The geopolitical actuality has only increased the major challenges regarding scaling up offshore renewable energy to achieve climate neutrality in Europe by 2050 . Characteristic in the North Sea, as in other locations in Europe (and further afield), is the high utilisation rate by a multitude of users, making optimal use of the sea essential. So-called multi-source (multiple forms of energy generation in the same location, e.g. by integrating floating solar panel installations in wind farms) and multi-use use (e.g. aquaculture combined with energy generation) are developments that are already gaining initial experience. With the Blue Accelerator test and demonstration platform, POM West Flanders, in cooperation with (consortium) partners, has capitalised on these developments, thus developing important operational knowledge in the operation of such a test and demonstration platform at sea. Various test and demonstration campaigns for multiple users (both SMEs', large companies, knowledge institutions, project consortia from home and abroad) have taken place, are ongoing or are in the pipeline.

Now that Blue Accelerator's operation has reached full capacity, users are asking for opportunities to facilitate testing and demonstrations that can support a higher degree of scalability and market readiness. For Blue Accelerator, this means, on the one hand, that further pre-standardisation and pre-standardisation of testing processes and methods are needed, and on the other hand, that an expansion of the testing infrastructure further out to sea through floating and submersible structures is necessary.Test@Sea therefore aims to meet a number of demonstrable needs in a cost-effective and high-quality manner in three key areas in the offshore market (energy conversion, material developments and drone applications) and also to further refine these needs.

Test@Sea, a project consortium consisting of POM West Flanders, VLIZ, Sirris, VUB, UGent and De Blauwe Cluster, creates the opportunity for the offshore energy sector to continue to innovate, to strengthen the sector. A central element of this project, through targeted investments, is to provide an answer to the growing, and gradually more sophisticated, demand for fit-for-purpose test and demonstration infrastructure at sea.To this end, a higher level of service quality will be achieved in terms of guidance and support in areas such as engineering and construction, project management and legal matters. The associated expansion of test infrastructure will be realised in an investment arm, including an upgrade of the existing Blue Accelerator to continue to meet growing demand.