A growing partnership of UK and Norwegian universities is advancing research and industry collaboration focused on the North Sea’s energy transition.
The North Sea Universities Partnership (NSUP), founded in 2023 by the University of Leeds and several partner institutions, held its first conference in Brussels. Delegates from academia, industry, and policy explored how the region can shift from a traditional oil and gas basin to a mixed low-carbon hub incorporating offshore wind, carbon storage, and other marine activities. Sessions examined the practical challenges of marine spatial planning, the environmental pressures of expanding offshore infrastructure, and the need to balance commercial activity with biodiversity and coastal community priorities.
Research presented by Leeds academics outlined current gaps in regulation and circular-economy practices within the wind sector. The work was framed by the principle that “Working with partner organisations is really important for real world context and learnings,” a view attributed to Dr Sai Ma from the School of Earth and Environment. This perspective underscored the need for joined-up governance and shared industry–academic insight as wind deployment accelerates.
The partnership used the event to identify future collaborative projects suitable for funding bids and submitted a statement to the European Commission urging support for multidisciplinary research across the North Sea region. NSUP also unveiled a new visual identity to support its work.
Alongside the conference, the University of Leeds and the University of Bergen formalised a bilateral agreement to deepen cooperation in research, knowledge exchange and education, reinforcing their joint role in driving the partnership’s long-term development.
