I3FLOAT · Strategic Innovation Agenda
Areas
1
Area 1 – Floating substructures, mooring systems and dynamic cables
23 innovation lines
| ID | Sub-area / Innovation Line |
Technical-industrial
viability (1–5) Cost reduction impact (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 · Design and engineering of floating substructures (floaters) | ||
| 1.1.1 | Multi-criteria hydrodynamic optimisation of floating substructures |
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| 1.1.2 | Coupled aero-hydro-servo modelling under representative metocean conditions |
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| 1.1.3 | Substructure design geared towards O&M and major component replacement |
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| 1.1.4 | Specific multirotor design |
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| 1.1.5 | Standardisation and modularisation of floating substructures |
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| 1.1.6 | Concrete construction solutions for floating substructures |
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| 1.1.7 | Design of adaptable floating substructures compatible with multiple wind turbine tower configurations |
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| 1.1.8 | Component reliability, structural health monitoring and digital twins for floating substructures |
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| 1.1.9 | Biofouling-aware design of floating substructures |
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| 1.2 · Mooring and anchoring design | ||
| 1.2.1 | Qualification, certification and application of advanced synthetic materials for taut mooring systems |
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| 1.2.2 | Single Point Mooring (SPM) design |
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| 1.2.3 | Probabilistic fatigue and failure models for mooring and anchoring systems |
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| 1.2.4 | Multi-segment and multi-material designs for mooring lines |
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| 1.2.5 | Innovations in low environmental impact anchoring systems and shared mooring architectures |
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| 1.2.6 | Mooring connectors and hook-up systems |
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| 1.2.7 | Load Reduction Devices for mooring systems |
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| 1.3 · Dynamic submarine cable systems for floating offshore wind | ||
| 1.3.1 | Qualification and standardisation of dynamic cables |
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| 1.3.2 | Development of quick-connect and disconnect connectors |
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| 1.3.3 | Integrated dynamic cable curvature and shape control systems |
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| 1.3.4 | Studies on the dynamic behaviour and environmental interactions of submarine cables |
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| 1.3.5 | Development of new direct current (DC) cable technologies to address the technical challenges that arise as projects move further offshore |
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| 1.3.6 | Development of failure response and protection mechanisms for dynamic submarine cables |
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| 1.3.7 | Integrated design of dynamic cables and mooring systems |
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2
Area 2 – Electrical infrastructure and grid connection
8 innovation lines
| ID | Sub-area / Innovation Line |
Technical-industrial
viability (1–5) Cost reduction impact (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 · Floating substations and electrical conversion | ||
| 2.1.1 | Topside design of floating substations adapted to dynamic environments |
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| 2.1.2 | Cooling and thermal management systems for offshore electrical equipment |
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| 2.1.3 | Protection and control systems for dynamic electrical systems |
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| 2.1.4 | Optimisation of intra-array electrical layouts for floating wind farms |
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| 2.1.5 | Technological challenge related to the development of electrical switchgear for DC applications in offshore substations |
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| 2.2 · Grid management and stability for floating wind farms | ||
| 2.2.1 | Electrical stability analysis tools for floating wind farms |
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| 2.2.2 | Plant control strategies to reduce electro-mechanical interactions |
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| 2.2.3 | Grid-forming capabilities and energy storage integration for floating wind farms |
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3
Area 3 – Wind turbine, tower or alternative supporting structures and FOW-specific control
14 innovation lines
| ID | Sub-area / Innovation Line |
Technical-industrial
viability (1–5) Cost reduction impact (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 · Adaptation of the wind turbine (WTG) and tower to floating foundation | ||
| 3.1.1 | Adaptive stiffness / Load-tuned structural designs and segmented concepts for floating applications in all phases of the lifecycle |
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| 3.1.2 | Aerodynamic and aero-structural optimisation of wind turbines and blades for floating platforms |
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| 3.1.3 | Standardised interfaces between wind turbine and floater |
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| 3.1.4 | Materials and coatings for wind turbine and tower in floating environments |
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| 3.1.5 | O&M-oriented design of the wind turbine and tower for offshore applications |
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| 3.1.6 | Adaptation of wind turbine design and control to floating platform dynamics |
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| 3.1.7 | Process-oriented standardisation and modular manufacturing of wind turbine components to facilitate integration with floating foundations and accommodate design variability |
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| 3.2 · Control and dynamic behaviour of the floating system | ||
| 3.2.1 | Model-based and feedforward control strategies integrated into existing systems |
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| 3.2.2 | Operational implementation of motion-and operability-based (e.g. MOSE-type envelopes) criteria in control systems |
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| 3.2.3 | Integrated co-control strategies for floater–turbine–mooring systems |
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| 3.3 · Validation and aero-hydro-servo modelling for FOW | ||
| 3.3.1 | Reduced-order and modelling tools for rapid and early FOW design and optimisation |
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| 3.3.2 | Scaled testing campaigns and numerical-experimental correlation frameworks |
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| 3.3.3 | Guidelines for metocean binning and simulation lists for floating wind load analysis |
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| 3.3.4 | Analysis of Small-Scale Turbines with Complex 3D Blade Shape |
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4
Area 4 – Wind farm layout design and site planning
15 innovation lines
| ID | Sub-area / Innovation Line |
Technical-industrial
viability (1–5) Cost reduction impact (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| 4.1 · Site characterisation and wind farm planning | ||
| 4.1.1 | Integrated characterisation of wind-wave-current resources |
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| 4.1.2 | Assessment of seabed-anchor interaction under complex conditions |
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| 4.1.3 | Environmental risk assessment tools in the planning phase |
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| 4.1.4 | Socio-economic analysis and maritime space use conflicts |
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| 4.1.5 | Co-location solutions and compatible uses of maritime space, including multi-use platforms |
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| 4.2 · Integrated wind farm design (co-design) | ||
| 4.2.1 | Integrated wake modelling solutions considering the movement of floaters |
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| 4.2.2 | Layout optimisation considering movement ranges and mooring footprint |
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| 4.2.3 | Multi-disciplinary tools for floater-mooring-cabling-layout co-optimisation |
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| 4.2.4 | Anchor and mooring line sharing strategies between platforms |
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| 4.3 · Environmental impact and ecosystem effect mitigation | ||
| 4.3.1 | Advanced tools for predicting and assessing environmental and socio-ecological impacts of floating wind farms, including ecosystem service interactions |
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| 4.3.2 | Tools for simulating and monitoring interactions between floating wind infrastructure and marine ecosystems |
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| 4.3.3 | Continuous environmental monitoring systems |
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| 4.3.4 | Mitigation, compensation and eco-design measures for wind farm |
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| 4.3.5 | Solutions to enable compatibility and co-activity between floating wind farms and fishing activities |
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| 4.3.6 | Advanced solutions for cumulative impact assessment |
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5
Area 5 – Industrialisation
10 innovation lines
| ID | Sub-area / Innovation Line |
Technical-industrial
viability (1–5) Cost reduction impact (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| 5.1 · Modularisation, process-oriented standardisation and industrial automation | ||
| 5.1.1 | Modular architectures and process-oriented interface standardisation |
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| 5.1.2 | Industrialised, automated and repeatable manufacturing processes for floating wind components |
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| 5.1.3 | Industrialisable materials, protective systems and coatings for floating wind components |
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| 5.1.4 | Assessment and strengthening of EU floating wind supply chain capabilities |
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| 5.1.5 | Standardisation boundaries and interoperability across floating wind platform designs |
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| 5.2 · Port-based component integration and heavy lifting operations | ||
| 5.2.1 | System integration and advanced port-based assembly |
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| 5.2.2 | Innovative port infrastructure solutions and design criteria to assess, adapt or develop port facilities capable of supporting floating wind hub and marshalling operations |
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| 5.2.3 | Innovative specialised and hybrid vessel solutions supporting installation, towing and decommissioning operations for floating wind systems |
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| 5.2.4 | Digital tools for planning and operational execution of port activities |
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| 5.2.5 | AI- and digital twin-based monitoring systems for port operations, asset tracking and safety management during floating wind assembly and integration |
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6
Area 6 – Logistics and offshore installation
10 innovation lines
| ID | Sub-area / Innovation Line |
Technical-industrial
viability (1–5) Cost reduction impact (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| 6.1 · Logistics, load-out, float-off, wet storage and port-to-site transport | ||
| 6.1.1 | Industrialised load-out and float-on/float-off solutions in port environments |
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| 6.1.2 | Mature wet-storage solutions and temporary management of floating assets |
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| 6.1.3 | Floating transport and optimised towing strategies |
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| 6.1.4 | Industrialised methodologies for handling and loading dynamic power cables and accessories |
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| 6.1.5 | Dry transport and internal logistics solutions for large-scale floating wind components within and between fabrication, assembly, storage and port facilities |
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| 6.2 · Offshore installation and hook-up of platforms, cables and mooring systems | ||
| 6.2.1 | Efficient offshore installation architectures, sequences, procedures and tools to increase operability for the complete system |
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| 6.2.2 | In-situ positioning, balancing connection, and verification technologies |
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| 6.2.3 | Accelerated procedures and SIMOPS for multi-unit installation |
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| 6.2.4 | Highly automated hook-up equipment and procedures ideally standardised |
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| 6.2.5 | Geotechnical characterisation oriented to the execution of FOW anchoring systems |
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7
Area 7 – Operation, Maintenance and Decommissioning
25 innovation lines
| ID | Sub-area / Innovation Line |
Technical-industrial
viability (1–5) Cost reduction impact (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 · Data acquisition for O&M digitalisation | ||
| 7.1.1 | Advanced structural and condition monitoring of critical equipment and components using physical sensing and model-based approaches |
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| 7.1.2 | Autonomous aerial and ground-based inspection systems for above-water assets |
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| 7.1.3 | Autonomous Subsea Inspection Systems for Floating Infrastructures |
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| 7.1.4 | Autonomous sensing and monitoring networks for floating wind environments |
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| 7.1.5 | Improvement of dynamic cable design and technical definition processes |
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| 7.1.6 | Means of inspecting structural and operational status triggered on demand by environmental events rather than through continuous monitoring |
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| 7.1.7 | Virtual sensing |
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| 7.1.8 | Implementation of lightweight, multi-vector inspection methods for conducting group inspections, including deployment from Uncrewed Surface Vessels |
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| 7.2 · Data management and structuring for O&M digitalisation | ||
| 7.2.1 | Operational digital twins for floating offshore wind behaviour monitoring, load tracking and degradation prediction |
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| 7.2.2 | Industrial data platforms and advanced analytics for floating wind operations |
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| 7.2.3 | Holistic multi-component data integration platforms |
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| 7.3 · Data exploitation for O&M digitalisation | ||
| 7.3.1 | Probabilistic integrity management frameworks (MIM / CMIM) at commercial scale |
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| 7.3.2 | Digital workflows and tools for tow-to-port and on-site maintenance |
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| 7.3.3 | Digital workflows and tools for site-replacement maintenance |
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| 7.3.4 | Digital tools for floating asset lifetime extension assessment |
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| 7.4 · Heavy offshore maintenance and major offshore interventions | ||
| 7.4.1 | Heavy lifting and motion-compensated handling solutions |
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| 7.4.2 | Specialised offshore vessels and floating support platforms for FOW maintenance |
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| 7.4.3 | Procedures and tools for offshore replacement of critical components |
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| 7.4.4 | Advanced planning, risk modelling and decision-support systems for major interventions |
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| 7.4.5 | Maintenance strategy trade-off analysis (in situ vs. offshore) |
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| 7.5 · Decommissioning, repowering and end-of-life strategies of the floating system | ||
| 7.5.1 | Technologies for safe disconnection of moorings, anchors, cables, and electrical systems |
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| 7.5.2 | Optimised strategies for removal and tow-back of floating platforms |
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| 7.5.3 | Modular dismantling technologies enabling circular reuse of floating wind components offshore and in port |
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| 7.5.4 | Planning, risk modelling and simulation tools specific to decommissioning operations |
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| 7.5.5 | Environmental impact assessment and disposal strategies for floating wind decommissioning |
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