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Offshore Wind PBIAA Launch Event
By the mid 2030s, the Forth and Tay region will be home to a dramatic expansion of offshore wind development, manufacture, installation, and operation, from the existing one operational wind farm up to potentially another nine wind farms which could equate to 18GW or 36% of the UK’s planned offshore wind fleet.
The Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee have partnered with Forth & Tay Offshore cluster to incorporate the universities’ research strengths in offshore wind engineering into the Forth and Tay region to address challenges in the design and manufacture of fixed and floating wind systems, the development of a workforce and the delivery of large offshore energy infrastructure projects.
This Place Based Impact Accelerator Account (PBIAA) aims to accelerate and grow the impact of academic research into offshore wind in the Forth and Tay area, particularly in the areas of offshore and geotechnical engineering, manufacturing, operations and maintenance as well as the environmental and social aspects of offshore wind. The £2.5m project is looking to work with companies from across the supply chain to help resolve commercial challenges.
On Friday 30th May we are launching the PBIAA project and hosting an event in Edinburgh at Edinburgh Futures Institute building where we hope to be able to explain to organisations of every size, how you can get involved in the project and access academic research into offshore wind.
There will also be an optional opportunity to visit the FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility in the afternoon. FloWave is a wave and current simulation tank for use in the testing and development of novel ocean energy technologies. As the first circular combined wave and current facility in the world, FloWave is the best simulation of real-world coastal waters available. It offers both commercial and academic clients the chance to accelerate the testing of their technology and is hence a huge asset to ocean energy research in the age of rapid renewable energy development.
Scottish Enterprise backs T12 Engineering to drive offshore wind innovation
Member news
T12 Engineering has secured significant funding from Scottish Enterprise to advance a pioneering mooring system for floating wind turbines that could cut installation times in half.
The floating mooring system is designed to simplify the deployment and maintenance of single spar floating wind turbines, reducing weather-related delays and long-term operational costs, an innovation that will support Scotland’s net zero ambitions and strengthen its role as a global leader in offshore wind innovation.
Currently, floating wind turbines are assembled in sheltered waters and towed to offshore sites, where they are tethered to the seabed and connected to the electrical network, a process that is both time-consuming and weather sensitive. T12 Engineering’s design allows these critical connections to be prepared in advance, enabling a faster, ‘plug and play’ installation once the turbine arrives on site.
MCM Marks 25 Years of Helping Organisations Stay Resilient with New Critical Incident Support Services and Enhanced Capability
Member news
In April, MCM proudly celebrated 25 years since the company’s incorporation — a significant milestone reflecting decades of experience in supporting organisations through incidents, crises, and challenges.
From its beginnings in 2000, MCM has grown to become a trusted leader in incident response and crisis communications. As it marks this anniversary, the company announces key new developments to further enhance its client offering.
Given the hundreds of people we have supported after incidents, it is fitting that our anniversary coincides with the UK’s National Mental Health Awareness month, so there is no better time to launch two new initiatives in this increasingly important area of organisational and personal resilience:
Launch of The Crown Estate’s Supply Chain Accelerator 2nd funding round
The Crown Estate’s Supply Chain Accelerator was launched last year to help catalyse UK supply chain capacity and capability for offshore wind. Following the success of the first round in 2024, where nearly £5 million was awarded to 13 organisations, an expanded second round has now been launched with even greater opportunity.
The second funding round has been increased to £15 million, with each successful applicant able to access up to £1.5 million of matched funding for UK projects that support the deployment of offshore wind.
In this round, projects or facilities that support the manufacturing, fabrication and late-stage testing of fixed and floating offshore wind components will be considered, aligned with the priorities identified in the Industrial Growth Plan.
The scope is being broadened to include ports which can support offshore wind (including through wet storage and the fabrication of operations & maintenance vessels), given the role that ports can play as important hubs for the construction, operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms.
The application window closes on Friday 27 June 2025 and successful projects will be announced before the end of the year. To help potential applicants, there is a series of webinars where they can learn more and ask questions:
- 11 April, 10am-11am: Information on eligibility criteria and application process.
- 24 April, 10am-11am: Repeat of webinar on 11 April.
- 1 May, 10am-11am: An opportunity to outline the funding and commitment agreements and to answer questions about the application process.
- 15 May, 10am-11am: Repeat of webinar on 1 May.
- 12 June, 10am-11am: Final webinar providing further opportunity to ask questions.
To find out more and apply, please visit: https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/our-business/marine/supply-chain-accelerator-fund. If you have a question or to register for a webinar, please email accelerator@thecrownestate.co.uk
Host an Offshore Wind Networking Event!
Make connections within the offshore wind sector and showcase what your business can offer
A networking event is a fantastic opportunity to share information about your company, showcase the capabilities of your site, meet other members to develop new business leads, and discuss best practice and navigating the offshore wind sector. There are opportunities to work with other members of the cluster just waiting to be discovered.
We would love to hold more of these events as they are so beneficial to attendees as well as the host, so we are encouraging members to hold an event at their own site.
The Forth & Tay team will take care of promotion, registrations and communications for the event, and anything else we can do to make hosting an event easier for member companies.
Please get in touch if you’re interested in hosting an event (mail@forthandtayoffshore.co.uk). We’ll start by securing a date, discussing the content and agreeing on communications.
If your site isn’t suitable for hosting an event, we can support you in running an informative webinar, or we can accommodate a lunch and learn style networking event at our own offices to help you make those all important connections with other members.
We look forward to hearing from you. Make sure your business is well-known across the sector!
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