March 14, 2024 Floating offshore wind is the next chapter of the global renewable energy journey, and one Oceantic Network is eager to be at the forefront of. Just last month, we convened industry minds, government leaders, and key maritime stakeholders in Sacramento, California to address one of the key barriers to floating on the U.S. West Coast — a shortage of port space and capable vessels. We also launched our West Coast Supplier Council, an initiative aimed at bridging the gap between policy development and suppliers who have the industry expertise to help build a solid foundation for what’s to come. This new, ongoing initiative is just one piece of our organization’s larger strategy to identify, connect, and support companies contributing to floating offshore wind’s advancement on the West Coast. But building up an industry like floating offshore wind requires action from all sides. That’s why we’ve created the FloatON Summit, a new offering at the 2024 International Partnering Forum (IPF), taking place April 22-25 in New Orleans, Louisiana. At FloatON, we’re advancing the conversation from last month’s inaugural Floating OSW Port & Vessel Summit to include significant technological considerations, strategies for bringing new products to market, and thought-provoking approaches for scaling up the industry. Want to hear directly from West Coast developers? What’s New & Spinning will bring project updates and procurement insights to IPF on the Exhibit Floor Stage, April 23, 24, and 25. Oceantic Network has invited the best and brightest minds to this one-and-a-half day gathering to explain the market conditions, policy landscape, and financial and insurance mechanisms necessary to make floating offshore wind technology competitive and achieve commercialization in the United States. One of our first FloatON panels on Wednesday, April 24 gets directly at this goal with the support of companies with global experience in floating offshore wind. Speakers from Hitachi Energy, Kiewit Energy Group, and Cierco Energy will offer insights into how to accelerate the adoption of floating technologies in the U.S. The following day will offer an even closer look at the state of key floating technologies. Speakers in the Tech Talks session will give insight on existing challenges and new innovations in the realms of mooring and anchoring systems, array design, cables, and more. Earlier in the day, experts from Fugro, Aker Solutions, Equinor, and more will share innovative solutions to addressing mooring and anchoring challenges in seismically active areas like California, Oregon, and Hawaii, and advise project developers on how to guide decision-making given this geophysical factor. At last month’s Floating OSW Port & Vessel Summit, many discussions focused on the infrastructure — both physical and policy — needed to construct and maintain floating wind farms in the West. Panels explored the status of California Assembly Bill 525, the Port Readiness Plan, and recapped findings from the Oceantic study, “Building a Network of Offshore Wind Ports.” Keep an eye out for our upcoming analysis of the West Coast Supply Chain, which will leverage our Network databases examine existing industry capabilities in the region. We will continue this theme of next steps at FloatON, and push discussions to cover more aspects of floating offshore wind technology than ever before. On Thursday morning, Tim Fischer, Global Executive Director and Vice President of Wind Business at Ramboll, will share new ways to approach market design. As new solicitations draw nearer, this presentation will explore opportunities to balance sustainability metrics and social concerns with traditional financial measures. FloatON aims to be a forum for examining existing challenges through a fresh lens and considering the unseen potential in emerging technologies. Two Wednesday panels, “Stepping Stones to West Coast Commercialization” and “Preparing the Supply Chain: Leveraging Floating Solar as an Intermediate Phase,” seek to offer those new perspectives. Both are designed to be starting points for developing confidence in the supply chain. To close out the Summit, Oceantic Network, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will take the stage for a discussion on the American-Made Floating Offshore Wind Readiness (FLOWIN) Prize. Speakers will share takeaways from this first-of-its-kind prize from DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office, as well as learnings from the teams still actively competing to ready their floating platforms for cost-effective domestic manufacturing and commercial-scale deployment. Want to see what else is on the FloatON Agenda? Explore both days here, and check back regularly for speaker updates. Companies looking to break into the fast-evolving floating offshore wind space, as well as those already actively engaged, won’t want to miss the lineup of speakers and topics set to take the IPF main stage.
February 26, 2024 Maximizing Your Content Marketing Strategy is a comprehensive series on how Oceantic Network members can utilize our tools to produce content that will stand out. In the dynamic realm of content marketing, where the digital landscape is ever evolving, the ability to harness a diverse set of tools is essential to effectively conveying your brand, your company’s relevance, or your expertise. The Oceantic Network offers a variety of opportunities and resources you can leverage to enhance your content marketing efforts. Throughout this series, we’ll dive deeper into the multifaceted world of content creation and explore the ways Oceantic Network’s tools can elevate your digital visibility and engagement. The Significance of Content Marketing and Unlocking Its Potential: Content marketing has never been more important for a growing business! It’s recently emerged as a cornerstone for businesses aiming to thrive in this digital age. There are multiple platforms to choose from– whether its blog posts, social media updates, podcasts, or newsletters, compelling content serves as a powerful way for brands to differentiate themselves and connect with their target audience across the vast expanse of the internet. Moreover, the cost-effectiveness of content creation makes it an attractive strategy for businesses looking to maximize their impact without breaking the bank. In exploring the various avenues for content creation, it’s essential to consider the formats that resonate most with your target audience. Social media platforms, for instance, are great for visual content, provide an ideal space for initiating conversations, and fostering engagement. Moreover, blogs, emails, and website content are a space for conveying in-depth analyses, discussing the relevance of current events, and offering comprehensive event recaps. It’s important to identify where your audience prefers engaging with content and in what format they like to consume it. Tip 1: Utilizing Events for Engaging Content: Oceantic Network’s events are not just networking opportunities; they are goldmines for content creation. By actively participating in these events, either as an attendee or a speaker, you gain firsthand insights into the latest industry trends and innovations. Producing content from these events also shows that you’re involved in key conversations, and actively engaged with the industry. The key lies in transforming these experiences into captivating content that resonates with your audience. Social Media Posts: Social media platforms offer a dynamic space to engage your audience. It fosters real-time interactions and allows you to spark or contribute to conversations, which will position you or your brand as a thought leader. Share how the event contributes to a relevant article, resource or news Share engaging photos or videos from the event Write a post that shares your key takeaways, industry predictions, or favorite speaker quotes from the event Live tweet updates or live Instagram story updates If you were a speaker, summarize the content in your presentation If you exhibited, share photos of your booth Web Content: Extend the life of your event experiences by repurposing the information and content from the event into different kinds of web content. These are great for in-depth analyses, or summaries of the information you gained from the event. Topic-focused blogs Newsletter additions about insights, or event follow-up emails The Oceantic Network’s suite of resources empowers brands to amplify their message, fostering engagement and visibility in a crowded digital space. By strategically utilizing events and diversifying content formats, businesses can harness the power of content marketing to stand out. To start creating, be sure to check out our upcoming events!
February 20, 2024 Oceantic Network’s 2024 U.S. Offshore Wind Market Report shares breaking details on events, market trends, supply chain advancements, and policy changes, ensuring companies in the supply chain are informed of developments that impact their business. This report is available exclusively for Network members. Non-members can access the Executive Summary below. Interested in reading the full report? Learn how membership can benefit your business in 2024! The report details important developments that affected the U.S. offshore wind industry in 2023, including: The offshore wind capacity approved for construction by the federal government grew 800% –from 0.93 GW to 8.3 GW in 2023. Developers terminated 51% of power contracts in place prior to 2023 and are seeking financial support for another 24%. Despite setbacks, 2023 saw several key announcements of new manufacturing facilities, port infrastructure upgrades, and offshore wind vessels. States spent much of 2023 working to create interstate cooperation frameworks in order to stabilize regional markets, lower project costs, and increase economic benefits.
February 15, 2024 Mitigating Risk in the Supply Chain is Critical to Driving Offshore Wind Success: How Mogan International is Building its Business Pipeline As federal and state governments continue to open their shores to offshore wind in the U.S., the industry’s supply chain needs companies to help it grow and meet increasing renewable energy demands. It’s an opportunity that hasn’t gone unnoticed by international companies. And many, like Mogan International, are bringing their expertise to the U.S. market to help companies across the offshore wind industry succeed. Mogan International is a 100% U.S. entity whose sister company is GURIS Holdings, is a Turkey conglomerate involved in steel, general contracting, and renewable energy businesses. Mogan International, with the backing of GURIS Holdings, is seeking connections with suitable partners in the U.S. to provide strategic planning, organizational development, and financial investment to help build the U.S. renewable energy market and it’s supply chain. Mogan International realizes that any company entering a new market, starting a new business or even a growing an existing business must deal with many forms of corporate, management, economic and financial risk factors. The Virginia-based company does extensive research and networking to find the right opportunities where they can bring their financial backing, management consulting and project management experiences to partner with and help companies maintain effective operations, mitigate risk, and achieve their goals. We sat down with Kaan Yamanturk, Executive Board Member of Mogan International LLC to discuss how his company is building its U.S. offshore wind business and supporting supply chain businesses. Oceantic Network: What has your experience been as a new company in the offshore wind industry? Kaan Yamanturk: Our company is new and growing in the U.S. and as we evaluate businesses, we have found risk mitigation to be their most critical need. The most fundamental part of risk mitigation is making the right partnerships at the right time. It takes time to get to know people and their companies, build strong relationships and strengthen partnerships. Joining the Oceantic Network and attending IPF have been valuable resources for us to meet suitable partners in every aspect of the U.S. energy market and it’s supply chain. Oceantic: What has your IPF experience been like? Yamanturk: Last year was our first IPF and we focused on learning as much as we could. We were new to the marketplace and needed to understand the industry. We found IPF to be a great place to introduce Mogan International and make connections that could possibly lead to future investments. There was so much to learn. We listened, learned, and found areas where we think we can support this industry. We achieved our objectives for our first IPF and will be setting much more specific goals and objectives for this year’s event in New Orleans. Oceantic: What are your goals for this year’s IPF? Yamanturk: Offshore wind is a new investment type in the global energy market, and it is crucial we use the right approach and investment strategy. Our goal for IPF is to network with executives and search for companies that fit with our investment and management consulting strategy and offer a potential high return on investment. For us IPF is about making connections with the right people and gaining business knowledge that helps us make better investing decisions that ultimately build the offshore wind industry and its supply chain. Oceantic: How has the Oceantic Network helped your journey? Yamanturk: Using the Network’s resources data and expertise, we were able to build our knowledge and understanding of the U.S. market and global offshore wind businesses. We used this information to develop a strategic roadmap and target businesses where we could add the most value. Perhaps most important is that once we knew what we needed, the Network facilitated introductions that have benefited our business. Oceantic: What advice would you give other companies joining the industry? Yamanturk: Set a plan before attending the conference. At Mogan International, we researched attending companies and determined which ones we wanted to seek out during the conference. We reach out in advance and set up meetings. Another suggestion is to select sessions, workshops, or panels that focus on your target areas and where your target companies might be. Use content from those sessions to open doors to connect with the right people in both the private and public sectors. New to IPF? New to the Industry? This year at 2024 IPF, Oceantic Network is pleased to offer programming on Tuesday, April 23 for companies new to IPF and/or the offshore wind and ocean renewables industries. Join at 10:30 a.m. for the New to IPF: What You Need to Know session. From there, make sure you attend New to the Industry: Offshore Wind Insights and Networking, taking place from 1 to 4 p.m. View the full IPF agenda here. About Mogan International MOGAN INTERNATIONAL is a financial investor and management consultant company focused on construction, power, and renewable energy sectors. The company builds trust and collaboration with individuals and companies to drive affordable, sustainable, clean energy solutions around the world. It’s parent company MOGAN Energy Investment Holding, is Turkey’s leading renewable energy investor and along with its sister company GURIS, currently operates 766 MW of wind power throughout Türkiye and Europe with an additional 600 MW of wind power in the pipeline. The company is also engaged in thermal power plants, rail transportation systems, dams, pipelines, water treatment plants, ports, natural gas and other businesses.
February 6, 2024 Samantha Mullin: Opening Doors for Future Offshore Wind Champions Among all the parts needed to construct an offshore wind turbine, the most critical are the people doing the work to make the project a reality. From boardrooms to factory floors, ports, vessels, and research labs, each role is essential. And as global demand for offshore wind grows, so does the need for workers with a variety of skills. That’s why Samantha Mullin, Offshore Wind O&M Implementation Manager (USA) for RWE, says prioritizing the creation of roles and programs to help young talent fill offshore wind jobs is one of the most critical things we can be doing as an industry today. “Once you are in the industry, don’t be reluctant to reach backward and pull the next (and the next and the next!) individual along with you,” Mullin said in a recent conversation with Oceantic Network. “Be a champion and encourage and welcome others into the industry. Be a reason that folks choose to stay.” Mullin, who was also the winner of the Network’s 2023 Next Wave Leadership Ventus Award, actively mentors young professionals in the industry. She’s seen first-hand how efforts such as Oceantic’s Next Wave program can make a difference in the career trajectory of someone joining the renewable energy industry. Next Wave is designed to empower and shape the future U.S. offshore wind workforce by providing individuals from diverse backgrounds with tools they need to thrive in the offshore wind industry. Young professionals 35 years old and under receive access to professional development training, networking opportunities, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, leadership recognition, and scholarships. There will also be a series of Next Wave-focused content offered as part of the International Partnering Forum (IPF Week), taking place April 22-25 in New Orleans. Mullin sat down with Oceantic Network to talk more about how she got into the industry, what advice she has for young people, and the importance of mentorship. Oceantic Network: Describe the moment you knew this was the industry you wanted to be in. Samantha Mullin: I never thought I’d be in the renewable energy industry. I thought wind electricity was a wild idea at first and quickly realized during my undergraduate and graduate internships that this industry is rapidly developing, challenging, exciting, and one I wanted to join. I was fortunate to intern with a wind turbine OEM for three summers while completing my engineering degrees. Each summer I rotated through a different department and was exposed to a variety of design, construction, and servicing of onshore wind farms. It was during these experiences that I knew this was the area where I wanted to focus my career. My internship led to a full-time role on the ‘customer side’ working for a renewable energy operator in onshore wind and then more recently moved to the offshore wind team at RWE. After 5+ years the promise of industry challenges and excitement have not disappointed. Oceantic Network: What do you like best about working in this industry? Samantha Mullin: It truly is the people I get to work with every day at RWE and in the wider renewables industry. We celebrate success together and they offer the best support and motivation when challenges seem insurmountable. Next to the people, the scale of the solutions we provide, from the concepts to the machines and devices, is massive and something I enjoy, as any good problem-solving engineer would agree. Oceantic Network: Do you have a mentor? How did you find this person and what is the best piece of advice you have received so far? Samantha Mullin: I’ve been fortunate to have three different mentors at different stages in my career. Each of these mentor-mentee relationships was initiated by me because I admired something specific about each and wanted to learn how they had accomplished so much. I reached out to them directly and each agreed to help. Don’t be afraid to ask. People like to help others, especially young people. My first mentor had a global network and valuable connections across my new company, RWE. My second was a woman working as a wind farm General Manager in the highly male-dominated operations department that I was hoping to join. My third mentor balanced an international assignment, relocation, and recruitment into a Senior VP role at a new company all while raising small children. One piece of advice from a mentor that has stuck with me is to intentionally block time on your calendar to reach back to your old mentors and contacts to reconnect and update them, especially if they’ve had a hand in your success. Oceantic Network: What value have you gained from being part of the offshore wind community, specifically Oceantic Network and IPF? Samantha Mullin: Oceantic Network makes a small industry an even closer-knit community. In my two years as a member, I have enjoyed engaging in working groups and connecting at conferences like IPF and the O&M and Safety Summit and other forums with potential partners, suppliers, and future colleagues. Having the umbrella of Oceantic Network also allows for the industry to celebrate collective successes and collaborate on larger challenges facing our nascent industry. It is encouraging for companies to run side by side with a common goal and purpose, and the Oceantic Network presents a great forum to find those people and businesses. Oceantic Network: What did being named a Ventus Award winner mean to you personally? Samantha Mullin: I’m incredibly grateful to have been nominated by my peers and colleagues at RWE and to be selected to receive the 2023 Ventus Next Wave Leadership Award. I believe it is going to take a lot of hard work, dedication, and commitment from so many to make offshore wind happen. That includes college graduates that might not yet know what they want to do in their career, women who want a role in Offshore Operations & Maintenance, and the transitioning workforce coming from traditional energy generation. I truly believe “to be it, you have to see it” and be supported by great people to find your place and purpose. I am humbled to be recognized for what I see as simply passing on strong guidance and mentorship that I was fortunate to receive throughout my career so far. Oceantic Network: What advice would you give to others joining the offshore wind industry? Samantha Mullin: If you want to be in this industry don’t give up. Reach out to people, ask for support and get involved in the community. Join the Next Wave program or something similar that provides tools, resources, and opportunities to join this fast paced, growing industry. About Samantha Mullin: Samantha Mullin is an Operations & Maintenance Design and Implementation lead within RWE’s Offshore Operations group. She supports the development of US-based projects and is based in Boston. Through her role at RWE, she has earned the title of Next Wave Leader by directing projects across many axes of the offshore wind industry and dedicating herself to educating young individuals on offshore wind. She has forged relationships with local suppliers and logistics professionals and continues to drive the developing workforce in support of the energy transition. She is a key driver for understanding how best to support education, training, safety and technical certification for both high school graduates and seasoned technicians from other industries to join the Offshore workforce. Internally, Samantha mentors and develops incoming graduates to RWE through the Graduate rotation program. She works closely with recent graduates to help them understand offshore wind more broadly and the importance of operations and maintenance within the industry. Samantha is part of groups like Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE), the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and she often volunteers in her local community. Samantha has demonstrated her leadership capabilities by bringing multi-functional teams together across several initiatives to help position offshore wind for success over the next decade.
January 31, 2024The LinkedIn Cold Call: How one young professional used social media to get her dream job in offshore wind Turbine Climb June 2022 Holly Rubloff is an expert at “the LinkedIn cold call.” It’s a strategy she used to score a spot in Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas’ Graduate Programme, which has allowed the New York native to travel the world learning about and helping advance renewable energy efforts. This fall, upon completing the program, she was offered her dream job and moved to Copenhagen to work in corporate strategy for the wind energy company — another success story for Vestas’ talent development program that has taught over 380 graduates since 2006. In the case of Rubloff and many others, Vestas’ program provided the right tools, experiences, and education at the right time to capitalize on a talented young professional’s passion for sustainability. After completing a master’s degree in management, Rubloff started her job search with one thought in her mind –– “Maybe I’ll work in renewable energy?” With her long-held interest in foreign affairs, business and the environment, it felt like the right fit. But without a concrete path into the industry, Rubloff brought her career search to LinkedIn, a platform she says is one of several viable online pathways for recruiting more young people into the burgeoning industry. She first began using LinkedIn to contact employees at Vestas to learn about its workplace culture and Graduate Programme with the hope they would pass along her resume to HR. Ultimately, Rubloff’s LinkedIn cold call proved to be an effective way to get her foot in the door. Holly Rubloff “The first one I wrote, I spent hours typing the perfect message. You only have 300 characters [on LinkedIn],” she said. “I wanted to make sure I was concise and got the point across in a way that led to a response from the individual.” Rubloff was successful. She found that most people were willing to offer feedback or career advice when asked about their experiences, especially in the world of renewables where so many have dedicated themselves to clean energy transition and preservation of our climate. Vestas has also long viewed social media as a tool for reaching talented, prospective employees, especially younger generations now entering the workforce. LinkedIn and other platforms, including Instagram, offer a way to showcase the importance of renewable energy, put visuals to the impressive scale and impact of an industry like offshore wind, and share internal success stories such as Rubloff’s. The company plans to continue using these platforms, as well as the Graduate Programme, as part of its broader talent strategy. The program puts a strong focus on both personal and professional development and gives participants the opportunity to work in two different locations during their tenure. As they move through the program, projects increase in complexity and provide real-life experience and training designed to help them take on future responsibilities and leadership roles. Graduate Programme Cohort May 2023 In the two years Rubloff spent in the program, she traveled to and worked in cities around the globe, took on new projects and responsibilities, made friends with the diverse group of 18 program graduates, and even got to climb to the top of a turbine. In her free time, she now serves as a career development consultant for young professionals. She also supports friends and peers with their online career searches and even created a LinkedIn cold call message template she shares with others. “I advocate for LinkedIn so much whenever I am speaking to peers and other young professionals,” Rubloff said. “It is such a powerful tool, especially when the job market is competitive. It really helps you gain an idea of the company, the roles, and the people who work there and help get that foot in the door.” Read more about the Vestas Graduate Programme here. Want to know how Oceantic Network is supporting the next generation of renewable energy professionals? Click here to learn about our New Wave program, a dynamic series of initiatives designed to empower and shape the future of the U.S. offshore wind and ocean renewables workforce. Next Wave includes in-person career development and networking opportunities, an internship program and scholarship, content at 2024 IPF, and new this year, a virtual job fair.
