WEAMEC: research, training and innovation for MREs in the Pays de la Loire region

WEAMEC (WEst Atlantic Marine Energy Community) brings together the MRE eco-system in the Pays de la Loire region within the fields of research, innovation and training.


 

The WEAMEC brings together around thirty institutions and research laboratories (such as Centrale Nantes, Nantes University, “Jules Verne Research Institute”, EMC2 cluster…) and around sixty companies at the regional level. More than 60 companies at the French and international level collaborate with the academic and industrial stakeholders of WEAMEC.

The skills of these stakeholders, coupled with structuring testing facilities, has led to over 500 Regional, National and European projects for a portfolio of more than 100 M€ for the regional stakeholders over the [2015-2020] period. Amongst the academic partners more than 300 engineers and researchers are involved in research corresponding to 170 full-time equivalent positions.

WEAMEC was founded by Centrale Nantes and its main partners: the University of Nantes, the EMC2 cluster, and IRT Jules Verne. It also benefits from the support of the Pays de la Loire Region, the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), Nantes Métropole, and the CARENE (Saint-Nazaire and Estuary Regional Urban Community).

Following a process of extensive collective deliberations undertaken on the initiative of the Pays de la Loire Region with a view to structuring and boosting the MRE sector in the region, protecting its jobs and increasing its visibility, a joint strategy was defined by the stakeholders in research, training and innovation.

This led directly to the official launch of the WEst Atlantic Marine Energy Center on 19th May 2015 in Nantes on the sidelines of the National Conference of the Syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables (SER).

WEAMEC is also playing an active role in innovation and relies on three partners:  EMC2 (founding partner), PMBA and S2E2, whose respective expertise in innovative production methods, ocean engineering and electrical engineering combine perfectly to cover the entire value chain.

WEAMEC's partners take part in over 200 joint projects worth over €100 million euros.

Several call for projects operated by WEAMEC have made it possible to co-finance, since its launch, academic research projects involving regional laboratories.

WEAMEC registers and evaluates training related to this topic, but also participates in the development of new training courses on Marine Renewable Energies. The objective is to meet the growing needs for skills and the increase in job creation in this field.

The network around MRE training now represents:

• Training from operator- to engineer-level across all MRE fields
• 15 master and engineering courses covering all marine sciences
• Initial education for more than 300 students / year
• More than 20 executive education modules, developed and coordinated by Centrale Nantes and the University of Nantes:
• Learn more about MRE Executive Education