R&D - Research and Development

To be able to reach the goal of being a climate-neutral continent and the goals of the European Green Deal, a strategy on offshore and renewable energy is a key element. For getting there the need of regions and territories are of great importance because of the skills needed to provide the change.

The skills challenge in The EU strategy on Offshore Renewable Energy from 2020 says:
“Technical and academic educational programs in Member States should factor in the increasing needs by 2050 to attract young workers with the right profiles to jobs in offshore renewable energy. Centres of Vocational Excellence’ can help meet the need for reskilling by bringing together a wide range of local partners, such as vocational education and training providers (at both secondary and tertiary levels), employers, research centres, development agencies, and employment services, to develop skills ecosystems.”

In direct correlation to the Regional CoVE for offshore wind in Norway, Energy Innovation is running a three year Innovation Norway supported Business network project with specific bilateral or multilateral collaboration projects on various challenges for enhancing a well trained workforce for the offshore wind industry. Project period is june 2023 – june 2026.

Partners

• Program: EU Erasmus+ project
• Total funding: 5 million Euro
• Duration: 2022-2026 (4 years)
• Countries involved: Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland

1. ENERGY INNOVATION AS, Egersund – Norway
2. FAGSKOLEN ROGALAND, Stavanger / Haugesund / Egersund – Norway
3. CEMTEC FONDEN, Denmark
4. IWEA CLG t/a Wind Energy Ireland, Ireland
5. LETTERKENNY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Ireland
6. PROVINCIALE ONTWIKKELINGSMAATSCHAPPIJ WEST-VLAANDEREN, Belgium
7. SCALDA Stichting voor middelbaar beroepsonderwijs en educatie, Netherlands
8. SKILLIANT, Belgium
9. SKIVE COLLEGE, Denmark
10. STICHTING NOORDERPOORT, Netherlands
11. STICHTING PLATFORM BETA EN TECHNIEK, Netherlands
12. STICHTING Technologie Centrum Noord-Nederland, Netherlands
13. STICHING World Class Maintenance, Netherlands

Overall goal

The project’s main goal is to establish a network of centers of vocational excellence 
in offshore renewables in Europe – based on strong regional frameworks. T-SHORE aims to bridge the gap between skills needed in the sector and skills provided by training providers and colleges. By connecting regional stakeholders and align 
missions and needs, one will create joint perspectives on how to meet the shortage 
of skilled technical staff and the digital transition needed.

Throughout the program students and expertise will be exchanged between the participating centres of vocational excellence in offshore wind. An important part 
of the program is additionally to promote lifelong learning through re-/ upskilling already technically trained workers/students.

Energy Innovation initiated this project together with NORCE – Norwegian Research Centre – a Horizon 2020 project with € 7 million in R&D support. Smart integration of local energy sources and innovative storage for flexible, secure and cost-efficient Energy Supply on Industrial Islands. Four year project + extension.

Project period: October 2020 – June 2025

• Combined floating wind (5 MW), wave (14 MW) and solar (0,2 MW)
• To be used for training and R&D by Energy Innovation
• Egersund Energy Hub as base for operations
• In preparation for a R&D project combining FlyWheel barges to the Flex2power pilot as an offgrid solution

This collaborative project, initiated by Energy Innovation with NORCE – Norwegian Research Centre as R&D partner. The project focuses on enhancing wind turbine performance through Condition-Based Operation & Maintenance (CBM) Services on turbine blades. Energy Innovation contributes significant know-how and an extensive industrial network related to turbine blade inspection and repair. Other partners are Naviga Wind Power, Fred. Olsen Renewables, Equinor, Vattenfall and IKM.