About this event
The Celtic Sea, spanning the waters between the south coast of Ireland and the west coast of Great Britain, continues to strengthen its position as one of Europe’s most promising regions for offshore wind development. With favourable wind resources, expanding seabed opportunities, and increasing government and industry alignment, the area is rapidly progressing toward large-scale deployment.
As the sector moves into 2026, momentum is building around floating offshore wind, with significant updates from Round 5 processes, maturing project pipelines, and new strategic investment commitments. Continued collaboration across developers, regulators, ports, and supply chain partners is helping to shape a clearer pathway to early commercial delivery and long-term regional growth. In October 2025 Equinor and Gywnt Glas (a JV between EDF & ESB) entered into agreements for lease for their respective floating wind farm projects, both of which will have a capacity of 1.5GW.
Join us in January 2026 for an in-depth look at what’s changed and what’s coming next as we:
• Unpack the latest milestones in floating offshore wind, including project updates, technical progress, and timelines for enabling infrastructure.
• Hear fresh insights from the Celtic Sea Industrial Cluster, including progress on skills, manufacturing capability, and plans for a resilient, globally competitive supply chain.
• Explore new market and partnership opportunities, from fabrication and assembly to vessel support and port redevelopment, and understand where your organisation can play a role.
With continued regulatory refinement, advances in floating platform technology, and strengthened regional collaboration, the Celtic Sea is evolving into a world-leading hub for clean energy innovation, unlocking investment, supporting thousands of future jobs, and contributing meaningfully to net-zero ambitions.
Be part of the conversation driving the next phase of offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.
Confirmed speakers:
Andy Reay, Head of Offshore Wind, Associated British Ports
Phil Johnston, Regional Business Development, Celtic Sea Power
David Keenlyside, Engineering Director, Cierco Energy
Ioannis Papadopoulos, Market Area Manager, Renewables UK&I, DNV
Neil Golding, Director Market Intelligence, EIC
Alex MacPhie, Interim Industrial Development Strategy Manager, Offshore Wind Growth Partnership
Fran McCord, Principal Project Manager, OWC
Leo Bertels, Senior Manager - Routemap Economic Development, The Crown Estate
Event Details:
Date: Thursday 22 January 2026
Time: 08:30am - 4:00pm
Venue: Park Plaza, Cardiff
Costs: EIC members £99.00 + VAT & Non-members £175.00 + VAT