Eight North East companies are to share £1.87 million in the first phase of a programme designed to accelerate innovation in offshore renewable energy. The funding forms part of the £4.5m North East Offshore Wind Innovation and Demonstration programme, known as NEOWIND, which is intended to help firms develop technologies for the offshore wind industry and strengthen the regional supply chain.
Public and industry support
NEOWIND will be delivered by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, with financial backing from the North East mayoral authority and support from industry groups including Equinor and Morven Offshore Wind Farm. The initiative reflects the growing emphasis on developing the companies and technologies needed to support the expansion of clean power.
The programme is focused on the North East, but its stated ambition reaches beyond the participating businesses. Organisers say it aims to support the wider offshore wind industry, the regional economy and the supply chain that underpins renewable-energy projects. The first eight recipients were chosen from companies working across a range of technologies and services.
The first companies selected
The initial funding round includes six businesses based in Newcastle, one in North Tyneside and one in Northumberland:
- Newcastle: TLR9, Kinewell, SeaThor, H2CHO, Spirit Advisory and Sensing 360;
- North Tyneside: Succorfish;
- Northumberland: Acuity Robotics.
The source material does not specify how the £1.87m will be divided between the eight companies, nor does it set out the individual projects each firm will undertake. It describes the companies collectively as developing innovations intended to help offshore renewable energy become more effective and commercially viable.
| Programme measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total NEOWIND funding | £4.5m |
| First funding round | £1.87m |
| Companies supported initially | Eight |
Building on an earlier scheme
NEOWIND follows the TIGGOR programme, or Technology Innovation and Green Growth for Offshore Renewables, which has supported offshore wind innovation in North East England since 2020. The new scheme is therefore being positioned as a continuation of work already undertaken in the region, rather than as a stand-alone funding initiative.
Its partnership network includes the Ports of Blyth, Tyne and Sunderland, Newcastle University, Durham University and the University of Sunderland. Business organisations involved include Business Northumberland, Business North Tyneside, Invest South Tyneside, Business Gateshead and Business Durham. The Energi Coast Innovation Group is also supporting the programme.
Technology as a supply-chain priority
For the offshore wind sector, programmes such as NEOWIND provide a route for smaller and specialist firms to develop solutions alongside larger industry participants. The funding is intended to help the selected businesses advance their technologies over the coming years, while creating closer links between companies, universities, ports and major energy developers.
Claire Canning, head of supply chain excellence at the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, said the eight businesses demonstrated the innovation required to make clean power a reality. She added that the programme would support their technology development, the industry, the regional economy and the wider supply chain.
“These eight ambitious companies demonstrate the innovation we need to make clean power a reality.”
North East mayor Kim McGuinness said the region was the home of the green-energy revolution and that public investment through NEOWIND would create opportunities for people and businesses. The programme’s progress will now depend on how effectively the companies convert the initial support into deployable technologies for offshore renewable energy.
