ORE Catapult CEO Steve Foxley has outlined some of the “big and disruptive” technology challenges the offshore wind sector will need to navigate next year in a bonus episode of the reNEWS podcast.
Foxley told the show that accelerating turbine manufacturing and installation processes and strengthening HVDC capabilities would be high on the agenda for the organisation’s research and development and industry support activities in 2026.
“For us it is about doing less things but going deeper into some of the big innovation challenges we’ve got as a sector,” said Foxley on the sidelines of the Offshore Wind Supply Chain Spotlight event in Edinburgh last week.
“We’ll be putting our shoulder to the wheel and some horsepower behind that.”
The former Chief Executive of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield also said he was proud at what the ORE Catapult had achieved in 2025 and shared some reflections on his first 12 months in the role since joining last January.
Looking ahead Foxley spoke in detail about a testing programme with Ming Yang Smart Energy to validate the main bearing from the Chinese OEM’s 18.5MW offshore turbine that will shortly get underway at ORE Catapult’s National Renewable Energy Centre in Blyth, Northumberland.
Listen below, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts of wherever you get your podcasts.