Back to School: Virtual Field Trip for 27,000 Students onboard Saipem 7000

As the maritime and offshore industries cumulatively search for ways to attract the 'next generation,' Saipem has come up with an innovative approach that gives thousands of students the ability to virtually visit work in the offshore environment: two days on board a naval vessel engaged in the construction of a large wind farm in the North Sea. 

This is the experience that almost 27,000 elementary and middle school students from over 850 cities were able to live thanks to an exclusive virtual and interactive school trip organized by Saipem, the Italian engineering services company for the energy sector, on the Saipem 7000 , the third largest crane ship in the world. The naval vessel was involved in laying the foundations for the Neart Na Gaoithe (NnG) wind farm, off the east coast of Scotland.

The initiative was born with the aim of making children discover the exceptional work of Saipem engineers and technicians and to delve deeper into the themes of energy transition and wind energy. Participants were able to experience the trip through a special web application, during almost 10 hours of live streaming, with interactive methods such as questions, surveys and quizzes.

The special visit is part of the series of virtual trips "CodyTrip" conceived and created by the spin-off of the University of Urbino DIGIT, in collaboration with the University itself, Giunti Editore and CampuStore, Italian leader in the education sector, with the patronage of Save the Children, Fondazione Mondo Digitale, Gray Panthers and Telefono Azzurro.

The young students first met their guide virtually at the Aberdeen heliport and, after flying over the wind farm under construction by helicopter, landed on the Saipem 7000 to visit the ship. 

Here they met the commander, the site manager, the engineers and technicians who work on the execution of the projects, who shared the values that animate them and that make the creation of such large and complex works possible, such as creative ingenuity, valorization of skills and roles, team spirit, trust, attention to people, the environment and safety at work. 

The students observed the Saipem 7000 in full operation, both by visiting the command bridge, the engine room and by approaching the large lifting cranes used to install the wind turbines. Finally, they had the opportunity to experience life on board like a real crew: from the safety induction as soon as they arrived, to dinner in the canteen with the on-board cook, up to muscle awakening in the gym or in the cabin the following morning.

During the visit the participants also learned anecdotes and curiosities about the project and the company and its means, such as the fact that the Saipem 7000 owes its name to the presence of two gigantic twin cranes with a capacity of 7000 tons each; or that one of the Saipem ships, the Castoro 6 pipelayer, in 1980 was visited by Primo Levi, invited by the then President of the company, who was struck by some passages of the novel "The Star Key" which seemed inspired precisely by the work of the people and of Saipem vehicles.

The trip was preceded by some training and in-depth moments, including two webinars dedicated to wind energy and workplace safety.