Offshore Renewable Energy Devices and Seaweed Compound Applications Among Science Foundation Ireland Fellowships

19th June 2024

Dublin Offshore's development of a Floating Wind Mooring Component

Research to reduce the cost of offshore wind platform moorings and to reduce the environmental impact of composites for renewable energy devices feature among new Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) fellowships.

A total of 15 awards have been announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Patrick O’Donovan as part of a €1.4 million investment.

The SFI Industry Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) fellowship programme supports the temporary placement of academic researchers in 12 companies, to conduct research across a variety of areas.

Other projects include seaweed extract for use in cosmetics/health products, and reducing cement’s carbon footprint.

The new, sustainable alternatives to reduce environmental impact of composites for renewable energy devices will be conducted in collaboration with Connemara company ÉireComposites.

The research project at ÉireComposites will focus on sustainable materials that can be used to produce parts for renewable energy devices such as wind turbine blades (offshore and wind farm turbines) and for marine applications like boats.

A seaweed compound to improve the cosmetics and health product industry will be researched in collaboration with Bantry Marine Research Station, West Cork.

A project to develop and commercialise a load reduction device to reduce the cost of the moorings for offshore wind platforms will be conducted in collaboration with Dublin Offshore Technology.

Fellowships can have a duration of between one and 12 months if full-time, and between two and 24 months if part-time.

Fellows are from nine higher education institutes, including Trinity College Dublin, University of Galway, University of Limerick, University College Dublin, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Science, Technological University of the Shannon, University College Cork, Atlantic Technological University, and Dublin City University.

The collaborating industry partners include: Analog Devices Inc (ADI), GlasPort Bio Ltd., Subsea Micropiles Ltd., EireComposites, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., Dublin Offshore Technology, Ecocem, Eblana Photonics, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, NEG8 Carbon, and Bantry Marine Research Station.

Applications for the 2024 SFI Industry RD&I Fellowship call are now open, with a deadline for submissions of June 26th, 2024. More here

Published in Marine Tech, Aquaculture, Marine Science, Power From the Sea

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About Marine Technology

Marine technology, as defined by the European association WEGEMT, refers to the use of technology for ensuring the safe use, exploitation, protection of, and intervention in, the marine environment. This includes a wide range of technologies that support naval architecture, marine engineering, ship design, ship building, and ship operations.

In addition to these foundational technologies, marine technology also encompasses oil and gas exploration, exploitation, and production, hydrodynamics, navigation, sea surface and sub-surface support, underwater technology and engineering, marine resources (including both renewable and non-renewable marine resources), transport logistics and economics, inland, coastal, short sea and deep sea shipping, protection of the marine environment, and leisure and safety.

The importance of marine technology cannot be overstated. With over 70% of the earth's surface covered by water, the marine environment plays a critical role in our lives. From transportation to energy production, marine technology enables us to harness the immense potential of the oceans while minimizing the impact on the environment.

Moreover, the development of marine technology is crucial for the sustainable use of marine resources. As the demand for seafood and other marine products continues to grow, the sustainable management of these resources becomes increasingly important. Marine technology can help us to achieve this by providing innovative solutions for sustainable fishing, aquaculture, and other forms of marine resource management.

In Ireland, claims are made that the island country "has the potential to be the “Silicon Valley” of the aquatech world". Ireland is at a very exciting stage when it comes to aquatech. There are currently 62 aquatech companies operating here, all using technology to enable sustainable seafood farming at a time when the sector is facing many challenges.”

Ireland’s growing expertise in the developing aquatech sector means it has the potential to become a global leader in the field, with Irish aquatech companies turning over €200m last year.

Over €15m has been invested in aquatic businesses, and over 200 high-tech jobs have been created in the sector over the last six years.

In conclusion, marine technology is a vast and rapidly evolving field encompassing a broad range of technologies and applications. As we continue to explore and exploit the potential of the oceans, marine technology will play an increasingly important role in ensuring the safe and sustainable use of these resources.