en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 15, 2026, Innovate UK, the UK's national innovation agency, announced a coordinated support programme for offshore wind innovation worth £27 million, combining funding competitions, a new innovation hub, and a large-scale manufacturing research centre.
The programme specifically includes: an initial £10 million competition under the Offshore Wind Innovation Programme; the establishment of a new Wind Innovation Hub with a total budget of £5 million, including a £2 million accelerator fund; and support for the first phase of the Large Structures Innovation Centre (LSIC) at the National Composites Centre, with Innovate UK allocating £10 million and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero adding £2 million.
The Offshore Wind Innovation Programme focuses on technology areas identified in the UK's Offshore Wind Industrial Growth Plan, covering advanced turbine technology, next-generation foundations and substructures, future electrical systems and cables, smart environmental services, and innovations in installation and maintenance. Winners of the first competition round will be announced later this year.
The Wind Innovation Hub will be delivered in partnership by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, and led by the National Composites Centre and the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. The accelerator fund established by the hub will provide targeted technical support to high-growth companies entering or operating in the industry.
The Large Structures Innovation Centre, located on the Isle of Wight, is an open-access facility for developing and de-risking large-scale structural manufacturing methods at full industrial scale, initially starting with the wind energy sector. Vestas has been announced as the centre's first industry launch partner, further extending its collaboration with the National Composites Centre on blade innovation. UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks stated that offshore wind is the backbone of the UK's future energy system, and the programme aims to support jobs, manufacturing, and the transition to domestic electricity production.
