This Year’s Largest Dedicated Network Event for Offshore Wind Industry Now Open for Bookings (Denmark)

Bookings can now be made for one of the most significant events in the offshore wind industry – the Offshore Wind International Business2Business Event 2011 in Esbjerg, Denmark, on November 9. OWIB 2011 is business’s version of speed dating and gathers developers, manufactures, suppliers, consultants and knowledge institutions from wide range of offshore wind nations to discuss future projects, exchange experiences or to look for new suppliers in an international setting.

Brief, informal meetings provide those involved in the offshore wind industry with the opportunity to acquire an overview of new suppliers and products, market themselves in relation to potential customers and renew contacts with foreign partners. Interest in taking part in the event is growing year by year.

Manager, Renewables Morten Holmager from Offshore Center Danmark, that is responsible for OWIB, explains:

“This is the 5. year running that we’re organizing the OWIB and, since we enjoyed a record turnout last year, we’ve raised the bar yet again. One of the things we’ve done is to intensify marketing in Germany, United Kingdom, France, China and the US in order to attract as many international participants as possible. Our aim is for our event to be one of the most significant of its kind.”

At the OWIB last year around 2,200 contacts were made in one single day, and Morten Holmager expects this figure to be raised considerably this year:

“The offshore wind market is growing as a still greater number of countries realize the advantages of offshore wind energy, and OWIB is an obvious place for foreign companies to meet some of the Danish suppliers who have been in the game since the world’s first offshore wind farm was inaugurated in Denmark 20 years ago. Danish companies possess expertise that is sought-after in the countries that are now going to embark on projects, which is why Denmark is the obvious host of an international gathering such as the OWIB.”

Participants at OWIB are provided with a list of all those who have signed up. They can then ask to have meetings with representatives from specific businesses, energy companies or industry organizations. Offshore Center Danmark will organize the meetings so that as many people as possible will have the chance to talk to each other for 15 minutes. As was the case last year, the 2 wind manufacturers Vestas and Siemens Wind Power, the energy companies DONG Energy and Vattenfall plus a number of Danish and foreign sub-suppliers will be present.

The Dutch company Nordhooek that specializes in special vessels for the offshore sector participated in the OWIB last year with a view to meeting potential customers.

Commercial Manager Patrick Feeleus from Nordhooek believes meeting people across borders is critical in a sector that is as internationally oriented as the wind turbine sector. He says:

“It’s essential that we exchange experiences in the sector. The Dutch energy sector has many years of experience of the oil and gas sector, and part of this expertise can be transferred to the offshore wind turbine sector directly. OWIB is an obvious setting in which to exchange these experiences across borders.”

Offshore Center Danmark is a national knowledge and innovation centre for the Danish offshore sector. Since 2003 the centre has organized conferences and networking events and initiated development projects to strengthen development and employment in the offshore sector. A focus on opportunities for international collaboration in the wind turbine sector is brought about through participation in international collaboration projects such POWER cluster and South Baltic OFFER.

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Source: offshorecenter, May 17, 2011