What is OWI-Lab?
What's in our DNA and our drive to innovate?
Our DNA
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 History
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.
OWI-Lab Operational Team
Pieter Jan Jordaens
Christof Devriendt
Karen Hemelsoet
Jan Declercq
Stijn Lambrechts
Arne De Keyser
Jan Helsen
Sue Taelman
Inês J M Pereira
Marijke Mahieu
Manager Energy Transition & Program Manager Offshore Wind
Professor Structural Integrity Monitoring/Offshore Structures
Business Developer Metals Consortium
Innovation Valorisation at VUB offshore wind
New Product & Service development
Business Developer & Team Lead EnerGhentIC
Professor Performance & Diagnostics
Innovation Officer Offshore Wind Energy
Innovation Officer for Offshore Wind
Project Coordinator & Community Builder
Sirris
VUB
UGent
VUB
Sirris
UGent
VUB
UGent
VUB
UGent
What makes OWI-Lab unique?
OWI-Lab stands at the core of Belgium’s offshore wind sector by bringing together academic expertise, industry partners and policy makers in one collaborative ecosystem. With unique access to real-life testing and demonstration infrastructure, we bridge knowledge and practice to accelerate innovation across the full wind energy value chain.
This distinctive combination of expertise, infrastructure and collaboration ensures Belgium’s continued leadership and global reputation as a frontrunner in offshore wind, with OWI-Lab acting as the catalyst that connects stakeholders, accelerates innovation and sustains global leadership in the field.
Meet our partners & ecosystem
We don't walk alone, the industrial partner network of OWI-Lab is an important asset.
What started as the IBN Offshore Network now involves more than 55 companies and R&D organizations that have the aim to collaborate and initiate new research & innovation projects.
OWI-Lab also has several regional, federal, European and international partners.
Through the OWI-Lab collaboration we follow up different initiatives from those partners to fulfill our mission in finding collective challenges and set up new RD&I projects.
Our industrial references
Curious about what services we already provided for our industrial references?
Then have a look below. Click on the logo's to read more about how we worked together:
Our regional, federal & international partners
OWI-Lab on the European stage
OWI-Lab strengthens its international position by actively embedding Belgium’s offshore wind community in European networks and projects.
We co-develop and participate in several EU projects (Horizon, Interreg) consortia, alongside IEA Wind Tasks, ETIP and EERA JP Wind activities, and we support country-based reporting to the EU energy agenda.
Our team is highly visible at key international events – for instance WindEurope (e.g. EOLIS, Technology Workshop, annual event), WESC, EERA JP Wind Innovation Forum and Belgian Offshore Days to missions like Wind Finland or Wind Energy Expo Ireland – where we showcase Belgian expertise and test infrastructure.
Through shared R&D projects, unique test & demo facilities, OWI-Lab’s knowledge sharing and a further developments with regard to the Centre of Excellence, we attract global partners and position Belgium as an offshore wind innovation hub.
Our goal and ambition
