used. Other administrative and financial issues were discussed, as experience and knowledge on the program was shared between the partners.

Participants (project members):

Country	Organization	Position	Name
Bulgaria	TU-Varna	Coordinator	prof. Vencislav Valchev
		WP leader	prof. Rozalina Dimova
		WP leader	Emilian Bekov
		WP leader	Angel Marinov
		Administrator	Ralica Ivanova
Spain	CENIFER	WP leader	Idoia Arteta
UK	Embrace	WP leader	Dirk Bischof
		Partner representative	Fergal Mcentee
Belgium	Syntra West	WP leader	Valerie Vanhecke
		Partner representative	Kurk Demurie
Bulgaria	ABC Wind Farm	Business representative	Ivan Ivanov
	APEE		Momchil Merkulov

Conclusions and decisions in result of the discussion:

1. 1. Nominations and selection of members of the Steering Committee (SC) - selected members by full majority of vote:

Vencislav Valchev – Bulgaria, Technical University of Varna

Idoia Arteta – Spain, CENIFER

Dirk Bischof – Embrace, UK

Valerie Vanhecke – Belgium, Syntra West

Ivan Ivanov – Bulgaria, ABC Wind Farm

Momchil Merkulov – Bulgaria, APEE

The Steering committee is chaired by prof. Valchev, according the project text.

1. 2. Introduction and discussion on the project’s budget

Partners agreed upon having 40% payment installment for the first year, second 40% payment following successful midterm report and final 20% payment following successful final report. This approach will be adopted only with upon agreement with the National Agency.

Technical discussion – Part II

Summary: The meeting continued on schedule with presentation from each partner specific to their contribution to the project. The presentation order followed the project’s structure in terms of work program. Thus, short oral presentations were carried by the industrial partners – introducing the business needs and expectations.

Presentation by the partners from UK followed, discussing the need analysis hand book that will set the guidelines for the training courses.  A schedule (timetable) for completing the need analysis handbook was suggested and agreed upon.

After concluding the presentation and discussion regarding the work of Embrace cooperation, the partner from CENIFER introduced their main point in the project. Attention was directed towards the courses for Wind energy technologies developed by CENIFER that were to be used as transfer in the current project. During the discussion that followed it was decided to have a course/program build from many modules, as selection of different modules would form different specializations.

A presentation by Syntra West came after, as its content was directed towards the self assessment tool that is to be transferred in the frames of the project. In the discussion that followed it was decided that the self assessment system will use a dedicated dictionary composed on the basis of the need analysis hand book.

Participants: Unchanged from the previous technical discussion.

Conclusions:

1. 1. Presentation from P2 on the preparation of the Need’s analysis hand book, activities in WP2, approach, methods to be used – Partners decided upon the following schedule and structure for completing the need analysis handbook:

1. 2. Presentation from P1 on the transferred system for education in Wind energy technologies, activities in WP3, approach, methods to be used

Decision was taken that the use modular approach should be adopted for the course program. Courses should consist of many modules that in combination will make different specializations. Each module will award certain number of credits. The number of modules and their content will be decided based on the need analysis handbook – that will represent the needs of the business.

1. 3. Presentation from P3 on the self test system

Date : 25th November, 2011, from 9:30 to 12:00 hrs

Location: Conference Hall - Technical University of Varna, Studentska str N1, Varna, Bulgaria

Technical discussion – Part III

Discussions about the Valorization activities and financial issues

Summary: The final discussions summarized the decisions taken during the meeting. Several other topics not covered in the kick off meeting agenda were discussed. A logo was chosen, it was selected from two pre-prepared suggestions.

Participants: Unchanged from the previous technical discussion.

FINAL assignments of all partners and the responsible partners for different activities

N	Activity	Involved Partners	Responsible Partner	Deadline
1	Design and establishment of the project blog in the site of TUV	All Partners	TUV	15th Dec
2	Design and first newsletter and first annual brochure of the project	All Partners	TUV	15th Jan
3	Make a List of the stakeholder’s network for each country. Determine the specific actors that need to be approached for gathering information required for the need analysis handbook. The stakeholder’s should include: maintenance and operators in wind energy sector; VET trainers in RES.	All Partners	CENIFER	1st February
4	Developing an inquiry/questionnaire to be filled by the indentified actors in the stakeholder’s network. Each partner will develop its own edition.	All partners	TUV + APEE	15th February
5	Clarifying the connection between the project VET platform and EQF (European Qualification Framework)	All partners	TUV + ABC	15th February
6	Developing  of specific criteria for evaluation and quality control	All partners	Syntra+TUV	1st March
7	Assembling the final inquiry/questionnaire. For different countries with different technological stage there could be small specifics in the inquiry/questionnaire.	All partners	CENIFER	1st March
8	Template of the need analysis handbook – including possibilities of EQF	All partners	Embrace	15th March
9	Writing the draft of need analysis handbook	All partners	Embrace	30th April
10	Assembling the need analysis handbook – comparative analysis, conclusions	All partners	Embrace	May, meeting in Pamplona