One Sea, Two Countries, Five Technologies

On Tuesday 6 October, the Offshore For Sure partnership will bring together technology developers, researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers for a dedicated session at ICOE-OEE 2026. This side event is an INTERREG cross-border session showcasing results from ocean energy demonstration projects between Flanders and the Netherlands, bringing together developers, researchers, and industry to highlight progress, address remaining barriers to scale, and deliver a joint call to action for regulators and funders to accelerate deployment.

Ocean energy already works in the lab and at pilot scale. The harder question is what it takes to deploy it across a shared sea. Offshore For Sure, funded through INTERREG Flanders-Netherlands programme, spent several years on that question, and this session puts the results in front of the people who fund, build, and regulate what comes next. Co-hosted by Bluespring and the Offshore For Sure partnership, it brings together the developers, research institutes, and service providers behind five ocean energy technologies derisked across the Flanders-Netherlands border.

The session follows three key themes:

1. Showcasing results

A concise overview of the project’s achievements, featuring insights from technology developers, research and education partners on future skills needs, and an industry perspective on the pathway towards market deployment.

2. Addressing barriers to scale

A discussion on the challenges identified through cross-border collaboration, including permitting, spatial planning, grid connection, certification, and support mechanisms.

3. A call to action for scaling ocean energy

A high-level panel bringing together stakeholders from both countries to discuss how cross-border cooperation, policy alignment, and targeted support can accelerate the deployment of ocean energy technologies.

The session concludes with one concrete ask to decision-makers from both countries on what it takes to get from demonstration to scale.

Join the conversation

Be part of the discussion, join us on 6 October at ICOE OEE. This side event is open to all conference attendees and invited guests, and will be especially relevant for international project developers, port authorities, grid operators, public funders, and policymakers.

Register your interest here.

Interested in other events happening during ICOE OEE?

Check out the side event organised by EWA and Bluespring and other interesting events including exhibitions, innovation tours, cultural and family activities.