ICOE/OEE 2026: From Reducing Uncertainty to Real-World Deployment
Every ocean energy developer faces the same challenge: deciding where limited time, funding and engineering effort will have the greatest impact.
At its core, technology development is a process of reducing uncertainty and generating the evidence needed to make better decisions. Every design decision, analysis activity, test programme and prototype deployment is intended to answer critical questions, improve confidence and move technologies closer to commercial reality.
This theme sits at the heart of Blackfish Engineering's contribution to ICOE/OEE 2026, where Blackfish returns as a Bronze Sponsor and will be represented throughout the event by Managing Director Jon Powell, Operations Director Tim Warren, DOE ORISE Fellow Dr Jeremy Simmons, Mechanical Design Engineer Angel Velilla Cabalin and Business Development & Marketing Associate Elaine Sherriffs.
As offshore renewable energy technologies continue to mature, the conversation is shifting.
The question is no longer simply:
"Can this technology work?"
Increasingly, technology developers, investors, research organisations and project partners are asking:
Which activities will provide the greatest reduction in uncertainty, the strongest technical evidence, and the clearest path towards deployment?
The presentations delivered by Blackfish speakers at ICOE/OEE 2026 explore these questions from different perspectives, examining how organisations make development decisions, validate engineering assumptions and apply lessons learned in real-world projects.
Understanding the Decisions Behind Technology Development
Every innovative technology follows a development pathway shaped by hundreds of decisions.
Funding must be allocated. Engineering resources must be prioritised. Testing programmes must be planned. Development risks must be managed.
For emerging technology developers, these decisions can determine the speed, cost and ultimately the success of a project.
At ICOE/OEE 2026, Dr Jeremy Simmons will present "Building the Business Case: Cost Reduction Pathways", sharing insights from ongoing research into how offshore renewable energy developers allocate resources throughout the technology development process.
The research explores how organisations decide where to invest development funding, what uncertainties those investments are intended to reduce and how different development pathways influence long-term technology progression.
The work addresses a challenge familiar across the sector.
Every development activity carries a cost, making it increasingly important to understand which investments genuinely reduce uncertainty and support the next critical decision.
How do you identify the activities that genuinely reduce uncertainty and accelerate development?
Understanding which engineering activities, tests and design iterations deliver the greatest value can help organisations make better-informed decisions and maximise the impact of limited development resources.
Bridging the Gap Between Simulation and Reality
Modern engineering is built on analysis, modelling and simulation.
These capabilities allow developers to evaluate concepts, predict performance and reduce technical risk long before hardware reaches the water. Yet offshore environments remain complex, and even the most advanced simulations can never perfectly replicate real-world conditions.
At ICOE/OEE 2026, Tim Warren's presentation, "The Right Testing Methodology for Your Technology", will examine the relationship between simulation, testing and validation, focusing on the gap that often exists between predicted and observed offshore performance.
Engineering analysis remains a vital development tool. However, successful projects recognise that analysis must ultimately be validated through evidence gathered from testing and operational experience.
Testing programmes therefore do more than verify performance. They help developers challenge assumptions, refine models, improve confidence in engineering decisions and better understand risk.
This combination of analytical expertise and practical experience is central to Blackfish's approach. Our teams support clients through advanced engineering analysis while drawing on lessons learned from real-world testing, deployment and operational projects. That experience helps bridge the gap between theoretical performance and practical reality.
From Concept Design to Deployment
The transition from concept design to operational deployment is often where the most valuable engineering lessons emerge.
Drawings become hardware.
Assumptions meet operational reality.
Engineering decisions are tested against manufacturing constraints, assembly requirements, commissioning activities and offshore installation challenges.
Tim Warren's second presentation, "Innovative Technologies: From Design to Prototype", explores lessons learned while supporting technology developers through these critical stages.
Drawing on experience gained through programmes such as Mocean Energy's Blue X, the session highlights how development teams can apply practical engineering knowledge to improve future projects and avoid common pitfalls.
For organisations working towards demonstration and commercial deployment, these lessons can prove just as valuable as technical calculations and design analysis.
Supporting Better Engineering Decisions
Although the three presentations approach technology development from different angles, they share a common theme.
Successful innovation depends on reducing uncertainty, validating assumptions with evidence and applying practical engineering knowledge throughout the development process.
Whether the challenge is prioritising development funding, validating analytical models through testing or overcoming the practical realities of deployment, the objective remains the same: making better-informed engineering decisions that move technologies forward with confidence.
These are the conversations Blackfish looks forward to contributing to throughout ICOE/OEE 2026.
Meet the Blackfish Team at ICOE/OEE 2026
The Blackfish team will be attending throughout the conference and exhibition.
Whether you're developing a new technology, delivering a research project, planning a demonstration programme or exploring future collaboration opportunities, we'd be delighted to continue the conversation.
Visit Blackfish at Stand 40.
We look forward to meeting colleagues, partners and innovators from across the global ocean energy community in The Hague and discussing the engineering challenges, development pathways and practical solutions shaping the future of offshore renewable energy.
ICOE/OEE 2026
📍 The Hague, Netherlands📅 5-7 October 2026
Tim Warren
The Right Testing Methodology for Your Technology
Innovative Technologies: From Design to Prototype
Dr Jeremy Simmons
Building the Business Case: Cost Reduction Pathways
Visit the Blackfish team at Stand 40.
Want to discuss technology development, testing strategies or commercial deployment pathways? We'd be happy to connect during the event.
Comments