Norwegian Offshore Wind has launched the NOW Accelerator program in collaboration with Flow, designed to foster growth of startups and scaleups in the offshore wind industry.
The program is first of its kind and will start in August. The accelerator will run in close collaboration between strong industry partners and Norwegian Offshore Wind, Norway's largest offshore wind representative body - now counting 375 members.
“We see that innovation comes from every corner of the industry. Startups and scaleups develop solutions that can reduce cost and help solve many of the challenges we face,” said Arvid Nesse, manager of Norwegian Offshore Wind.
“Flow is an experienced partner in creating accelerator programs that provide value for startups looking to innovate in the offshore wind industry,” said Marius Selsø Håkonsen, co-founder of Flow.
The two-year program offers continuous incubation activities and accelerator initiatives that focus on pressing industry topics. It promises a comprehensive platform for participants to develop, validate, and scale their solutions, backed by world-class mentorship, training, networking opportunities, and exposure to global markets.
“The main idea behind this accelerator is to create a springboard for innovative solutions, where the industry itself is involved throughout the process,” said Nesse.
The startup scene in Norway has fostered offshore wind innovations in floater technology, AI and predictive maintenance, drone technology, mapping of areas and other groundbreaking innovations. Norway has the most floater technologies under development in the world, and the world leading Marine Energy Test Centre on the country's West Coast is a driving force for innovation in the offshore wind industry.
“With the ambitious goal of the Norwegian government to make offshore wind our main strategic export industry alongside developing 30 GW here in Norway, we see a pressing need to commercialize good ideas as quickly as possible,” says Nesse.
Norwegian Offshore Wind and Flow are partnering with Fred Olsen Seawind, Hafslund Eco, Ørsted, Equinor, Deep Wind Offshore, EDF Renewables, Corio Generation, Å Energi, Sparebanken Vest.
