OWIH in collaboration with industry and academia has built technology roadmaps – a register of industry challenges and ways to solve them. As a map, it contains information of where the sector is now, the destination and a network of paths that offer different ways of getting there. It creates a holistic view of the sector’s technology priorities as it tracks progress of innovation areas and individual projects that support them.
Each innovation area is scored on three key criteria: UK Benefit, potential to reduce LCOE and case for intervention. Scoring elements helps to maximise impact of Government spend thanks to allocating funds to projects agreed within the sector to be the most important. It also allows more effective spending and governance – providing support to areas that need public intervention and scored higher in Case for Intervention.
Finally, Hub’s work helps to identify strategic opportunities for UK – providing policy support for areas with high UK benefit potential. As a coordinating body, OWIH supports public institutions and industry in securing government funding, such as through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
Each Innovation Area gives an answer on when and how this innovation would decrease costs, deliver benefits for UK and what type of organisation is going to deliver it. Innovation Areas have been divided into 4 segments: Electrical infrastructure, O&M and Windfarm Lifecycle, Turbines and Substructures.
This advanced prioritisation tool helps to identify to innovators and the supply chain where there are potential market opportunities within the UK offshore wind sector.
What do the Innovation Roadmaps do?
- Provide government and industry with a single, validated source of information on the key challenges and innovation priorities within the UK offshore wind sector.
- Identify to innovators and the supply chain where there are potential market opportunities within the UK offshore wind sector.
- Provide funders and potential applicants with an evidence base for demonstrating the areas of the UK offshore wind sector that have a demand for innovation.
How are they populated?
The roadmaps build on previous innovation prioritisation work undertaken in the sector, such as the Cost Reduction Monitoring Framework. Based on this foundation, the Hub created a series of roadmaps which were tested with industry and academia through the Hub’s Technical Advisory Group.
How often are they updated?
The roadmaps will be updated at least every six months to ensure they continue to accurately reflect the needs of the UK offshore wind sector.
Explaining the Roadmaps
For each one of the Roadmaps we are providing details in terms of:
Forecast start and finish: When the significant progress in this area of innovation is expected to start and finish
Start and Target TRL: Technology Readiness Level at the start and end of innovation area at timescales provided. Read more about TRLs.
Enabler: Target organisation likely to take a lead on this innovation area delivery e.g. Industry, Academia, Research Technical Organisations
Beneficiary: Part of the supply chain that would benefit from a solution in this innovation area
Strategic Outcome: One of 3 general strategic outcomes this innovation area can contribute to:
- enabling >10MW turbine platforms commercialised,
- maximising operational performance from existing wind turbines
- enabling disruptive innovation
Potential to Reduce LCoE: Within the context of this specific roadmap what contribution could the specific innovation area make to reducing Levelised Cost of Energy
UK Benefit: How well placed is the UK to play a role in the development and maturing of the specific innovation area and benefit from the outcomes
Case for Intervention: What is the probability that industry would not take this innovation area forward without additional support (Only applicable for innovation areas)
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