A £50m national centre focusing on technologies for offshore wind been has announced by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult will be headquartered at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, with a second centre at the National Renewable Energy Centre in the North East of England.

At the launch in Glasgow, Vince Cable said “Our offshore renewable sector can compete on a global scale and has a huge potential for growth.

“If we can harness that we will generate billions of pounds for the economy whilst creating thousands of job opportunities at the same time.”

The centre will join a growing network of ‘catapult centres’ across the UK, which are supported by the Technology Strategy Board, and aim to create a critical mass for business and research innovation in specific technologies where there is potentially a large global market.

Environmental group WWF Scottish director Dr Richard Dixon said it is "vital that we begin to fully tap into the massive renewable energy potential lying out at sea and along our coastline" in order to reduce carbon emissions. 

"Given the huge renewable energy potential around our coast, and the strong skills in offshore engineering, offshore renewables offers a fantastic opportunity for this country to create jobs and build a zero-carbon economy." 

http://www.bis.gov.uk/news/topstories/2012/Feb/vince-cable-targets-green-growth