An open innovation environment for applications of O&M innovations is created within the OWIC. Through this model, the knowledge generated will be made accessible and available to all parties participating in the project for relevant developments.
This will strike a balance between development potential and the business interests of the regional SMEs involved. Thus, they will benefit from invested time, resources and high-quality expertise, and on the other hand from the acceleration in innovation resulting from open interaction and knowledge sharing.
From the applicable instruments such as innovation workshops and matchmaking days, but also from the many one-on-one consultations with SMEs and other parties, thoughts, ideas and early low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) projects are forged into concrete project proposals and project collaborations that have the potential to grow into pre-competitive cooperation projects. The projects have a scope that can be broad and integral or specialist.
In order to actively involve SMEs in pre-competitive cooperation projects, OWIC will co-finance a number of these projects. We distinguish two categories of pre-competitive cooperation projects:
In both categories of pre-competitive cooperation projects, SMEs can also make use of fiscal schemes such as the WBSO. After positive completion of an assessment phase project, the SME can make use of, for example, the VIA (SNN), MIT (RVO) and Top Sector Wind at Sea/Energy schemes (RVO). More information about this scheme can be found here.
In the OWIC, innovative SMEs may encounter financing problems in the development phase, as a precursor to 'Valley of Death', the most critical phase before a product is embraced in the market. For that reason, financial expertise is also brought in within OWIC to guide and advise (SME) companies in this phase regarding financing issues. This includes support from Economic Board Groningen, NOM, banks, venture capitalists, subsidy consultancies, Energy Venture Lab, and TCNN.
OWIC is an information, training and innovation centre for companies and institutions involved in generating offshore wind energy. A total of 19 parties - businesses, knowledge institutions and government bodies - have joined forces in OWIC to ensure that companies can innovate and develop in offshore wind energy more easily and quickly.
