A £3.5m programme has been established to support offshore wind and subsea supply chain growth in the North East of England.
The Technology, Innovation and Green Growth for Offshore Renewables (TIGGOR) programme aims to boost supply chain growth and productivity in the North of Tyne and wider North East region, as well as to encourage new companies to enter the offshore wind and subsea industries.
Funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA), there are two strands that businesses can apply for; technology demonstration support and business growth support.
TIGGOR will use the technology demonstration strand, which is led by ORE Catapult alongside Equinor and EDF, to de-risk future investment by providing technology assessment advice and potential funding in areas including AI, smart robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles and digital twins.
The business growth support programme, delivered by OWGP with input from the North East LEP’s Growth Hub, will provide innovation advice, market intelligence and business planning for organisations operating in the offshore energy sectors and those looking to enter the market.
Jamie Driscoll, mayor for the North of Tyne, said: “This offshore innovation programme will create jobs and tackle the climate emergency and it provides a game-changing opportunity for our local companies. We will build on our world class assets to establish the North of Tyne as a world leader in clean energy.”
