Energy Innovation Cluster is the name given to a new organization made up of major energy players and focused on innovation within energy production.

The organization will have its roots within the current Offshoreenergy.dk, where the parties have submitted a joint application to the Ministry of Education and Research with a view to obtaining a state commitment to subsidize the innovation activities of the new joint initiative over the 2019-2020 period.

"It is with pleasure that I have submitted an application on behalf of Offshoreenergy.dk to continue the work as a national innovation network and cluster organization, a job which Offshoreenergy.dk has recently and for the third time in a row been gold-certified to perform," says Anders Eldrup, chairman for Offshoreenergy.dk, in a press release.

The innovation activities will be coordinated and prioritized in collaboration with the wind turbine industry and Oil Gas Denmark, which according to the press release will map out the overall strategic direction of the network's innovation activities.

"The global competition in the wind sector is moving at rapid pace, particularly within technological development where all companies are working on both better and cheaper solutions than the ones we offer on the market today," says Mads-Ole Astrupgaard, chairman for the Danish Wind Industry Organization, adding:

"The management of the Danish Wind Industry Organization has spent several years working to gather together the wind sector's organizations and making offers to fewer and stronger organizations, so that in step with the consolidation currently going on in the industry, we also consolidate and strengthen our own organizations. As a representative of the wind industry, I am therefore very excited that together we will take the first step in the direction of a common, broad and strong Danish innovation platform for wind under the new cluster organization."

Oil and gas will also be strengthened

Energy Innovation Cluster will also work to strengthen innovation within oil and gas. Industry association Oil Gas Denmark will contrbute.

"The industry's innovation power is critical for our competitiveness and for us to best realize the huge potential that is still found in the North Sea. Last year, a new strategy was launched and the new cluster organization could help support the strategy's focus on innovation and act as a catalyst for commercializing research from DTU's Center for Oil and Gas. We look forward to the collaboration on innovation and synergies both in our own sector, and across the oil / gas and wind area," says Troels Albrechtsen, chairman for Oil Gas Denmark, in the press release.

The new cluster organization is expected to be established on January 1, 2019.

According to the press release, the establishment of the organization will take place via a transformation of Offshoreenergy.dk at an extraordinary general meeting in Autumn 2018, with the majority of activities transferred to the new cluster organization.

English Edit: Lena Rutkowski

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