The EPSRC Industrial CDT in Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE) is a partnership of the Universities of Edinburgh, Exeter, Strathclyde and Swansea University, and the Scottish Association for Marine Science. 

The UK Government Net Zero Strategy commits to fully decarbonising electricity by 2035, two years after the end of this CDT. Owen Bellamy (Climate Change Committee) says ``Meeting the Net Zero target across the economy as a whole will require at least a doubling of electricity generation by 2050, from decarbonised sources. The cost reductions seen over the past decade mean that renewables – especially offshore wind – will have a major role to play''. National Grid's future energy scenarios predict the connection of 31 to 51 GW of offshore wind by 2030. The 13.6 GW installed by December 2022 is focused on the East coast, much of the new capacity will be to the North and West; Scottish and Welsh Government policy strongly supports this. Building on the economic success of the Humber region and replicating it in Pembrokeshire and the Highlands will benefit the whole UK. Such deployment represents a mammoth engineering undertaking, requiring significant growth in technically-literate industry leaders and skilled workers. The Offshore Wind Industry Council predicts investment of £17.2 bn per year and the employment of 97,465 people by 2030. 

The challenge extends beyond offshore wind. The record price of £ 2,586 per MWh for wholesale power set in December 2022 points to the need for diversity of supply. Emerging ORE sub-sectors will contribute to that diversity: CfD AR4 awarded contracts for 41 MW of tidal stream and 32 MW of floating wind, while the Wave Energy Scotland and EuropeWave structured innovation programmes are supporting the development and at-sea demonstration of wave energy devices. ORE developments also extend beyond grid power: some developers look at Power-to-X while others target aquaculture, subsea applications, and remote communities. 

This development is subject to the dual pressures of the Net Zero Strategy and Circular Economy Package. ORE must demonstrate minimal carbon emissions and waste production, creating a growing need for industry-leaders well versed in Life Cycle Thinking and Circular Design. 

The EPSRC Industrial CDT in Offshore Renewable Energy (IDCORE} builds on the success of its award winning predecessor, EP/S023933/1. This user-led CDT delivers the next generation of leaders for the ORE sector, essential to the UK sustaining global excellence. It addresses future challenges in developing critical technologies by training world-class scientists and engineers. It supports OEMs, supply chain companies, utilities, project developers, Catapults, Insurers and test centres, ranging from small SMEs to multinationals. Our Research Engineers' industry-led projects will support: the development of new energy conversion technologies; optimal installation, logistics \& maintenance; power-to-X; floating wind platforms; testing & certification; sustainability & circularity; commercial risk; and much more. International perspective comes through a developing sister programme in Japan and the INORE  network.