Two new courses to train specialised technical staff are set to begin at the University of Olbia

The aim is to focus on higher education: in both naval and aeronaval engineering. This is because the business world is seeking skilled professionals. It is against this backdrop that two new degree programmes are being launched in Olbia: alongside the three-year degree programme in Naval Engineering – which is already up and running in partnership with the University of Cagliari – the following will commence (first presented at Milan Design Week and then at the Sardinia Boat Show) the Master’s degree programme in Naval Engineering and the vocational degree programme in Electrical and Aeronautical Industrial Technologies. The three-year degree programme in Naval Engineering, run by the University of Cagliari with the support of the UniOlbia Consortium, the backing of Olbia City Council and funding from the Region, is now in its second year and ‘was created to meet the needs of companies in Sardinia’s nautical sector, but it addresses a broader, national-level need’. It is no coincidence, as the UniOlbia Consortium points out, that ‘Italia is in fact the world’s leading country’ in the production of superyachts and cruise ships: two sectors that require specialised technical profiles and advanced engineering skills.

“Regions will only be truly competitive and attractive if they are able to invest consistently in human capital and the younger generations,” says Aldo Carta, president of UniOlbia and director-general of Cipnes. “This is why the degree programmes currently running and planned in Olbia, linked to Sardinia’s strategic sectors, represent a structural investment: developing skilled talent means strengthening businesses, supporting innovation and creating new opportunities for the island’s development.”

The course is already proving popular beyond the local area. There are 33 students enrolled in the second year, including students from other regions and various parts of the island (who, like the other students, have access to 464 new beds). In addition to the three-year degree programme, there is a new Master’s degree programme in Marine Engineering, also offered by the University of Cagliari, in collaboration with the Federico II University of Naples, with the support of UniOlbia and the Region of Sardinia.

The master’s degree programme represents the natural progression from the bachelor’s degree and strengthens the potential to establish a comprehensive university education pathway in Olbia for the nautical sector: from basic training to advanced specialisation. Alongside the maritime-related programmes, a professional degree course in Electrical and Aeronautical Industrial Technologies, also offered by the University of Cagliari, was presented.

The course ties in with the growing interest in technical skills applied to aeronautics, the electrical industry and advanced technological systems. In this regard, Olbia can strengthen its position not only as a centre for the nautical sector, but also as a training hub for the advanced mobility sectors: sea and air.