This week Newlab and Ørsted announced the launch of the Blue Energy Studio, a collaborative initiative designed to drive innovation towards a future powered by renewable energy. The Blue Energy Studio will engage entrepreneurs, engineers, inventors, and corporate partners, beginning with Ørsted, to test and iterate innovative solutions to critical challenges across the renewable energy value chain.
With an eye towards the United States’ goal of reaching 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, the Studio aims to advance solutions to challenges across the renewable energy value chain, initially focusing on offshore wind innovation. The studio said it 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 optimizing 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 program for innovation in renewable energy. We will engage the world’s leading minds to help address one of the most significant challenges facing humanity today—climate change,” said Neil Hamel, Head of U.S. Innovation & Venture at Ørsted.
“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,” said 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 utilizing transformative technologies, to enable powerful solutions that will drive the sector forward.”
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.
