SPOTLIGHT ON THE BASQUE COUNTRY FEATURE SPONSOR


PRIVATELY FUNDED LEADING RESEARCH CENTRE


TECNALIA is the first privately funded applied research centre in Spain and one of the leading such centres in Europe – their mission is to transform technology into GDP


The research centre is committed to renewable sources of energy from the marine environment as a promising sector, which will contribute towards sustainable economic growth and stable job creation. They believe that research, development and innovation will play a key role in creating cost competitive technologies in the sector.


KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE The centre offers its knowledge and expertise to companies interested in offshore renewable energy in areas such as modelling and analysis of offshore structures (including mooring systems and foundations); electric transmission; materials (testing and failure analysis, corrosion monitoring, fatigue, bio- fouling…) and O&M strategies definition.


The centre applies this knowledge using a coordinated and holistic approach, focusing on the development of cost effective technologies to harness offshore renewable sources throughout their life cycle.


EXPERIENCE TECNALIA has more than 12 years of experience in the marine energy sector,


totalling €35m worth of R&D. Some of the most exciting achievements include creating two technology-based companies (Oceantec Energias Marinas and Nautilus Floating Solutions), transferring four patents to industry (including two SMEs) and open-sea testing several wave energy devices and subsystems.


The centre has participated in 12 European research projects on offshore renewable energy worth more than €5m in funding. Among them it is worth mentioning the ongoing OPERA project. Led by the centre, a consortium of 12 academic and industrial partners will deliver for the first time, open access, high-quality open-sea operating data and experience to the wave energy development community, thus contributing to identifying and quantifying the challenges experienced at-sea as well as to prioritising the development and innovation effort required for solving them.


PROJECT AIMS The project aims to develop and de- risk technologies that will reduce the cost of operating wave energy devices


at sea by 50% in the long-term and subsequently accelerate the roll out of marine renewable energy.


COLLABORATION Last but not least, TECNALIA has collaborated with the local government on the definition of a marine energy strategy, organised international and national events, including ICOE2010 and is contributing to numerous international committees and advisory groups (OES, OEE, EERA, ETIP-Ocean, IEC/T114 among others).


TECNALIA


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www.wavetidalenergynetwork.co.uk


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