Aiming to develop Vestas-certified trainers and deliver Vestas technical training in Japanese, in Japan
Nagasaki, Japan — The Nagasaki Marine Industry Cluster Promotion Association (Headquarters: Nagasaki City; President: Hiroshi Matsuo; hereinafter “NaMICPA”) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Vestas Japan Co., Ltd.
(Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter “Vestas”) and Akita Prefecture to conduct a joint feasibility study on building a domestic foundation for developing highly skilled technical personnel for Japan’s wind energy sector. The signing ceremony was held in Tokyo in the presence of Mr. Ryosei Akazawa, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Mr. Henrik Andersen, Group President & CEO of Vestas. The MOU was signed by Mr. Purvin Patel, President of Vestas Asia Pacific, Mr. Kenta Suzuki, Governor of Akita Prefecture, and Mr. Hiroshi Matsuo, President of NaMICPA.
Background
As the deployment of offshore and onshore wind power expands in Japan, securing highly skilled technical personnel for the construction, operation and maintenance (O&M) of wind turbines has been identified as a key challenge, including in the national Strategic Industry Cluster Plan formulated in July 2026. At the same time, most of the specialized technical training designated by wind turbine manufacturers is delivered in English at training centers overseas, and an environment in which Japanese technicians can receive such training in Japanese has yet to be established.
Through the Nagasaki Ocean Academy (NOA), opened in 2020 with support from The Nippon Foundation, and the Nippon Foundation Offshore Wind Human Resource Development Center (NOA TRAINING), opened in November 2024, NaMICPA has provided an integrated range of education and training — from offshore wind project development to on-site safety and technical training — in cooperation with industry, government and academia in Nagasaki Prefecture. NOA TRAINING delivers Global Wind Organisation (GWO) certified safety and technical training in both Japanese and English, and its trainees include Vestas technicians working in Japan as well as many other professionals in the wind industry. This track record forms the basis of today’s MOU.
Outline of the MOU
Under the MOU, the three parties will jointly assess the feasibility of introducing internationally recognized wind energy training programs in Japan and will examine the organizational framework, functions and capabilities required for their implementation. The study will cover the identification of workforce development needs in the wind energy industry, the establishment of a delivery framework for world-standard technical and safety training, and opportunities for regional cooperation, including collaboration with educational institutions and industry stakeholders and the delivery of programs in Japanese.
Comment from the President of NaMICPA
Hiroshi Matsuo, President of NaMICPA, said: “For Japan’s wind energy industry to grow sustainably, it is essential that technicians can receive world-standard technical training in Japanese, here in Japan. We aim for the instructors of NOA TRAINING to become Vestas-certified trainers, and for the trainers developed here to extend their reach to Akita and other regions across the country.”
About NaMICPA
The Nagasaki Marine Industry Cluster Promotion Association (NaMICPA) is a non-profit organization established in 2014 to promote the formation of a marine industry cluster in Nagasaki, centered on marine renewable energy. With approximately 100 regular member companies and 26 supporting members, NaMICPA operates the Nagasaki Ocean Academy (NOA) on the Bunkyo Campus of Nagasaki University (opened in 2020; approximately 1,300 participants across 105 sessions to date), the Nippon Foundation Offshore Wind Power Human Resource Development Center (NOA TRAINING) on Ioujima Island, Nagasaki City (opened in November 2024; GWO-certified safety and technical training in Japanese and English; target capacity of 1,000 trainees per year by FY2030), and an open-sea field test center in the waters around Ioujima. NOA and NOA TRAINING are designated as human resource development stakeholders in the offshore wind cluster of the Kyushu region under Japan’s Strategic Industry Cluster Plan.
Media Contact
Nagasaki Marine Industry Cluster Promotion Association
(NaMICPA)Yasuhiro Onoe, Secretary General / Hiroaki Nagatomi, Administrative Manager, NOA TRAINING
E-mail: info@namicpa.com
Tel: +81-95-834-9123
Web: https://namicpa.com