Platinum Sponsor – Team Scotland

As the Platinum Sponsor for the Ocean Energy Europe Conference & Exhibition, Team Scotland is delighted to welcome the ocean energy sector to Aviemore! 

Team Scotland, comprised of Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Wave Energy Scotland, Crown Estate Scotland and Scottish Enterprise continues to be one of ocean energy’s strongest supporters and champions, in no small part due to its vast natural resources and its skilled supply chain, as well as a supportive policy environment. OEE2024 will bring together tech developers, decision-makers, supply chain businesses and researchers from all over the world, to debate, network and do business together.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is the oldest of three Scottish Government local economic development agencies in Scotland. Our purpose is to build and sustain a greener, fairer and more resilient region that benefits everyone. HIE work in a diverse region which extends from Shetland to Argyll, and from the Outer Hebrides to Moray, covering more than half of Scotland’s land mass. 

The Highlands and Islands of Scotland is home to the rich resources required for a thriving wave and tidal sector.  Its long indented coastline harbours a network of established test and deployment sites, which together offer the world’s most comprehensive route to develop, test and commercialise marine energy technologies.  There have been more marine devices deployed in Scottish waters than any other country in the world to date.  Scotland supports the worldwide blue economy by doing and learning, not just in theory. The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), based in Orkney, has been at the vanguard of the marine sector not just in Scotland but worldwide for over 20 years.  The waters around Orkney and the Pentland Firth have some of the best wave and tidal energy resource in the world. 

Wave Energy Scotland, or WES, is Scotland’s champion for the development of wave energy. Set up in 2014 as a subsidiary of HIE, our aim is to nurture wave energy expertise and to identify new solutions which enhance technical performance.  Since 2014, we’ve awarded over 130 competitive contracts, invested 50million pounds, and engaged more than 300 organisations across 18 countries. Our efforts are supporting the sector to identify solutions that can deliver reliable and cost-effective energy, which are necessary to attract private sector investment. 

WES is at the heart of Scotland’s efforts to lead the world in wave energy development. WES provides the direction and structure needed to address the complex engineering challenges that wave technologies face, allowing Scotland to maintain its position as a world leader in the sector. Whether it is developing new technologies, protecting intellectual property, supporting innovation, or maximising funding efficiency, we’ve implemented a pathway that results in testing the best technologies at the world-class facilities available here in Scotland. 

Looking ahead, by testing increasingly larger and more powerful technologies, we are preparing for a future where multi-MW wave systems can work alongside our offshore wind power. By fostering innovation and collaboration in our structured programmes, we are paving the way to create jobs, boost the economy, and deliver a cleaner, more sustainable future.  

Crown Estate Scotland is a public corporation, which invests in property, natural resources, and people to create lasting value for Scotland. Our team manages seabed, coastline, rural estates and more, helping ensure families, businesses and communities can live, work, and thrive on the assets which make up the Scottish Crown Estate.  

Crown Estate Scotland are a self-funding body. The money used to run the business and invest is raised through the managing the Estate, and revenue profits are passed to Scottish Government for public spending.

Crown Estate Scotland is helping to develop the marine energy industry, working closely with companies, government and communities. Our work includes:

• Bringing new development opportunities for both wave and tidal energy to market by leasing areas of the seabed and managing the associated seabed rights
• Funding research and technical studies to enable sector growth
• Investment in ground-breaking projects

Scotland has world class test and demonstration facilities which enable technology developers to install in a variety of site conditions. To compliment these, Crown Estate Scotland currently offers an open leasing opportunity to access the seabed for wave and tidal current projects with a capacity of up to 30 MW.

Scottish Enterprise is Scotland’s national economic development agency. We work to transform the Scottish economy by helping businesses innovate and scale. Our focus is to achieve three interlinked missions, which address the transformative economic opportunities facing Scotland and the world: 

• To create an internationally competitive renewable energy industry in Scotland 
• To scale the impact of Scotland’s innovation strengths in high growth industries of the future 
• To drive capital investment to deliver a step-change in Scotland’s productivity