• Research
  • Darren Coppinger
  • 2 min read

On September 30, the Ocean Power Innovation Network (OPIN) will be holding the projects first OPIN Annual Symposium, taking place alongside the Ocean Energy Europe 2019 Conference in the Convention Centre Dublin.

The OPIN Annual Symposium

The Symposium will provide an opportunity for OPIN members to network and learn more about the supports available through the project. This will include a workshop on the development and application process for the Collaborative Innovation Groups support offered by the project.

The OPIN Project is a 3-year initiative supported by Interreg North West Europe and the European Research and Development Fund (ERDF). The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland is leading the project supported by Scottish Enterprise, Sirris, West Atlantic Marine Energy Community, Dutch Marine Energy Centre and Fraunhofer IEE. OPIN is a cross-sectoral collaborative network that aims to accelerate the growth of the ocean energy sector and its supply chains across the partner regions of Ireland, the UK, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany. 

OPIN encourages collaboration between the ocean energy sector and other sectors, such as oil and gas, automotive, aerospace, ICT, advanced materials, sensors, and manufacturing, in an effort to grow the ocean energy supply-chain. OPIN’s also encourages cross-regional collaboration across North West Europe and beyond through a variety of supports. These supports include:

  • Annual Symposium to provide networking opportunities for OPIN members
  • Workshops and Masterclasses to facilitate knowledge transfer between the partner regions
  • Technology Assessment Process (TAPs) Support to allow companies to benchmark their technologies, map structured development paths and identify potential collaborators
  • Collaborative Innovation Group (CIGs)  to support clusters of SMEs, working with research entities/large companies, solving issues identified as barriers to the ocean energy sector
  • Travel Support enabling SMEs to travel abroad either to take part in an OPIN workshop, masterclass or a Collaborative Innovation Group meeting or activity.

During the Annual Symposium, a workshop will be held on the Collaborative Innovation Group (CIG) support mechanism. As a project, OPIN has identified issues that need to be addressed to advance the ocean energy sector. OPIN will ask potential Collaborative Innovation Group members to engage in a discussion on how these topics specifically affect them and what type of a solution they are looking for. Solution providers will also contribute to the discussion.

Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to receive regular updates on the projects activities. If you require further information on OPIN please contact us at OPIN@seai.ie.

Further information on all upcoming OPIN events can be found here.

OPIN Annual Symposium Registration    Become a member of OPIN

Are you registered for the OPIN Annual Symposium event on September 30th?

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Darren Coppinger | Programme Executive - Ocean Energy

Dr Darren Coppinger is a member of SEAI’s Ocean Energy team. The Ocean Energy Programme supports the Irish offshore renewable energy sector by advising government on policy, offering grant support schemes, developing test site infrastructure, and providing information through the Ocean Energy Ireland portal.

@OPINProjectNWE