KTN-iX posts two new challenges

KTN’s innovation eXchange site has posted two new challenges for innovative organisations from all sectors, in offshore biofouling and heavy lifting.

The KTN-innovation eXchange (KTN-iX) is an online platform that promotes innovation transfer, matching real industry challenges from large companies to companies, often from other sectors, who can provide solutions to those challenges.

Both the new challenges are off-shore wind themed and have been developed in partnership with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.  However, KTN and ORE are keen to attract applications from a range of sectors.

The first challenge has been put forward by a wind-farm owner looking for innovative solutions to cleaning and preventing biofouling on offshore structures.  The cost must be significantly less than £900 per turbine per year.

This market is substantial: asof 2017 there were 4,872 structures installed in the world, indicating a current market of £4.385m.  The market is forecast grow at a rate of 9% per year, with around 600 structures installed per year until 2025.

The second challenge, also from a wind-farm owner, is seeking solutions to the heavy lifting of electrical equipment in dynamic offshore weather conditions.  The challenger is looking for innovative solutions that can undertake a stable lifting operation without the use of large jack-up vessels.

The solution to these challenges could come from sectors as diverse as surface coating or robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles or smart autonomous systems – the transfer of skills and knowledge from other sectors is a key driver for the innovation eXchange platform.

Businesses who believe they can solve these problems can find out more and submit their response here.  The submissions will be assessed by KTN, ORE Catapult and the challenge holders and the successful applicants will be given a commercial opportunity to develop their solution in conjunction with the challenge holders, with support from KTN and the wider Innovate UK network.

This challenge is likely to be of interest to a wide range of industry sectors including: Manufacturing, Aerospace, AI, Robotics, Marine, Nuclear, Rail, Chemical, Construction and Autonomous Vehicles.

For more details about the KTN-iX and the challenges, visit the KTN-iX pages here.