At the recent Baltic Sea Offshore Wind Summit (BSOWS2025) in Gdansk, during a panel on “Shaping the Offshore Workforce,” Božena Petikonis-Šabanienė, Head of HR for Ignitis Renewables, stressed the vital role of collaboration and an open approach to international talent in overcoming the growing skills gap in the offshore wind sector. The panel discussed strategies for attracting talent and building a strong workforce to support the expanding industry in the Baltic Sea region.

Petikonis-Šabanienė, representing a leading renewable energy developer operating across three Baltic states and Poland, emphasized the interconnectedness of the region’s talent pool. While companies often have their own recruitment programs, she suggested that greater benefits could be achieved if the entire offshore wind value chain worked together. “The real potential lies in all industry players joining forces, not just developers, but everyone across the value chain,” she stated.

A key challenge identified was the complexity of the offshore wind industry, which demands a diverse range of skills, including engineering, technical, environmental, legal, and supply chain expertise. She highlighted the high demand for specific roles, such as supply chain specialists, across all countries where Ignitis Renewables operates.

Advocating for a broader approach to talent acquisition, Petikonis-Šabanienė highlighted the need to look beyond national borders. “It’s crucial to be open to international talent. The offshore industry has been operating in other countries for a long time, so being open to learning is essential for gaining competence,” she asserted. She also shared Ignitis Renewables’ success in attracting Lithuanian professionals working abroad back to Lithuania for offshore wind projects, demonstrating the potential of leveraging diaspora talent.

Petikonis-Šabanienė acknowledged the efforts of organizations like Wind Europe in developing career pathways for the sector and proposed that these frameworks should be adapted to the specific context of the Baltic states and Poland, considering workforce mobility. She noted a shift towards accepting the fluidity of the offshore wind talent pool, with professionals moving between projects across different countries.

The “Talent Matters: Shaping the Offshore Workforce” panel; (from the left) Rihards Stalmanis, Director at BOTC Training, Agnieszka Rodak, Pomeranian Centre of Competence for Offshore Wind Energy, (Moderator) Dr Antonios Nestoras, Founding Director European Policy Innovation Council, and Božena Petikonis-Šabanienė, Head of HR for Ignitis Renewables

Ignitis Renewables is actively investing in the future workforce through initiatives like scholarships to encourage young people to pursue engineering and join the energy sector. However, Petikonis-Šabanienė reiterated the importance of a collaborative, industry-wide strategy to effectively address the workforce challenges in the growing offshore wind sector.

The Baltic Sea Offshore Wind Summit 2025 provided a key platform for these discussions, bringing together stakeholders to tackle the challenges and opportunities in the offshore wind industry. Ignitis Renewables participated as an Official Summit Partner, contributing to the dialogue on the sector’s development.

Key support for the event was provided by Leading Summit Partners PGE Baltica and Baltic Power, along with Official Summit Partners Ignitis Renewables, OW Ocean Wind, the Royal Danish Embassy, Rumia Invest Park, and the Danish Energy Agency.

The next Baltic Sea Offshore Wind Summit 2025 will be held in Brussels in October, with a return to Gdansk scheduled for March 2026.