Norway aims for offshore wind growth with new startup program

Wind turbine builder Norwegian Offshore Wind (Haugesund, Norway) has launched the NOW Accelerator, a program designed to foster growth of startups and scale-ups in the offshore wind industry.

The program, which is said to be the first of its kind, will begin in August 2023. The accelerator will run in close collaboration between industry partners and Norwegian Offshore Wind, reportedly Norway’s largest offshore wind representative body — now counting 375 members.

“We see that innovation comes from every corner of the industry,” Arvid Nesse, manager of Norwegian Offshore Wind, explains. “Startups and scale-ups develop solutions that can reduce cost and help solve many of the challenges we face.”

The two-year program offers continuous incubation activities and accelerator initiatives that focus on pressing industry topics. It promises a comprehensive platform for participants to develop, validate and scale their solutions, backed by world-class mentorship, training, networking opportunities and exposure to global markets.

“The main idea behind this accelerator is to create a springboard for innovative solutions, where the industry itself is involved throughout the process,” Nesse adds. “With the ambitious goal of the Norwegian government to make offshore wind our main strategic export industry alongside developing 30 gigawatts here in Norway, we see a pressing need to commercialize good ideas as quickly as possible.”

According to Norwegian Offshore Wind, the startup scene in this region has fostered offshore wind innovations in floater technology, AI and predictive maintenance, drone technology, mapping of areas and other groundbreaking innovations. Norway has several floater technologies under development, and its Marine Energy Test Centre located on Norway’s west coast is a driving force for innovation in this industry.

Partners of the program include the Blåvinge consortium (Fred Olsen Seawind, Hafslund Eco, Ørsted), Equinor, Deep Wind Offshore, EDF Renewables, Corio Generation and Å Energi. The accelerator is created in collaboration with Flow Accelerate.