Dr David Richards, Pro Vice Chancellor, Research and Enterprise at the University of Hull, said “I am delighted to see that this vision is becoming a reality. We still have a lot to do but this is certainly the right time - this major win for the region comes just as a sector deal for offshore wind is being negotiated with the Government. Part of the industry’s vision is to create clusters, much like the activity here in this region, which will bring growth not only to the sector but to other industries. “Additionally, last week the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) announced a review of the supply chain, and part of that review is looking at how SMEs can join this growing industry.”
Aura, with support from GreenPortHull, brings together significant expertise in renewable energy through a powerful partnership that includes Ørsted and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, the universities of Hull, Sheffield and Durham, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (OREC), CATCH (an industry led training partnership), the National Oceanography Centre and the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Recruiting for the AIC team will commence imminently, with positions being established in advance of the building completion in order to support the SME community as soon as possible.
In October 2017, the University of Hull and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult further consolidated the Energy Estuary’s position as a global hub for offshore wind by joining forces to launch a £2 million Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Centre of Excellence. The five-year partnership will develop a series of research and innovation projects to improve the way offshore wind farms are operated and maintained.
The O & M Centre of Excellence will be based in the Aura Innovation Centre.
In addition, an Aura collaboration, including the University of Hull, won a £7.6m funding bid from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to improve the country’s offshore wind power technologies. Led by the University of Sheffield, the five-year programme will address research challenges and will help to reduce the cost of electricity from offshore wind.
Engineering experts from Hull will look at the performance management of turbines to better predict their lifespan, as well as using bone modelling research to design sections of blades to make them lighter and stronger.
For further information about the Aura Innovation Centre can contact the team at aura@hull.ac.uk or visit the Aura website at: www.aura-innovation.co.uk.