Offshore wind energy has gone through tremendous developments in recent years. Innovation was a key driver for its success. If offshore wind wants to make a lasting contribution to the energy transition, the sector must continue to innovate. David de Jager of GROW - a consortium with a joint research program in offshore wind - gives you in this podcast series an impression of the key research and innovations that will shape the future of offshore wind.
From welding to wrapping: rethinking the offshore joint
The sound of welding hums steadily in the background at Smulders-HSM yard in Schiedam. Amid the sound of people working with steel, something profoundly different is being tested. Tim Kapteijn (Tree Composites) and Angeliki Christoforidou (TU Delft) discuss composite joints as a superior alternative to traditional welding of complex joints.
Back in 2021, in a previous episode called ‘It’s like connecting steel tubes with duct tape’, GROW-to-GO already provided insight into testing the composite joint technology. At that stage, the WrapNode project was executing several lab tests on joints. This time, David de Jager visits the site where WrapNode II is performing medium-scale tests on a section of a jacket structure.
Listen to the podcast and read our web magazine now at https://grow-to-go.nl/entries/202607-wrapnode2 (https://grow-to-go.nl/entries/202607-wrapnode2)
Or do you want to start with the previous edition go to https://grow-to-go.nl/entries/202111-wrapnode (https://grow-to-go.nl/entries/202111-wrapnode)
18 May 2026
23. Learning to Fly
The moment the rotors begin to spin, you can feel it: the promise of doing things differently.
In this new edition of GROW‑to‑GO, host David de Jager visits the Pilot-CD-project at Drone Port Reusel to explore how innovation is quite literally taking flight. Joined by Thijs van ’t Geloof and Wouter Kloppenburg from Ampelmann, the conversation zooms in on a deceptively simple idea with powerful implications: using a heavy‑lift cargo drone to deliver maintenance materials exactly where and when they’re needed.
Why does this matter? Because offshore wind maintenance isn’t only about fixing equipment, it’s about time, logistics, and efficiency long before the work even begins. Transporting tools and materials offshore is often slow, complex, and costly. Ampelmann’s drone solution challenges that reality by delivering faster, more safely, and with greater flexibility.
Have a look at our web magazine at https://grow-to-go.nl/entries/202605-pilot-cd (https://grow-to-go.nl/entries/202605-pilot-cd)
20 Mar 2026
22. Power to the Future
Reimagining the offshore energy system
Offshore wind delivers large volumes of renewable electricity, but the system behind it must be able to cope with mismatches between supply and demand. FlexH2 addresses this challenge head-on. Guus Pemen, Dongsheng Yang of TU Eindhoven and Yin Sun of both Shell and TU Eindhoven explain the core difficulty and introduce you to the FlexH2 demonstrator, a big step towards sustainable energy systems that are more flexible, efficient, and integrated.
Have a look at our web magazine at https://grow-to-go.nl/202603-flexh2 (https://grow-to-go.nl/202603-flexh2)
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