14th aUGUST

The project has become a sponsor of Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s Launch Academy Scotland, which will provide mentoring and growth support to 10 early-stage businesses developing products and services that could supercharge the sector in the UK and globally.

Launch Academy has helped numerous businesses across the UK to commercialise technology over the past four years, but this is the first time that the scheme has launched a dedicated Scotland-wide programme.

A team from Caledonia, being advanced by one of Scotland’s largest offshore wind developers, Ocean Winds, will engage and support the cohort of companies through their seven-month Launch Academy journey, helping them to prepare to pitch to investors with the aim of securing funding and a route to market.

Mark Baxter, Project Director of Caledonia said that a vibrant and resilient supply chain was key to the success of the project and critical to the UK achieving its offshore wind ambition. He added: “We’re extremely proud to sponsor Launch Academy Scotland and to be an ally of the supply chain on its drive to innovate new technologies, increase local content and reduce costs.

“Caledonia is keen to see Scottish companies and innovators focussed on decarbonisation and manufacturing excellence, furthering the development, construction and operation of offshore wind, and accelerating Scotland’s green energy transition.”

The significant benefit that Ocean Winds’ projects in the Moray Firth have delivered for the supply chain has been highlighted in the recent report, Driving Ambitious Supply Chain Transformation Across Scotland and the UK. It shows how Moray East and Moray West – and now Caledonia – are driving impact through the development, fabrication, installation and operation stages, and how the wind farms support jobs, communities and economic growth in addition to the journey towards net zero.

To date, Ocean Winds has directly awarded major contracts to more than 80 UK companies – of which nearly two-thirds are in Scotland – and many more indirectly through the supply chain. The projects have led to the creation of operations and maintenance bases in Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire and Buckie in Moray, and major investment in port facilities in Nigg, Invergordon and the Cromarty Firth Green Freeport in the Highlands.

Mark said: “Our Moray Firth projects have showcased the exceptional talent within Scotland’s supply chain, and this initiative represents a significant investment in both supply chain and innovation.

“Caledonia is committed to spend £46m in early support for the UK supply chain and will lead to potential investment of £3.5bn in the UK across all its stages. Ocean Winds has proven its commitment to supply chain development through its existing projects in the Moray Firth, and Caledonia – across its development lifecycle and through support for initiatives like the Launch Academy – will further enhance opportunities for growth.

“Developers like Ocean Winds have an important role to play in supporting the supply chain – we hope our mentoring of these 10 companies will lead to them winning work with our projects and across the sector globally. We believe that by working together we’ll be able to address and solve some of the challenges we face and accelerate delivery of offshore wind.”

ORE Catapult established the Launch Academy programme in 2020 to accelerate early-stage disruptive innovations that can address the challenges facing the offshore renewables sector. Applications are now open for Launch Academy Scotland and will close on August 23.