OWI-Lab supports the full Belgian wind energy value chain (from development to decommissioning phase) as expertise consortium with national and international ‘industry driven’ Research, Development & Innovation actions in order to further built-up our leading role in the worldwide wind energy sector.
Our R&D collaboration includes fundamental, applied and industry driven research & development and providing access to testing - and demonstration opportunities in real environments. We provide access to unique and real-life test and demonstration infrastructure, operational insights and associated application knowledge to support R&D and innovation in our target group. This target group involves companies active in the onshore –and offshore wind energy business. Our testing infrastructures and according expertise services are also available to the international wind energy value chain.
OWI-Lab is the continuation of the RD&I collaboration partnership between wind energy experts from Sirris, VUB and UGent. The key pillars of the initiative are: (Test / Experiment) -Infrastructure, Expertise and the collaborative RD&I Platform. Through technology expertise & infrastructure, innovation support services and international collaboration we seek to be a leading expertise centre that is supporting (international) innovation in the wind energy sector.
Our core activities of OWI-Lab are:
- Coordination of wind energy R&D in Belgium: keeping an overview and monitoring of the RD&I landscape (Academic and Industrial landscape)
- Provide industry driven RD&I support &services to our industrial peers (see services)
- To be a knowledge & expertise network
- Representation of Belgian wind energy R&D backbone in EU / international platforms
If your company or organisation seeks specific expertise, unique testing infrastructure or demonstration opportunities, solutions and/or partners to support your industrial challenge or innovative idea, then OWI-Lab is the central point of contact to help you out.
Reach out to our experts for more information.
OWI-Lab finds its origin in the VLAIO funded research project "OWI", set up by Generaties - the industrial innovation platform concerning renewable energy technologies in Flanders - in 2008, together with leading wind energy companies of the Belgian value chain. Through this R&D project unique testing and monitoring infrastructure and expertise has been built up over a period of 4 years. This expertise is specifically focused on offshore wind energy, with a spill-over to onshore wind energy.
