ORESA – Thinking offshore energy sustainably

ORESA wants to help ensure that environmental compatibility, economic viability, and technical innovation go hand in hand in the future—right from the start. The focus is particularly on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which often have innovative ideas but lack the resources to meet the growing demand for sustainability requirements on their own.

Funded by the EU program Interreg North-West Europe (NWE), ORESA brings together partners from five countries to jointly develop training courses on environmental sustainability, resource efficiency, and nature-friendly design for SMEs.

The project got off to a flying start with its kick-off in The Hague in June 2025. By the end of June 2028, the 12 partners will develop content and support SMEs in three work packages. A total of around €5.6 million is available for this purpose, of which approximately €3.35 million comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Objectives and approach

The aim of ORESA is to specifically promote sustainable innovation processes in the offshore industry. The focus is on a practical accelerator program that supports SMEs in designing their technologies to be environmentally friendly, resource-efficient, and economically viable from the outset. To this end, the project provides concrete methods and tools, including life cycle assessments (LCA), principles of circular economy, nature-inclusive design concepts, the linking of economic efficiency and ecological sustainability, and an analysis of sustainability policy in the participating countries.

ORESA thus pursues a holistic approach that combines ecological responsibility and economic feasibility. The results should not only contribute to the implementation of the European Green Deal and the Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy, but also strengthen the long-term competitiveness of the European offshore industry.

Implementation in five countries

A central element of ORESA is the establishment of sustainability hubs in each of the five participating countries: Germany, Belgium, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands. These regional contact points connect companies, research institutions, and political actors, pool expertise, and offer targeted support services related to sustainable offshore technologies.

The hubs are tailored to regional conditions – for example, with regard to existing infrastructure, regulatory requirements, or industry priorities – while also being closely integrated into the transnational network. This creates local innovation spaces that work together on an overarching European sustainability strategy.

The OFFSHORE-WINDENERGIE Foundation is part of the German Sustainability Hub and works here with its two partners, the Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) and WAB e.V.

Cooperation and impact

ORESA is supported by a broad-based consortium of partners from industry clusters, universities, innovation agencies, and environmental institutions. Together, they are implementing around 25 pilot projects with SMEs in which sustainable approaches are being tested and further developed in practice. The project also organizes over 30 specialist events, including workshops, training courses, deep dives, and digital formats that promote knowledge transfer and provide targeted further training for specialists.

In addition to ISL and WAB, strong partners from the Netherlands (Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC), Navingo BV), Belgium (Blue Cluster, Ghent University, POM West-Vlaanderen), France (France Energies Marines, Blue Pelican Capital) and Ireland (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), Exceedence Ltd.) are participating in the project.

All strategies, tools, and findings developed in the project will be systematically documented and processed so that they remain available as open resources for other players in the industry beyond the project's lifetime. ORESA is thus laying the foundation for an offshore energy future that is innovative, economically viable, and environmentally responsible.