Orkney-based Marine Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (MREDS) is seeking business and industry backing to help develop wave and tidal technologies.
MREDS, created by Heriot-Watt University, aims to bring academics and industry together to address the technological challenges, research environmental, ecological and social impacts and share knowledge with the offshore oil, gas and construction sectors.
A launch event was held at Total E&P UK’s Aberdeen office and attracted interest from the financial, oil and gas, offshore construction, and energy generation sectors.
‘I’m very confident we’ll get significant sponsorship for MREDS as a result,’ said Professor Jon Side, programme director at the university’s International Centre for Island Technology (ICIT). ‘Everyone involved was encouraged with the way the launch went - and by the keen interest shown in helping marine renewables work through this unique research effort.
‘We’re pleased we seem to have got the balance right in the work programmes we’ve drawn up. We’re now planning a series of follow-up visits to engage with companies interested in sponsoring and shaping the MREDS programme.’
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Orkney and Orkney Islands Council are each providing £240,000 to support MREDS. Also, in partnership with the university-level study and research in the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Millennium Institute and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), the team have secured more than £1m as a Strategic Research Development Grant from the Scottish Funding Council.
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