New partnership for sensor innovation

The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and the Innovation Centre for Sensor & Imaging Systems (CENSIS), are collaborating to support innovation and development of new sensor technologies.

By partnering together to develop new technologies and provide independent performance verification as technologies enter the market, the partnership aims to fast track novel sensor technologies in the energy sector marketplace.

Jennifer Norris, research director, EMEC, said: “The better the sensors and other data gathering methods are, the better we can understand how the pioneering wave and tidal energy machines testing at EMEC interact with their environment."

The support offered by CENSIS can help sensor technologies progress to TRL 6/7, readying them for independent Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) delivered by EMEC.

Independent ETV can be used as evidence that the claims made about an innovation are credible and scientifically sound. This reduces the technological risk for potential investors, helping new technologies increase their market share and differentiate from their competitors.

The pilot EU-ETV scheme is applicable to innovative technologies in the energy industry, water treatment and monitoring technologies, and materials, waste and resources technologies, providing they have environmental added-value.

EMEC is currently running a competition which will provide a free ETV to an innovative technology developer. The deadline for submitting applications is 5 June 2015. More information from the EMEC