OWIC | Hogeschool Saxion

The offshore wind industry is an important economic pillar of the Eemshaven and has the potential to become one of the leading employers in the north. There are many opportunities in this area for the realization of new windfarms and other green energy sources, but especially in the area of Operations & Maintenance (O&M): keeping the wind farms operational and significantly optimizing maintenance.

Research question

How could drones, sensor and robot technology be used within the offshore wind industry?

Background information

To make the maintenance and management processes more efficient and effective, innovation, renewal and expertise and clustering are necessary. Opportunities focus on five concrete themes in the O&M, namely Cable Maintenance, Bolting, Remote Operations and (Predictive) Maintenance, Rotor Blades and additional initiatives such as Energy generation, storage and balancing.

Project approach

TCNN, as an experienced coordinator of complex international projects, wants to seize these opportunities together with NEC, NNOW and its SME partners by clustering knowledge exchange and innovation and providing a lasting foundation in an Offshore Wind Innovation Center (OWIC). In this innovation ecosystem, initiatives for innovation on O&M themes are bundled and strengthened: companies work together with knowledge institutions on relevant and applicable solutions for the offshore wind sector. With this unique initiative, we want to tackle the identified bottlenecks in the field of technology, logistics, recycling and training.

Continuous cross-fertilization between knowledge institutions and the business community can make training more attractive and more relevant to the labor market. This will promote the influx of students. Companies, on the other hand, will therefore have a greater potential of skilled personnel.

Research outcome

In our vision of the future, the Eemshaven is the beating heart of the offshore wind sector and the port acts as a magnet for other activities: the Northsea Windhub. The OWIC at this physical location is a booster for enthusiastic entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and solid plans around the O&M themes. Knowledge development, Operations & Maintenance and a training center have developed into a facility that has made the position of Eemshaven strong and distinctive from regions where similar plans are being developed. The OWIC is not only a source of local employment, but also plays a key role in constantly attracting new projects in offshore wind energy in the North Sea above the Wadden.