Ocean energy technologies are advancing, but turning promising innovations into commercially viable solutions takes more than engineering breakthroughs. Developers also need access to testing facilities, reliable ways to demonstrate performance and certification processes that give investors and insurers confidence. These challenges took centre stage during a session at ICOE OEE 2026 in The Hague.
The session brought together experts from across the ocean energy sector, including Wolfram Zeitz, IECRE Executive Secretary; Jonathan Colby, President and Founder of Streamwise Development; Francisco Otero of Magallanes Renovables; Winston D’Souza of Lloyd’s Register; Cristina Escaloni Casal of IHCantabria; Peter Schiejgrond of Campus@Sea and Dernis Mediavilla, of EMEC.
Closing the gap between innovation and deployment
During the session, Peter Scheijgrond, CEO of Bluespring, presented the Offshore Proof project, highlighting its mission to strengthen collaboration between test sites across North-West Europe and improve access to testing and demonstration facilities for offshore renewable energy technologies. By building a stronger, more connected testing network and supporting knowledge exchange, the project aims to help technology developers validate their innovations, overcome technical barriers and accelerate the path towards commercialisation.
The discussion also highlighted how testing, international standards and certification work together to build confidence in emerging technologies. Testing provides evidence of how a device performs under relevant conditions, while standards and certification offer recognised frameworks for assessing its reliability and performance. Together, they can help reduce uncertainty for developers, investors and insurers.
Building the foundations for growth
The message was clear: ocean energy needs not only innovative technologies, but also the infrastructure and trusted processes to prove they are ready for the market. Strengthening collaboration between test sites, technology developers and certification experts will help create clearer pathways from demonstration to commercial deployment, bringing the sector closer to realising its potential as a source of clean energy.