Ambitious new partnership to tackle offshore wind challenges

We’re taking on some of the offshore wind industry’s toughest challenges by joining forces with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.

Our partnership with ORE Catapult is designed to support North East England’s ambitions to grow its renewable energy sector.

Through a new memorandum of understanding we’ll be working even more closely together in areas including research and innovation, skills development, and enterprise/business engagement.

A decade of joint working

We have worked with ORE Catapult for more than a decade through initiatives such as a match-funding for PhD students and numerous offshore wind research projects.

This new agreement will enable increased collaboration and outputs in applied research.

It will also provide the platform to deliver on our shared ambitions relating to social values, transformative education, net zero research and economic growth through enterprise support.

Regional focus

Our partnership aligns with key strategic priorities for North East England, as well as areas of strength and focus for Durham University.

The recently created North East Combined Authority has prioritised offshore wind as a key opportunity for the region.

Meanwhile, Durham University has recently joined the board of the Energy Central Campus (ECC), based in Northumberland, a training centre focused on developing the skills and talent to expand the clean energy sector.

Leading centre for energy research

Durham University is a leading centre for energy research. Our Durham Energy Institute brings together a wealth of multidisciplinary research to tackle pressing energy challenges and support inclusive energy transitions.

Pictured signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult and Durham University are (seated left) Dr Shaid Mahmood, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) at Durham University and (seated right) Tony Quinn, Director of Technology Development at ORE Catapult. Team members from both organisations are pictured standing behind.



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