AMHERST — Continued efforts to increase the clean energy workforce for offshore wind and and “climate tech” in general in Massachusetts are looking to Denmark as a possible model where, even with a smaller population than the Bay State, the wind energy sector is providing direct employment to 100,000 people.

At the University of Massachusetts, the recently launched Academic Center for Reliability and Resilience of Offshore Wind aims to drive workforce development and innovation and serve as an academic and training hub for the offshore wind industry, says Matt Lackner, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Amherst Wind Energy Center, an entity founded in 1972.

“The idea is to tailor the education to industry needs,” Lackner said. “This will be the only true comprehensive center for offshore wind.”

Getting ARROW up and running, and having UMass students and researchers leading a multi-university project to bolster the workforce and also lower costs for developers by reducing uncertainty, such as by finding ways to improve wind turbine support structures in the face of stronger hurricanes, is an $11.7 million investment, a budget that depends on $4.75 million in financial support from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, a quasi-public economic development agency.

MassCEC CEO Emily Reichert was on campus Thursday afternoon to hear from Lackner and others who are leading clean energy efforts, and to see first hand the laboratory work taking place on campus. That included a visit to the the Water and Energy Technology Center, where numerous private start-up companies each year do experiments related to drinking water and wastewater from a prefabricated building opened in 1970.

Reichert said the idea is to offer support for a professional workforce to supply the clean energy industry with the next generation of leaders and meet the state’s goal of “accelerating decarbonization.”

“What we do is help solve problems that keep us from getting to scale,” Reichert said. “We do a lot of pilot studies and things that are stopping us from getting to scale.”

With the support of the Legislature, Massachusetts, with just over 7 million residents, now has 108,000 direct clean energy workers, representing an 80% growth since 2010. Reichert said this support is also for a climate technology corridor, similar to the state’s Life Sciences initiative from 15 years ago.

Among those joining the discussion at the Kellogg Conference Room at Engineering Lab II were state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton; state Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst; Dwayne Breger, director of Clean Energy Extension; Erin Baker, professor of mechanical and industrial engineering and faculty director of the Energy Transition Institute; Sanjay Raman, dean of the College of Engineering; and Michael Fox, dean of the College of Natural Sciences.

Reichert said there are tons of good intentions and good work going on in the state in partnership with the the Department of Energy Resources in trying to identify the strengths in each region, from Cape Cod to the Berkshires. “How do we think about the entire state from the very beginning?” Reichert said. “I think we can lead the way.”

Her agency’s original focus was on solar and then onshore wind, but has moved on to fund case studies that may be off the norm, to confront challenges and begin early stage new innovations. As an example, she cited the difficulties that may face families living in an urban triple decker who want to move to renewable energy, but may be dealing with three separate owners, or those who live in a multifamily home but have no garage to charge an electric vehicle.

Catalyst grants to get research out of the lab where it can be put to use and for climate tech to address climate change by reducing emissions are priorities, as are making systems more resilient to what is climate change effects and providing money for industry research, so species and ecosystems can be protected.

The support for offshore wind, in addition to workforce and supply-chain development, has included development of ports, including a wind staging and deployment facility in New Bedford and another planned for Salem.

Breger praised MassCEC for its support of UMass over the years. “MassCEC has done a tremendous job in moving clean energy forward,” Breger said.

Baker gave a quick summary of the on-campus Energy Transition Institute and its work to integrate clean energy technology and social justice, with a focus on Holyoke, such as decommissioning natural gas pipelines and doing a case study on a community energy project, as well as partnering with El Corazon/ The Heart of Holyoke through Elevate, a project that prioritizes equity values in the transition of the energy system.

Raman told Reichert that sustainability is in the DNA of the UMass campus, pointing to the UMass Carbon Zero initiative, which seeks to transition the entire campus to 100% renewable energy. Raman said he would also love to talk to MassCEC about bringing companies to Amherst to work alongside researchers, rather than them heading to the Kendall Square innovation district in Cambridge.

Opportunities do exist in the Pioneer Valley, Reichert said, pointing to Holyoke as having a cluster of innovation startups and space to add more.

Domb, who said she supports the creation of a “climate tech trail” in the region, praised UMass for hosting forums focused on solar energy last year. “A phenomenal community education piece,” she said.

Following the conversation, Reichert toured the Water and Energy Technology Center, or WET Lab, near the Amherst’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, where a number of startup clean energy companies are working on projects.

Research engineer Patrick Wittbold explained that companies can rent space for a day or for a year or longer, with six to 12 projects coordinated annually with UMass staff and students.

But even with important work, like testing for forever chemicals in drinking water, it is a cramped 1,200-square-foot building and out of date, which closed for a time before reopening in 2015. There are plans for a $6 million or more update that would mean a more advanced laboratory, better ventilation, a conference room for teaching and training, and more suitable space for all work happening inside. That has received state earmarks and other pledges.

Caitlyn Butler, associate dean of Research and Graduate Affairs in the College of Engineering, explained that the larger, more modern building will benefit and hasten startups.

“A new facility would allow streamlined project execution,” Butler said. “We could offer a lot more support to a lot more companies.”

David Reckhow, professor of civil and environmental engineering, said the department has appreciated MassCEC for past support for the WET Center, including a feasibility study for the creation of a water-testing site at UMass.