Press Release: Marine-i team to attend major European conference

Marine-i, the EU funded scheme which provides support for the marine sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, will be represented at the Ocean Energy Europe conference in Nantes, France later this month. Members of the team form part of a delegation from Marine Hub Cornwall. The group will be showcasing the important work that Marine-i is doing to promote innovation in the marine technology sector and telling delegates about the impressive resources and facilities that are available in Cornwall.

Ocean Energy Europe is the largest network of ocean energy professionals in the world. Their membership comprises 115 organisations, including Europe’s leading utilities, industrialists and research institutes. Ocean Energy Europe’s mission is to create a strong environment for the development of ocean energy, improve access to funding, and enhance business opportunities for its members. Their annual conference on 25th and 26th October will be attended by more than 400 leading professionals from 20 different countries.

Matt Hodson, Marine Hub Operations Director at Cornwall Development Company, said, “This is a fantastic opportunity to promote Cornwall’s unique capabilities with regard to Marine Renewable Energy and to demonstrate how they complement the offer of other regions such as Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The conference allows us to get our message across to the key opinion leaders and decision makers in this exciting global industry so we can boost the marine technology sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

At the conference, Matt Hodson will be giving a presentation on the current market conditions for ocean energy and will be accompanied by Simon Cheeseman of the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and Jo Byrne from the University of Plymouth.

Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Marine-i is a £9.3m collaboration between the University of Exeter, Plymouth University, The Cornwall College Group, Cornwall Marine Network, Cornwall Development Company and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. It aims to bring together the industry expertise and key infrastructure needed to support a new generation of products and services in the marine sector.