Developed to bring cutting-edge technology development and business support under one roof, the National Launch Academy provides a cohort of up to ten companies the opportunity to participate in a structured and comprehensive programme that is delivered by our team in conjunction with input from some key industry players and external delivery partners over the course of 7-9 months.   

 

Types of support provided by our external partners include the provision of legal advice and templates for documentation such as NDAs, IP strategy clinics exploring how and when to protect intellectual property and critical input on the development of investor pitch decks. 

In 2024, Launch Academy is delighted to be supported and sponsored by three leading Offshore Wind developers: BP, RWE & ScottishPower Renewables.

 

Launch Academy is a technology accelerator programme with direct support and engagement with the offshore wind industry. Industry sponsors provide a direct industry pull through Launch Academy’s Technology Themes and are able to engage with cutting-edge innovation developed throughout the entire UK supply chain. The industry partners also provide a plethora of support throughout the nine-month duration of the programme, alongside our own experts in technology development, market analysis, business case development and commercialisation of innovative technologies.

Anstee Indication Systems 

Location: Bridgend, Wales

Anstee Indication Systems (ais) has patented a self-checking fixing technology which detect cracks arising from fatigue and damage. The technology mitigates the risk of unidentified failures in bolts, pins and studs, leading to excessive costs, downtime, risk and ultimately, profit erosion. Real-time crack and failure alerts provide important intelligence to guide O&M activity. ais designs and manufactures its fixings in the UK.

 

 

Crondall Energy

Location: Southampton, Hampshire

Crondall Energy is a leading independent consultancy providing strategic, commercial, and technical services for offshore energy projects using floating and subsea technologies. Operating within 6 business streams, Energy Transition, Offshore Renewables, Floating Production, Subsea & Pipelines, Business Consulting & Technology Development, Crondall Energy provides a range of services that span the life cycle of an offshore energy development from concept to late life.

 

 

Indeximate

Location: Hinckley, Leicestershire

Indeximate were founded to tackle the critical problem of subsea cable failure.  They address this by the application of fibre optic sensing to understand the condition of the cables and the state of the environment enabling preventative maintenance strategies.  Their unique approach also liberates other windfarm metrics, enabling sensing to be provided as a service.

 

 

Kavaken 

Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear

Kavaken is a SaaS platform that revolutionizes the way the renewable energy ecosystem runs through data. Through proprietary AI algorithms Kavaken goes beyond dashboards and produces actions that deliver value to asset owner/operators, OEMs, asset managers, insurers, financiers and M&A advisors.

 

 

Auxetec (formerly known as LC AuxeTec)

Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire

AuxeTec is developing, and commercialising novel auxetic polymer technology that was invented within the University of Leeds. The proprietary technology represents the ground-breaking discovery of the world’s first synthetic, molecular, auxetic, Liquid Crystal Elastomers (LCE). Unlike conventional materials our polymers thicken when stressed or strained representing a completely new class of elastomeric materials.

 

 

Perceptual Robotics

Location: Bristol, Avon

Perceptual Robotics, established in 2016 and headquartered in the UK with operations in Greece and Spain, is a technology provider specialising in the development of advanced tools for wind turbine blade inspection. The company’s core expertise lies in integrating drones, robotics, and machine learning to offer cutting-edge inspection solutions.

 

 

 

Pulcea

Location: Blyth, Northumberland

Pulcea is a small R&D company specialising in the use of underwater physics to assist our clients in their commercial exploitation of our oceans without causing undue environmental disturbance.  We work closely with selected Exploitation Partners who deliver our technology to these clients, and we encourage our academic partners to supply independent verification of it as and when required.

 

 

Quoceant 

Location: Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland

Quoceant is an engineering consultancy and innovation company that specialises in offshore renewable energy. Based in Scotland, the company provides design, analysis and engineering services to the offshore wind, wave, tidal and green heat sectors. Quoceant are developers of Q-Connect, a novel subsea quick connection system for the rapid connection and disconnection of offshore renewable technology to its mooring and electrical infrastructure.

 

 

RTDT Laboratories

Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear

RTDT is a pioneering deep tech company focused on revolutionizing the offshore wind energy sector. Their flagship product, Aerosense, with Aeroelastic Physics- Assisted Artificial Intelligence (AI) Digital Twins, enable performance optimization and structural health monitoring of wind turbine blades, ensuring the efficiency, reliability, and longevity of offshore wind farms.

 

 

Werover

Location: London, UK

Werover specializes in providing AI-based solutions for wind turbine blade health monitoring. By continuously monitoring turbine blades, their technology ensures optimal performance, reduces downtime, and enhances operational efficiency for wind energy companies. With a focus on innovation and reliability, they deliver comprehensive insights to maximize the lifespan and productivity of wind turbines.