New studio seeks to realise a future powered by renewable energy

Danish multinational power company Ørsted and Newlab, a community of experts and innovators applying transformative technology, have announced a collaborative initiative designed to drive innovation towards a future powered by renewable energy.

The aim of the Blue Energy Studio programme is to engage entrepreneurs and corporate partners, beginning with Ørsted, to test and iterate innovative solutions to critical challenges across the renewable energy value chain.

Offshore wind innovation

During its initial phase, the new studio will focus on offshore wind innovation, and will recruit technology companies focused on streamlining the investigation and installation of new sites for offshore wind development; improving efficiency in site operations and maintenance; and optimising power distribution to energy grids.

With the addition of other industry partners, the studio will expand its purview to include the geothermal, hydroelectric, and solar categories.

“We are excited to partner with Newlab and deliver on our shared goal to grow the Blue Energy Studio into a world-class programme for innovation in renewable energy,” said Neil Hamel, head of US innovation and venture at Ørsted.

“We will engage the world’s leading minds to help address one of the most significant challenges facing humanity today – climate change.”

Hamel continued: “The studio is possible through a combination of Ørsted’s deep expertise in renewable energy and Newlab’s extraordinary capacity for driving world-changing innovation and is primed to support critical solutions that have the potential to greatly advance the renewable energy sector, starting with offshore wind.”

“Solving key bottlenecks in the renewable energy sector will be essential to ensuring the health and wellbeing of our planet for decades to come”

This partnership is the first of its kind for Ørsted’s Innovation Hub, based in Providence, Rhode Island, which works to identify, foster, and, where appropriate, finance enterprises related to offshore wind, focusing on next-generation technology and related innovation in the offshore wind energy field.

“At Newlab, we are committed to leveraging our community of over 800 entrepreneurs, engineers, inventors, investors, and advisors to tackle significant, real-world challenges across industries,” added Shaun Stewart, CEO of Newlab.

“Solving key bottlenecks in the renewable energy sector will be essential to ensuring the health and wellbeing of our planet for decades to come. We welcome the opportunity to work with Ørsted, along with entrepreneurs utilising transformative technologies, to enable powerful solutions that will drive the sector forward.”

Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants, and provides energy products to its customers.

According to Corporate Knights’ 2021 index of the Global 100 most sustainable corporations Ørsted ranks as the world’s most sustainable energy company in the world and is recognised on the CDP Climate Change A-list as a global leader on climate action.

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