Irish SME, TechWorks Marine, has won a European Space Agency funded contract to the value of €670,000. The project, which was secured with the help of Enterprise Ireland, the co-ordinating body for ESA in Ireland, aims to expand the uptake of Earth Observation data products in the renewable energy sector. This is the second significant European Space Agency project that has been awarded to TechWorks Marine in the last six months.
Earth Observation is the use of images (both optical and also radar based) of the earth and sea surface taken by satellites orbiting the earth in space. In this case, TechWorks Marine and its partners will be looking at expanding the use of such information in the renewables sector globally.
In the case of TechWorks Marine, the focus is on the wave and tidal energy sector where the company is already commercially active in a number of geographic markets. This project will enable the company to recruit a number of highly skilled staff, and expand its product and service offering to a wider range of users at a global scale.
Charlotte O’Kelly, managing director of TechWorks Marine, comments: “We have been working in the field of operational oceanography for the last decade. Over the last four years we have developed closer links with ESA which have resulted in this contract. Our specific expertise in this renewable sector has been key to being awarded the contract and we plan to use the services developed as part of this funding to expand our current sales opportunities and generate new jobs for staff here in Dublin.”