Norwegian Offshore Wind (NOW) has launched today the NOW Accelerator, designed to foster the growth of startups and scaleups in the offshore wind industry.
Starting in August, the programme is the first of its kind, said Norwegian Offshore Wind. The accelerator will run in close collaboration between industry players and Norwegian Offshore Wind, Norway’s largest offshore wind representative body – now counting 375 members.
“The main idea behind this accelerator is to create a springboard for innovative solutions, where the industry itself is involved throughout the process”, said Arvid Nesse , manager of Norwegian Offshore Wind.
The two-year programme 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 mentorship, training, networking opportunities, and exposure to global markets, according to Norwegian Offshore Wind.
“We see that innovation comes from every corner of the industry. Startups and scaleups develop solutions that can reduce cost and help solve many of the challenges we face”, said Nesse.
Partners of the programme are 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.
Norway has set a target of reaching net zero by 2050 and has committed to establishing 30 GW of offshore wind power by 2040. The country also recently opened the first offshore wind tenders for applications.
According to a recent analysis, Norway has the potential to develop up to 338 GW of offshore wind in areas with a low level of conflict, of which 156 GW and up to 219 GW would account for floating wind, while between 85 GW and 119 GW would account for fixed-bottom wind.
The analysis was conducted by Multiconsult and commissioned by the industry organisation Norwegian Offshore Wind, Equinor, Source Galileo, Hafslund and Deep Wind Offshore.
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