Offshore Wind Connections (OWC2026) 29-30 April, Hull. Where great speakers meet great audiences!

Tickets are still available to hear from the best in the industry but please be reminded that tickets must be booked in advance for the conference to allow us to manage numbers. 

The full conference agenda is as below, with registration & exhibition opening at 4.00 PM on Wednesday 29 April with the Lexington rooftop bar open for BBQ food and networking drinks from 5.00 PM.

Conference theme:
“Offshore Wind and Beyond: New Markets, New Funding, New Partnerships”

29 APRIL 
4.00 PM Registration and Exhibition opens
5.00 PM Networking drinks reception and BBQ food at the Lexington rooftop bar

Welcome speeches from:
Dave Laister, Humber Marine & Renewables
Sheena McGuinness, Partner, RSM UK

30 APRIL
Full-day conference 
8.00 AM Registration and networking
9.00 AM Welcome to OWC2026 - Camilla Carlbom Flinn, Humber Marine & Renewables

MORNING THEME:
National Context, Policy Direction & Regional Opportunity; ‘Offshore wind at scale: where the market is going, and what buyers will expect next’  to establish national offshore wind direction, for a clear Humber opportunity.

9:10 AM
UK OFFSHORE WIND OVERVIEW - NATIONAL PIPELINE & MARKET DIRECTION
This session will give an overview of the UK state of offshore wind with ambitions to grow the sector by the UK Government and policy to support this.  It will also explore ways in which the Humber can benefit from the sector expansion with the Humber Offshore Wind Cluster.

Introduced by host, Dave Laister

Speakers:
Rob Gilbert, Director, GB Energy [or opening keynote
Emma Toulson, Head of Stakeholder Relations, Ørsted
Duncan Ayling, Senior Supply Chain & Regions Manager, The Crown Estate
Sheena McGuinness, Partner, Co-head of Energy & Natural Resources, RSM 
Ajai Ahluwalia, Head of Supply Chain, RenewableUK

Short video - Offshore Helicopter Services 

10:10 AM
FROM NATIONAL HEADLINES TO THE HUMBER OPPORTUNITY
Key discussion areas include competing with Norway and the Netherlands, East coast port collaboration. Turning national ambition into regional delivery.

Chaired by Dave Laister, Humber Marine & Renewables
Speakers:
Duncan Ayling, Senior Supply Chain & Regions Manager, The Crown Estate
Graham Wright, Senior Supply Chain Development Lead, DBS Offshore Wind
Sheena McGuinness, Partner, Co-head of Energy & Natural Resources, RSM 
Rob Gilbert, Director, GB Energy

11.00 AM  BREAK - Refreshments available

11:20 AM
Keynote speech: Tor Arne Johnsen, Business Development Manager, Norwegian Wind Cluster

11:30 AM
PORTS, INFRASTRUCTURE & PLACE-BASED DELIVERY
This session will focus mainly on infrastructure and the developments which are occurring or may be in the future to support the expansion of the offshore wind industry in the Humber.

Chaired by Ian Leech, editor, Insider

Speakers:
Andy Reay, Head of Offshore Wind, Associated British Ports 
Finbarr Dowling, Chair, Humber Freeport
Ben George, Consultant to Renewable Energy and Defence, Grimsby Ice Factory
Dr Sarah Shaw, Director, University of Hull

12:10 LUNCH

AFTERNOON THEME:
Resilience, Security, Innovation & Practical Enablement. ‘Why Security, Resilience, Innovation & Digitisation Now Matter to the Offshore Wind supply chain’

1:10 PM
Innovation, security, digitisation and resilience as enablers of offshore wind.
Focus on operational readiness, resilience and how businesses act on the opportunity.
Chaired by Ian Leech, editor, Insider

Speakers:
Daniel Weil, Managing Director, TICQ
Prof Jim Gilbert, Director, Aura & Energy Institute, University of Hull
Katharine York, Head of Sustainable O&M, Catapult
Didde Bjerglund-Martin, Head of JOSCAR, Hellios Information

2:00 PM
Practical Funding & SME Evidence Session. ‘Funding the Transition: How SMEs Are Using Innovation, Security & Resilience Support’ 
Part 1 – Short Funding Scene-Setters, 3–4 funding bodies
Chaired by Ian Leech, editor, Insider
Speakers:
Patrick Bastiaanse, Commercial Manager, Subsea Cables
Dr Chris Minto, Co-Founder, Indeximate
Joshua McMullan, Senior Policy Advisor, Department for Transport (SHORE)
Laurie McIntosh, Strategy Analyst, OWGP
Katharine York, Head of Sustainable O&M, Catapult

3:00 BREAK - Refreshments available

3:25 PM

Converting opportunity into offshore wind delivery
Panel representation includes innovation and security speakers, funding bodies and offshore wind SME voices. Our panel will discuss market maturity, new opportunity areas, aligning funding to real supply chain needs and practical actions for Humber companies.

Chaired by Dave Laister

Speakers:
Ajai Ahluwalia, Head of Supply Chain, RenewableUK
Daniel Weil, Managing Director, TICQ
Alex MacPhie, Industrial Development Strategy Manager, OWGP
Dr Chris Minto, Co-Founder, Indeximate
Matt Mears, Senior Procurement Manager, RWE

4:15 PM  Closing remarks, Dave Laister

4:30 PM  Conference close

6:30 PM Humber Renewables Awards dinner commences!   

RWE and Orsted are Keynote Sponsors. ABP, Ice Factory Grimsby, DBS Offshore and Offshore Helicopter Services are Support sponsors and Hull City Council, Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP, Pentagon Marine, and Torque Solutions and RSM are once again the drinks sponsor.

Please join us at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Hull for another outstanding year in the world of offshore wind at OWC2026! 

Following on from OWC2026, the Humber Renewables Awards and Dinner will take place on the evening of 30 April. Full details of the event are on the https://www.humber-renewables.com/