On June 3. (9-11.30 CET), GCE Node in collaboration with WP7 of SFI Offshore Mechatronics invites to a digital seminar/workshop to explore opportunities within Offshore Wind. In the seminar regional companies such as Origo Engineering and Agder Energy will present their activity within the offshore wind market from a technology and investment perspective. Research results from some of the SFI mechatronics workpackages with an emphasis on results with current and future applications in offshore wind will also be presented.
The seminar will be closed with a discussion to identify opportunities for new spin-off projects and transfer of results, technology and knowledge from the centre to solve current and future challenges within offshore wind.
To view the program and register for the event visit this page.
This year we expect to be able to have an In-Person conference. In the past, the conference has been hosted at University of Agder, Grimstad. This year we are exploring the opportunity to host it at Aalborg University. This will serve as a great opportunity to explore infrastructure, euipment and experiments in particular related to Work Package 1. This is also an opportunity to be introduced to other relevant research initiatives at AAU Department of Energy Technology and The Fluid Power & Mechatronic Sytems group. The tentative date is set to 24.November, however this is not yet final and it may be at an earlier date. The date and a preliminary program will be settled as soon as possible and most likely before the summer break.
Unlocking the innovation potential in a centre for research-based innovation requires an equally important contributions from both the research partners and the industry partners. In an ideal world the research results are relevant and mature enough for the companies to directly apply it in their business. This is however rarely the case, which means that both push and pull efforts are needed to bring promising research results forward.
The path from a TRL3-4 (Technology Readiness Level) up to TRL7-9 which is expected for a company to make large investments into new concepts and technology is known to be challenging. To reach a higher TRL level and to shape new concepts we encourage the centre industry partners to establish industry-driven spin-off projects. A spin-of project is enabling more funding, a dedicated and closer collaboration and also other terms and conditions than what is possible within the scope of a centre.
In SFI Offshore Mechatronics we keep track of the spin-offs. They are categorized as either direct spin-offs or indirect spin-offs. Direct spin-offs from the centre are initiated in collaboration with the academic partners. Indirect spinoffs are within the thematic areas of the research in the centre but initiated independently by the industry partners. The total external funding for the spin-off projects is approaching 125MNOK counting 15 direct spin-offs and 18 indirect spin-offs.
Three companies has also been established as spin-offs from the centre activities and by people with affiliation to the centre. Motiontech AS (founded by SFI Offshore Mechatronics PhD alumni Sondre Sanden Tørdal and related to research in WP2), DropTech As (founded by Mechatronics master students Emil Mühlbradt Sveen and Jørn Folmar Nilsen), Machine Prognostics AS (spin-off from Teknova / Norce Research and related to research in WP5).
