East of England launches offshore wind Cluster Forum – 4C Offshore

The clusters purpose is to raise awareness of the East of Englandscapability and innovation in order to win new investors, develop expertise,and export homegrown skills and services to the rapidly expanding internationalmarket.

One of the Clusters first actions will be to attract businesses to participatein a work experience programme, starting early in 2022. It aims to showcasethe diverse, varied, career and work experience opportunities to attractmore people into the industry.

The clusters first report, supported and published by Vattenfall, definesthe purpose of the cluster to place the region at the forefront of theskills development for the global offshore wind industry.

More than 160 people joined the first cluster event in Lowestoft in September,organised by offshore wind developer Vattenfall (who are developing

Voting is under way now for the clusters first Chair and Vice Chair,who will be announced next month (12|November). The new appointees willbe tasked with creating a long-term strategy and plan to attract furtherinvestment and opportunity.

Danielle Lane, Vattenfalls UK Country Manager and Co-Chair of the OffshoreWind Industry Council said: Offshore wind is a globally competitiveindustry and we want the East of England to be recognised as a centre ofexcellence, attracting investment and demand for the skills and innovationwhich the region offers. For this to happen, we need a strong, unifiedvoice which can bang the drum for East Anglia to attract investment, boostskills, and create jobs.

Martin Dronfield, Chairman of the East of England Energy Group and formerBoard Member of Renewable UK said:The East of England has achievedincredible progress in the offshore wind industry and has enormous potential,but is often accused of hiding its light under a bushel, getting on withthe job rather than shouting about its innovation, excellence, expertiseand knowledge.

It has built on its heritage from maritime and offshore oil and gas tobe at the forefront of this exciting renewable sector since it began whenScroby Sands offshore wind farm was built off Great Yarmouth in 2007.

The cluster will grasp this opportunity to put the region in its rightfulplace as a global leader, to entice investors and take skills honed hereacross the world to developing markets, like the US and Taiwan.

Denise Hone, Training Director at Hexis Training, another member of thesteering group for the first event, said:Offshore wind presents huge opportunity for us. We have been at the forefrontand now it is time to collectively create one voice to maximise on thepotential and draw in businesses and individuals that are not even awarethat their technology has a part to play in keeping the industrys paceof progress on track, like robotics and mechanical innovations.

We are so proud of what we have achieved, what we are achieving and whatwe could achieve, and creating a cluster will build on that.

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East of England launches offshore wind Cluster Forum - 4C Offshore