The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s national Launch Academy opens for new applications today.
The programme 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 £9m 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.
For the new 2022/23 intake as offshore wind giants Orsted, Equinor and RWE feature alongside BP as industry sponsors.
Director of Strategy and Emerging Technologies at ORE Catapult Stephen Wyatt said: “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.
“I’m delighted to welcome Orsted, Equinor, BP and RWE as the industry sponsors who will provide great value to all the companies joining this year’s programme.
“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 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.