Developing the talents who will electrify the future

The energy transition relies on technologies, infrastructure and grids. It also depends on our collective ability to educate the people who will design, deploy and continuously improve them. Nexans is working alongside RTE and Lyon 1 University / IUT Lyon 1 through the Engineering of Sustainable Electrical Grids (IRED) Master’s programme, which prepares future grid experts for the challenges of a rapidly changing energy system.

Electrification calls for new skills

Deploying renewable energy, electrifying industrial and everyday uses, upgrading infrastructure and strengthening grid resilience: these developments require high-level technical expertise, as well as a broad understanding of energy-related challenges.

Electrical-grid careers now offer diverse, meaningful paths: electrical engineering, project management, infrastructure design and operation, and the development of innovative solutions. These roles are essential to supporting the decarbonisation of our societies.

The IRED Master’s programme addresses this shift by combining academic learning, work-study placements and direct input from industry professionals. Students develop expertise that is firmly grounded in the realities of today’s and tomorrow’s electrical grids.

A programme designed around industrial realities

The programme’s strength lies in close cooperation between academia and the industry players that make up the sector. RTE and Nexans teams contribute to the curriculum, sharing their knowledge of the sector’s tangible challenges: understanding the electricity system, integrating new technologies, power electronics, evolving infrastructure, and performance and reliability requirements.

This approach enables students to combine scientific knowledge, in-company experience and preparation for professional careers. It also helps showcase an innovative, fast-evolving sector that is open to diverse backgrounds and profiles.

Lyon: a dynamic ecosystem working for the grids of tomorrow

Nexans’ commitment to IRED naturally builds on the Group’s history in Lyon, where Nexans has been present since its origins and where its R&D centre is located. The region brings together a recognised ecosystem of industrial, technological and academic expertise serving energy and electrification.

For Nexans, contributing to this programme means helping to prepare the talent the industry will need to meet the challenges of sustainable electrification. It also means creating the conditions for ongoing dialogue between education, innovation and industry.

A collective initiative to attract talent

The IRED Master’s programme is one of the initiatives developed through the “Ecoles des réseaux pour la transition énergétique” programme, supported by France 2030. This collective initiative aims to enhance the appeal of electrical-grid careers and diversify the pathways into these professions.

By supporting students as they move into these careers of the future, Nexans reaffirms a strong belief: sustainable electrification cannot be achieved without the skills, commitment and diversity of the people who will make it possible.

At a glance – The IRED Master’s programme

• Programme name: Engineering of Sustainable Electrical Grids (IRED)
• Level: Master’s degree (equivalent to five years of higher education)
• Format: work-study programme, part of Lyon 1 University’s Energy Master’s degree
• Founding partners: Lyon 1 University / IUT Lyon 1, RTE and Nexans
• Purpose: to prepare professionals able to address the technical and operational challenges of sustainable electrical grids