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Innovate, Optimize, Transform: The Offshore Wind O&M Innovation Challenge

We are seeking cutting-edge, digital solutions from diverse industries to revolutionize offshore wind operations
and maintenance

Apply now
About the Challenge
Who should apply
Focus areas
Market opportunity
Timeline
How to apply

About the Challenge


Ørsted invites participants from various industries to adapt their innovative technologies to enhance the efficiency, safety, and reliability of offshore wind operations. It is a unique opportunity for companies to bridge or scale digital solutions to the offshore wind sector's operations and maintenance (O&M) needs. The challenge will leverage Ørsted's expertise and, in partnership with Digital Catapult and Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult in the UK, will provide a unique platform to mature innovative ventures.

  In collaboration with

Catapult Digital Logo  Catapult Offshore Renewable Energy Logo

Why this Challenge matters
to Ørsted and the wider industry?

The offshore wind industry is rapidly growing, with global capacity expected to exceed 200 GW by 2035 (excluding. China). As O&M needs expand, innovative digital solutions are crucial for enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving reliability. This challenge provides startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a unique opportunity to scale their solutions with the leading global offshore wind developer, driving sustainability and innovation in one of the fastest-growing sectors of the industry.


Who should apply?
​

  • Companies from various sectors with digital solutions adaptable to offshore wind O&M.
  • Proven technologies from any industry that haven't
    yet been applied to offshore wind.
  • UK-registered companies ready to respond quickly
    to market opportunities.


Why participate?
​

  • Validate and test your solution in a real-world renewable energy environment, ensuring practical applicability
    and effectiveness.
  • Unlock access to a new industry with significant market share potential, positioning your company for future growth and innovation.
  • Establish partnerships for pilot projects and scaling opportunities, advancing the maturity of your technology
  • Access Ørsted’s industry expertise and insights into wind farm operations for enhanced solution development

Focus Areas & Use Case Examples
​

To inspire potential applicants, we have outlined some example use-cases. This is not an exhaustive list and we encourage applications from anyone that feels their digital solution could lead to a step-change in offshore wind O&M. Please note,
we do not expect applicants to address all use—case areas with their solution (or even all of a single use-case area).
We are seeking any solutions which can hold benefits within offshore wind O&M. Solutions will be assessed on the scale
of the proposed benefits (as one assessment criteria).

Increasing predictive maintenance        and reducing unplanned maintenance
Example: Machine learning models for failure prediction
Logistics & resource optimisation to improve efficiency
Example: AI-powered weather analytics, smart warehouse
Automated inspection to enable additional insights from existing inspection methodologies
Example: Automated inspection processing
​​
Approaches to model and optimise operations and maintenance
Example: Digital twins for turbine performance, portfolio management
Increasing transparency and trust in maintenance and supply chains
Supply chain offshore wind farm
Example: Digital ledger-based maintenance records
​
Assisting workers remotely and reducing the need for additional unnecessary site visits
Example: Augmented reality assisted troubleshooting & employees training

Out-of-the-Box Solutions

We encourage innovative proposals that may not fit within the predefined categories but still align with offshore wind O&M digitalization goals.


Market Opportunity

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*(according to Offshore Wind Operations & Maintenance: A £9bn per year opportunity for the UK. Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult)


Timeline
​


May 1, 2025
Official announcement of the competition, outlining the goals, eligibility criteria, and application process.
This marks the opening of the competition where interested participants can register and submit their proposals. 


June 30, 2025
Final date for teams to submit their initial proposals. This is when participants must have submitted
their digital solutions for offshore wind O&M.


July 15, 2025
After reviewing submissions, the judges will shortlist the top proposals that demonstrate the highest
potential for innovation and impact on offshore wind O&M.


August 15, 2025    
The finalists will present their digital solutions in a live pitch event. This is the final stage where
the judges and audience get to assess the ideas and their feasibility.


August 30, 2025
The winner(s) will be announced and celebrated during a formal award ceremony. This marks
the culmination of the competition, with the winner receiving an award.



How to apply

To apply, click the button below and submit your application through the external page.
Apply now

Contact details

innovation@orsted.com       Digital Catapult