- 15 October 2025
Sofia Offshore Wind Farm concludes fourth round of engineering competition for Teesside University students
Concluding its fourth year, the Sofia Engineering Innovation competition proudly announced Mekelawait Nebiyou Hagos, Finley Daniels, Harrison Rummins and Jack Fawcett as the winners of this year’s competition.
The four engineering students were chosen as the winners of the innovation competition in May by a panel of four judges from RWE’s Sofia Offshore Wind Farm; Elsa Lamb, Akbar Naib-Khill, Morten Christiansen and Poppy Tremayne, as well as Mike Cargill from UK STEM. The winning presentation focused on the use of fibre-optic sensors to reduce wind turbine inspection costs. In recognition of their achievement, each team member was awarded a certificate and a cash prize of £150.
The Sofia Engineering Innovation competition is a collaborative initiative between Teesside University and RWE designed to encourage students into careers in offshore wind. The competition forms part of the students’ coursework and is delivered as part of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm and Teesside University.
Around 60 Teesside University engineering students took part in the four-month innovation challenge set by the Sofia team, which tasked them with developing blade inspection solutions for the offshore wind industry.
During the competition students were introduced to the scale of the operation at Dogger Bank and learned about the critical importance of technician safety, as well as the business costs associated with turbines that are out of action. Working in 12 teams, students were asked to consider the importance of effective and efficient inspection processes with an emphasis on technician safety.
The challenge was divided into three parts:
- Phase 1: Analysis of the initial problem
- Phase 2: Range of solutions
- Phase 3: Justification and a final presentation to the Sofia team
Mike Cargill, managing director of UK STEM who delivers the Sofia education outreach programme on behalf of RWE said: “The competition is designed to engage students with an industry challenge that shows them specialist areas of wind turbine design and operations. The monitoring of blades is an expanding area as the industry grows and the open-ended nature of this project really allows students to be creative.”
Dr Mohammadreza Mohammadi, lecturer in energy and sustainability added: “The competition is a brilliant opportunity for our students to learn about green energy and to practice skills like problem solving, teamwork and critical thinking. I am sure some of these students will end up contributing to the wind energy sector at some stage. It’s very exciting to see we are training the next generation of experts in the field.”
Akbar Naib-Khill, Lead Civil Engineer for the Sofia Offshore Wind Farm said: “The Sofia Engineering Innovation Competition is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain real-world experience and display their creativity in addressing key challenges in offshore wind.
“Through our education programmes, we hope to inspire young people to choose a career in offshore wind and highlight the range of opportunities available."
