The International Network on Offshore Renewable Energy (INORE) is an organization for early-stage and early- career researchers and professionals with the purpose of promoting collaboration and communication in the offshore renewable energy sector. INORE achieves this mission by offering events and workshops at offshore renewable energy conferences, providing research collaboration grants to its members, and by offering two annual symposia, one in Europe and one in North America. This year, INORE’s North American Symposium will be held in Portland, Oregon from May 18-22, 2017.

 

Figure 1: A group of early-stage researchers tackling a collaborative task during INORE’s Annual European Symposium in Pembroke, Wales, 2013.

The INORE Symposia are INORE’s flagship event which gathers 40-60 early-stage and early career researchers and professionals for 4-7 days of workshops, speaking events, poster sessions and collaborative working tasks.  These intimate and informal gathering promotes future international collaboration from which we’ve seen several projects arise.

This year’s North American Symposium will include a stakeholder engagement workshop by Oregon Sea Grant and a technical software workshop by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Our agenda also includes technical and recreational site visits to Bonneville Lock and Dam, Bridge of the Gods and Eagle Creek.

The first day of the symposium will include an industry panel, the stakeholder engagement workshop, as well as a poster session by our participants, who are coming from as far as Chile and Myanmar and South Africa. The individuals attending focus on topics relating to technical, environmental, and social aspects of offshore renewable energy technologies. This year, we are making this first day of events open to those outside of INORE. If you are interested in attending events on this first day, please email [email protected].

Figure 2: INOREans listen to presentations on a variety of aspects of the offshore renewable energy industry at the 2016 North American Symposium in Orono, Maine, U.S.

 

Promoting exchange amongst early-career researchers and industry professionals from across disciplines and backgrounds not only encourages collaboration, but accelerates the spread of innovative ideas. It also improves technical proficiency of and provides a support structure for INORE members domestically and beyond. If you would like to become a member of INORE, please visit our membership page.

 

INORE is able to run all of its activities due to the generous sponsorship of industry, university, trade associations and government funding from around the globe.   If you are interested in sponsoring a symposia, or other event, please email our Sponsorship Coordinator, Mojtaba Kamarlouei at [email protected].