Announcement of the NiD4OCEAN University challenge

Nature-inclusive Concepts for offshore renewables

All university challenges have now taken place. You can explore the related news stories on our News page

Offshore renewable infrastructure must develop in a way that does not harm the marine environment, and where possible, contribute to European restoration goals. Recent years have seen an increase in measures aimed at mitigating negative effects of infrastructure development (i.e. mitigation measures), enhancement, or restoration of certain natural habitats (i.e. nature-inclusive designs).

Several initiatives have explored nature-inclusive designs for bottom-fixed offshore wind farms, and similar efforts are now beginning for floating wind farms as well. However, there is still a considerable gap in sustainable design strategies for both fixed and floating offshore wind infrastructure in European waters, and worldwide. This presents an opportunity to develop innovative, interdisciplinary solutions that help reconcile sustainable energy development with the protection and recovery of marine ecosystems.

In this University Challenge we seek to create concepts that can be integrated into offshore renewables or related infrastructure (such as the connecting grid or subsea platforms) that not only minimise environmental impact but also support ecosystem functioning and protection. These concepts might include nature-inclusive design (NiD) principles, or mitigation measures tailored to specific ecological needs.

To succeed, your group will need to:
• Address ecological challenges linked to offshore renewables.
• Demonstrate the technical and structural feasibility of your concept.

What is in it for you?
• An exclusive experience award, including a trip to WindEurope 2026 in Madrid.
• The opportunity to further develop your concept, including through credited university courses*.
• The chance to have your idea included in the NiD4OCEAN Open Challenge

* Upon consultation with the coordinator of the challenge at the student’s home university.

In recent years, there has been a considerable increase in mitigation measures and nature-inclusive designs for bottom-fixed offshore wind infrastructure 1 2 3 4 5, including measures associated with underwater noise, disturbance and displacement, and solutions designed to optimise scour protection and cable protection layers, add-on structures and stand-alone units 6 7 8.

Attempts for floating structures are scarcer, and so far, pilot projects have focused on add-on structures within the floating platforms 9. Both fixed and floating turbines, along with associated infrastructure, cause impacts on the local marine environment (e.g. wildlife entanglement, continuous chain dragging on the seabed, anchor impacts).

Nature-inclusive concepts offer alternatives for mitigating the negative effects of infrastructure development (i.e. mitigation measures) or for enhancing or restoring certain habitats (i.e. nature-inclusive designs). As an emerging field, there are still many gaps to explore and challenges to address, particularly in integrating multiple disciplines such as engineering, biology, and others.

Our Innovation Challenge is organised in the frame of the Horizon Europe project NiD4OCEAN (Nature-inclusive Designs for reconciling offshore renewables with ocean protection) (https://nid4ocean.eu/). The overall goal of the project is to advance the emerging field of nature-inclusive designs for offshore renewables, and provide effective, context-dependent solutions to industry, managers, and policy makers, to support of the global and EU targets for carbon neutrality, biodiversity restoration and sustainable and inclusive ocean economy. In the context of the NiD4OCEAN project, we are organising an Innovation Challenge series, including a University Challenge targeting University students and an Open Challenge for SMEs, start-ups, and the winners of this challenge.
  1. Galparsoro et al. (2022) Reviewing the ecological impacts of offshore wind farms npj Ocean Sustain 1:1
  2. Lemasson et al. (2014) A global meta-analysis of ecological effects from offshore marine artificial structures Nature Sustain 7(4) 485-495
  3. Watson et al. (2024) The global impact of offshore wind farms on ecosystem services Ocean & Coastal management 249 107023
  4. Cornacchia et al. (2025) https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15149198
  5. Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (2024)Avoidance and minimisation from offshore wind and grid infrastructure
  6. Hermans et al. (2020)Nature-Inclusive Design: A Catalogue for Offshore Wind Infrastructure The Hague: Witteveen+Bos 50 pp
  7. Pardo et al. (2023)A synthesis review of nature positive approaches and coexistence in the offshore wind industry ICES Journal of Marine Science fsad191
  8. Rich North Sea website: The Toolbox
  9. Eoliennes flottantes du Golfe du Lion (EFGL) floating pilot project – Ocean Winds

We invite students (bachelor, master and PhD students) to think outside the box and present concepts that address nature inclusive concepts for offshore renewables. The target area and focus area will vary among each regional challenges. Four challenges will be performed in 2025, organised by the following universities, in collaboration with the NiD4OCEAN consortia:

Students are challenged to develop innovative, nature-inclusive concepts for floating offshore wind implemented within offshore wind farms or the related infrastructure (e.g. connecting grid, subsea platforms) in designated areas in Norway.

Project should target:

  1. mitigation of negative effects (mitigation measures) and/or
  2. restoration or enhancement of specific organisms or habitats (nature-inclusive designs)

At the University Challenge at UiA, participants will work for two days in interdisciplinary teams, guided by experts from NiD4OCEAN (UiA, NIVA, DTU-Aqua, and Equinor). Free meals and inter-campus transportation (Kristiansand-Grimstad) will be provided.

Possible concept areas include, but are not limited to:

  • Turbine and floater materials and coatings that are environmentally friendly, reduce pollution risk, and / or enhance regional ecological function (e.g. substitutes of toxic antifoulants and paints).
  • Turbine foundation substructures or adjustments thereof that minimise environmental impacts and enhance local ecosystem functioning.
  • Cable protective materials, e.g. membrane materials that reduce electromagnetic fields.
  • Mooring lines materials and designs that minimise seabed disturbance.
  • Mooring anchor materials and designs targeting biodiversity restoration, the use of sustainable materials, limiting seabed disturbance especially during the lifetime of the structure.
  • Other solutions that enhance the symbiotic use of floating wind infrastructure with other uses of the sea space in an environmentally friendly way.

Awards and opportunities:

  • Exclusive experience award, including a trip to WindEurope 2026 in Madrid

  • Possibility of submitting the concepts to the Open challenge

  • UiA students have the chance to develop their ideas though credited courses e.g. Students in Research courses (e.g., BYG314).

When: from August 22nd (13:00) until 23rd (20:00)

Where: UiA Grimstad Campus

Registration and more information: https://www.uia.no/english/studies/for-students/courses-and-guidance/events/innovation-challenge.html

Students are challenged to develop innovative, nature-inclusive concepts for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWT) focusing on the reuse of anchorage systems and mooring chains to foster marine biodiversity in the Gulf of Lion (Western Mediterranean Sea).

The target is to design concepts that: 

  1. improve the sustainability of mooring and anchorage systems by integrating ecological functions, and/or 
  2. create nature-inclusive designs that mitigate the impact, restore or enhance local species and habitats. 

 

The Innovation Challenge at UPC will last for a week, including different sessions. They will be encouraged to work in multidisciplinary teams, guided by experts from UPC, ICM-CSIC, and industry partners such as X1Wind and IREC. The challenge will be held in person at UPC’s North Campus of Barcelona, and students from all engineering schools will be invited to participate. 

The scope of the concepts can include but is not limited to: 

  • New materials or coatings for mooring chains that are environmentally friendly, reduce pollution risk, and enhance colonisation by marine species. 
  • Chain and anchoring designs that minimise seabed disturbance and/or noise during installation and operation. 
  • Integration of artificial reef structures into anchoring systems to promote habitat formation. 
  • Optimisation of chain configuration to balance engineering requirements and ecological enhancement. 
  • Other solutions that turn offshore wind anchoring systems into biodiversity restoration platforms. 

 

Apart from the exclusive experience award, including a trip to WindEurope 2026 in Madrid, and the possibility of submitting the concepts to the Open Challenge, UPC students have the opportunity to connect with research and industry networks, and to further develop their ideas through innovation and entrepreneurship support from the UPC Innovation Management Unit (SGI). 

 

When: from October 6th until October 13th 

Where: UPC Campus Nord, Barcelona 

Students are challenged to develop innovative, nature-inclusive concepts that explore how floating offshore renewable energy systems can coexist with marine ecosystems. The focus is on reducing environmental pressures while enhancing ecosystem functioning through thoughtful design, reuse of infrastructure, and mitigation of key impacts such as underwater noise and seabed disturbance. 

The challenge “Rethinking Co-existence of Floating Offshore Energy and Nature”, a collaboration between DTU Aqua, DTU Skylab, and several other partners, is part of the traditional Open Innovation Challenge, Copenhagen’s flagship student innovation challenge for sustainable change which brings together over 120 students, researchers, and sustainable innovation enthusiasts. 

Apart from NiD4OCEAN team and challenge committee, representatives from Equinor and DHI also comprises the jury to select a winner concept. 

When: from September 30th until October 3rd 

Where: KU Library, DTU Skylab & CSE 

Students are challenged to develop innovative, nature-inclusive concepts that both mitigate the environmental impact of wind farms and support the marine ecosystems of the Baltic Sea through habitat restoration, the creation of new habitats, and the enhancement of overall ecosystem functioning. 

The Innovation Challenge at KU will last for a week, including different activities aiming to Engage. Investigate. Act.

Participants will be encouraged to work in multidisciplinary teams, guided by researchers of marine biology, ecology, engineering, knowledge transfer experts from Klaipeda University, industry partners from “Ignitis Renewables” and NiD4OCEAN project consortium. 

The challenge will be hosted at Marine Research Institute of Klaipeda University, and students from all faculties and disciplines and from the partnering institutions will be invited to participate. 

The scope of the concepts can include but it is not limited to: 

  • Design and modification of turbine foundations to minimize environmental impacts and support the functioning and resilience of local marine ecosystems.
  • Environmentally sensitive mooring systems, including anchor types and line materials, designed to reduce seabed disturbance throughout the operational life of wind farms.
  • Turbine materials and structural designs that reduce collision risks and behavioral disruption to seabirds.
  • Eco-friendly technologies for mitigating underwater noise pollution, particularly during construction and operation phases, to protect sensitive local marine fauna such as marine mammals and fish.
  • Floating artificial structures or islands that mitigate the ecological impact of invasive species (e.g., round gobies) on native communities such as blue mussels near offshore wind farms.
  • Integrated, multi-use approaches to offshore wind farm development that promote environmentally sustainable coexistence with other maritime sectors, such as aquaculture, fisheries, and conservation.

 

When: at the beginning of October 2025 (weeks 41-42) 

Where: Marine Research Institute of Klaipeda University 

 

The winning team (up to 4 members) will receive an experience award and an exclusive trip to WindEurope 2026 in Madrid, a major networking and showcase event attended by more than 12,000 organisations from across the entire wind energy value chain as well as wind associations, financial and research institutions, environmental organisations, and policy makers. Participants will also have the opportunity to continue developing their ideas, for example through credited courses (e.g. BYG314 for bachelor’s students at the University of Agder), subject to consultation with the coordinator of the challenge at the student’s home university.
Will the winners of the regional challenge compete with each other? No, there will be no competition among the regional challenge winners. Instead, all winning concepts are invited to apply and participate in the Open Challenge. Which institutions and expertise will be represented during the challenges and expert judging panel?

Experts supporting the regional challenges and serving on the judging panel will vary between regions. The expert judging panel will include members from the university leading the challenge, as well as representatives from the NiD4OCEAN consortium, comprising developers, contractors, and research institutes with expertise spanning marine ecology, structural engineering, offshore wind farm development, construction, and maintenance.