The Hub does brisk business at Floating Offshore Wind 2026
By Wind Innovation Hub
The Wind Innovation Hub team held a hugely successful Business Breakfast Briefing on Day One, October 7th of Floating Offshore Wind 2026 at the P&J Live in Aberdeen.
To a packed house, Hub Programme Director Lynne McIntosh-Grieve shared an introduction to the Hub partnership comprising the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, NCC and NMIS (National Manufacturing Institute Scotland), and funded by Innovate UK. The Hub’s mission to identify critical gaps and accelerate the innovations and technologies most needed by the sector, guided by the five priority technology areas identified in the 2024 Industrial Growth Plan for offshore wind, was crisply outlined.
Lynne profiled the extended team’s wealth and breadth of expertise spanning offshore renewable energy, advanced composites, digital and sustainable manufacturing, and industrial scale-up, while introducing key team members together with their respective roles in creating the forthcoming five roadmaps and three missions.
She also shared the exciting news that over 70 applications for support had been received from UK technology companies for the Hub’s first major initiative, the £2million Accelerating Innovations programme. An interactive session followed, with attendees contributing questions, suggestions, comments and insights via the Mentimeter presentation support platform facilitating the lively exchange.
On the Wind Innovation Hub exhibition stand, shared with ORE Catapult, Hub team members Alex Cochrane (NMIS), Kate McClearn (NCC) and Sean Lafferty (NMIS) fielded a wide range of enquiries and a few potential partnership approaches from groups and individuals curious to learn more about the Hub’s ‘joining the dots’ approach to aligning available support for UK companies working on technologies, products and services aligned with the Industrial Growth Plan.
During ‘walkabouts’ around the exhibition show floor, the team returned to the stand energised by the level of interest shown in the Hub’s first major initiative: the Accelerating Innovations programme, as well as the Hub’s clear mission statement. Multiple positive feedback comments were received along the lines of ‘Great idea, and pertinent timing too.’
An afternoon presentation followed on the Exhibitor Stage titled ‘Connecting ideas, industry and impact: The Wind Innovation Hub’ during which a condensed introduction to the Hub’s core mission was shared – to de-risk innovation, strengthen commercialisation pathways and help more breakthrough solutions move faster toward deployment in offshore wind.
Altogether a busy and fruitful few days, with the team hosting impactful conversations with people working, often at the sharp end, right across the offshore wind sector as well as a number of ambitious businesses seeking to enter the sector.
With the Floating Offshore Wind conference continuing to prove a magnet for the industry, we are excited to offer support for the exciting developments taking shape across the offshore wind supply chain, and energised by our role in driving forward the innovation, collaboration and alignment through which these much-needed new projects, technologies and services can flourish.