The second NiD4OCEAN University Challenge took place in Copenhagen from 30 September to 3 October 2025 as part of the city’s flagship student innovation event, OpenInnovation 2025. The challenge gathered more than 120 students from DTU – Technical University of Denmark, the University of Copenhagen, and Copenhagen Business School, joining forces to explore how offshore renewable energy can coexist with marine life.
Hosted by DTU Aqua, the NiD4OCEAN challenge invited participants to “Rethink the coexistence of floating offshore energy and nature.” Over four days, six interdisciplinary student teams combined expertise in engineering, business, and environmental science to develop creative, nature-inclusive concepts for offshore energy systems.
Guided by experts from DTU Aqua and supported by NiD4OCEAN partners, the teams proposed a range of innovative ideas, including anchors that remain in place after decommissioning to preserve seabed ecosystems, reuse of oil and gas infrastructure to reduce environmental disturbance, and structures that dampen underwater noise from floating energy platforms.
The winning team impressed the jury—comprising representatives from Equinor and DHI—with their concept for noise-dampening structures that minimize operational sound impacts on marine life. They will join peers from NiD4OCEAN’s other university challenges in Norway, Spain, and Lithuania to present their concept at WindEurope 2026 in Madrid.