A technology acceleration programme that has already raised £9 million for the UK’s offshore wind industry has opened for new applications.
The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s national Launch Academy has been running since 2019 with 20 companies so far progressing through its nine-month programme, creating 50 new jobs.
This year, previous sponsor bp is joined by Ørsted, Equinor and RWE who bring a wealth of industry expertise. “It is fantastic to see how much the Launch Academy has grown over the past three years – attracting significant investment and recognition from across the offshore wind industry,” said Stephen Wyatt, director of strategy and emerging technologies at ORE Catapult.
“Launch Academy is the only technology accelerator dedicated to offshore wind early-stage companies which allows us to provide highly focused support, strong market pull and enthusiastic investors for leading innovators in the UK supply chain.”
Each year, Launch Academy chooses ten companies seeking to commercialise new products or services for the offshore wind market.
The companies respond to challenges or themes from industry sponsors, guaranteeing marketability and helping sponsors engage with the best solutions. The cohort-based approach also encourages each company to learn from the experience of other participants.
