A technology acceleration programme that has raised £9 million for offshore wind entrepreneurs and attracted international industry sponsors, opens for new applications. The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s national Launch Academy has been running since 2019 and 20 companies have progressed through the nine-month programme that focuses on accelerating technology within the offshore renewables industry.
Over £9 million has been raised in investment and companies have taken on 50 new staff since it began. The programme is designed to enhance the UK’s offshore wind supply chain, enable greater UK content and support cost reduction through innovation.The 2021/22 programme was sponsored by bp and ScottishPower Renewables. The 2022/23 has Ørsted, Equinor, RWE and bp as industry sponsors.
Each year, Launch Academy chooses 10 high potential companies seeking to commercialise new products or services for the offshore wind market. The companies actively respond to challenges or themes from industry sponsors, guaranteeing market-pull for the cohort, and helping sponsors engage with the best solutions. The cohort-based approach also encourages each company to learn from the experience of the other participants.
