Ørsted is opening a United States Innovation Hub in Providence, Rhode Island in early spring as part of its commitment to building an offshore wind industry supply chain in the US.
The Innovation Hub will be located in the CIC Providence workspace.
To facilitate its mission, the Hub team will leverage Ørsted’s expertise across the company’s offices in US and Europe. Ørsted expects its seven work stations at Providence’s CIC will be regularly filled with dedicated innovation team leaders as well as rotating team members from the company’s global headquarters in Denmark and its regional headquarters in North America.
The purpose of this team will be to identify, foster, and, where appropriate, finance enterprises related to offshore wind, with a focus on next-generation technology and related innovation in the offshore wind energy field.
The Innovation Hub will serve as the physical location for this team as they investigate US-based companies interested in deploying next-generation technologies to advance offshore wind deployment.
“Innovation has been the key to the success of the offshore wind industry in Europe, so committing time and resources to foster new technology growth here in the U.S. was an obvious step for Ørsted,” said Thomas Brostrøm , President for Ørsted North America and CEO for Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind. “Locating this operation in Providence was an equally obvious move for us. The state has shown time and time again that it is home to one of the best innovation economies in the country and we look forward to becoming a part of that community.”
The Innovation Hub team will be Ørsted’s first point of contact for any US technology companies interested in contracting with Ørsted Offshore. On a bi-monthly basis, the Innovation Hub will host open door days for established companies and start-ups to present their technologies and test solutions. On top of this the team will host quarterly pitch days where a pre-qualified set of startups will pitch their possible solutions to Ørsted.
With the establishment of the Innovation Hub, Ørsted is deepening its presence in Rhode Island, which already hosts the company’s co-headquarters in the US, also located in Providence.
“I’m thrilled that Ørsted has decided to open its United States Innovation Hub here in Providence, further cementing our status as America’s offshore wind capital,” said Rhode Island’s Governor Gina M. Raimondo .
“We’re making record investments in education and job training, and the results speak for themselves. As we continue working to ensure Rhode Islanders are prepared for high-skill jobs in the modern economy, I’m confident that more and more companies like Ørsted – leaders in 21st century industries – will continue to look to Rhode Island.”