MARINET (Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network) is an EC-funded marine renewable energy infrastructure initiative which seeks to accelerate the development and commercial deployment of marine renewable energy technologies – wave, tidal & offshore-wind – by streamlining the testing process. World-class research centres and organisations have come together in a network to offer periods of free-of-charge access to their world-class testing facilities and to develop a joint approach to testing standards, testing research and industry training & networking.
The €11m initiative, majority-funded with €9m through the EC's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), runs for four years until 2015. The network of 29 partners, with 42 specialist marine research facilities covering all scales from laboratory to sea, is spread across 11 EU countries and 1 International Cooperation Partner Country (Brazil).
This paper outlines what MARINET is, who the partners are, why the initiative is necessary, what it has to offer, what it has done to date, and who can benefit now and in the future.