Offshore wind coworking space opens in Norfolk

The growing offshore wind industry in Hampton Roads caught another gust Wednesday with the opening of a coworking and networking space in Norfolk’s World Trade Center.

The hub, called the Virginia Offshore Wind Landing — or the Landing, for short — is a joint venture of Old Dominion University’s OpenSeas Technology Innovation Hub, the Hampton Roads Alliance and the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy, the groups announced this week.

The goal is to develop a cluster of offshore wind companies and foster the growth of Hampton Roads and Virginia as an innovation and supply chain hub for offshore wind industry, according to the announcement.

ODU has been increasing efforts as a catalyst for such growth. Nancy Grden, who serves as the university’s point person on the issue, was named executive director of the Hampton Roads Maritime Collaborative for Growth & Innovation in September.

ODU’s OpenSeas hub works with people and businesses seeking innovative solutions to problems in the maritime and coastal arenas, it says.

The president and CEO of the Hampton Road Alliance, Doug Smith, cited Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project and Avangrid Renewables’ Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind projects as examples of growth.

“The commonwealth is also a natural fit to become a supply chain hub for the offshore wind industry with our best-in-class port infrastructure, a centrally located and capable workforce and a supportive business and regulatory climate,” Smith said in a statement.

Founding members of the Landing include Atlantic Wind Transfers, Avangrid Renewables, AZCO, Burns & McDonnell, Crowley, Dominion Energy Inc., Nexans and Seaway 7.