Accelerator Program

Offshore Wind Innovation Hub

The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub (OWIH) works with innovators to scale and bring novel technological solutions to the rapidly growing US offshore wind industry.

The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub is an initiative, led by Equinor, in collaboration with Urban Future Lab at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium - supported by New York City Economic Development Corporation.

Learn more about OWIH

Catalyzing startups and innovation collaboration to unleash the potential of offshore wind in New York.

The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub leverages its New York City hub to grow the US offshore wind industry by harnessing the entrepreneurial powers of both global industry-leading startups and the local community.

OWIH’s innovative programming and strong networks connecting innovators, local partners, investors, and industry fosters demonstration opportunities, safety awareness, knowledge transfer, innovation, and job creation.

Through collaborative partnerships, the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub accelerates the local development of new technologies for the national and international offshore wind industry, to facilitate cost-efficiency gains.

The OWIH’s commitment to diversity and equity advances inclusive supply chain and business development, and accelerates the green economy in New York.

What we offer

01 Industry mentorship, advisory services, and raise assistance

Individualized Equinor collaboration on technology validation and testing, bespoke commercialization and development assistance from program partners, support in raising capital, and accounting services

02 Group workshops

Tailored site visits, peer-to-peer learning, expert talks on topics such as investor relations, business development strategies, stakeholder management, offshore wind industry trends, and more

03 Office space

Access to floater desks, meeting facilities, a kitchen that’s always fully stocked with delicious brain food, a collaborative environment with key industry players, and organized networking opportunities

How OWIH helps companies.

The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub Accelerator is an intensive six-month program where selected innovators will receive bespoke scale-up support, attend expert workshops, and get industry mentorship to advance commercialization goals and progress the development of novel solutions.

The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub Community is a free membership for businesses and organizations that enable access to our coworking space, social events, and expert seminars to provide a framework for offshore wind innovation and collaboration in New York City.

Meet our companies

Benchmark Labs

Benchmark Labs provides hyper-accurate forecasts to turbines and buoys. Unlike traditional approaches, Benchmark Labs offers asset-specific environmental forecasts to high-value asset managers to increase opportunity costs and operational margins.
Flucto

Flucto's mission is to make the installation of offshore wind farms faster, more predictable and transparent to all stakeholders involved. With their bespoke sensors and software, the team is offering a one-stop-shop solution to scale up and bring wind farm installation to the digital age.
Heerema Engineering Solutions

Heerema Engineering Solutions provides engineering and consultancy for the construction of offshore renewable projects. Their tool, METIS, was developed to better estimate the duration of the offshore construction process, solving a major challenge in the offshore renewable market.
OSC

OSC provides advanced simulators for offshore wind operations. This helps developers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), offshore wind bases and engineering, construction, and installation contractors de-risking the most advanced offshore wind installation projects.
RCAM Technologies

RCAM Technologies is dedicated to using 3D printing technologies with concrete to manufacture low-cost renewable energy support structures, anchors, and subsea pumped hydro energy storage systems that couple with offshore wind.
VinciVR

VinciVR provides workforce recruitment, filtering, and training Virtual Reality tools for the offshore wind market. VinciVR leverages highly immersive, affordable VR technology to simulate complex offshore wind environments to engage and educate the US industry.

See our entire portfolio

OWIH FAQs

Frequently asked questions.

The OWIH Accelerator is unique in that it facilitates direct mentorship and collaborative opportunities with Equinor, which through its 50-50 strategic partnership with bp, is developing Empire Wind and Beacon Wind, which combined will supply 3.3 gigawatts of renewable energy to New York. The OWIH Accelerator is therefore an unparalleled opportunity for innovators to work with an offshore wind developer and gain the critical technology validation and market understanding needed to succeed.
The OWIH Accelerator is accepting applications from innovators yearly from January to March. The technology focus changes every year, so even though your innovation is not a match this year, next year could be different. If you want to join the OWIH Community you can express your interest year-round and we accept new members continuously thoughout the year.
The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub is co-located with Equinor’s project office in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. We are overlooking the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, which will be one of the largest dedicated offshore wind port facilities in the United States. We are in Industry City, which is also a one-stop destination for experiences, food, and events. Home to 550+ businesses and 50+ retailers and eateries, you will have plenty to explore when visiting us.

Have more questions about the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub?

Contact us

What founders are saying

Benchmark Labs

“The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub has been the bedrock of Benchmark Labs' development in the industry. Through program workshops and guidance, we've connected to critical data sources, discovered our buyers, and even been nominated for major industry awards, such as The Ventus Awards. The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub is where cutting-edge technologies meet the users in need.”
Flucto

“The expertise and insights of the OWIH experts have played a pivotal role in our business's transformation over the past six months by always providing support and knowledge. With their help, Flucto has grown into a robust business and has also made significant steps towards our vision of digitizing the installation of offshore wind farms.”
Heerema Engineering Solutions

“The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub introduced HES to the US offshore wind market and provided a comprehensive understanding of the offshore wind development process in the region. Additionally, the Hub facilitated direct engagement with potential clients, offering insights into their operations and allowing us to tailor our services to meet their needs. The networking opportunities provided have enabled us to establish meaningful connections within the industry and broaden our reach to a diverse range of clients.”
OSC

“The program has been an eye and door opener. Understanding the culture, people-wise and business-wise, is key to building a well-thought-out plan for action. The OWIH Accelerator Program has lined up a series of experts about commodities, funding agencies, human resources, tax and legal, and financial services. This is a unique opportunity for small companies like us to try to understand and establish ourselves in NY.”
RCAM Technologies

“RCAM Technologies' participation in the Urban Future Lab's Offshore Wind Innovation Hub has been instrumental in propelling us towards an exciting potential expansion into New York. The Hub has provided access to critical resources, expertise, and key industry contacts for this expansion and for the continued development of our offshore wind products. RCAM is fortunate to have this opportunity and appreciates the time and effort that both Equinor and the Hub invested in us.”
VinciVR

“The Offshore Wind Innovation Hub has been instrumental in getting us into the New York Offshore Wind Community. Not only has it directly helped us with getting revenue, but it helped us establish a footprint in one of the most vital markets for US Offshore Wind.”