Assessing the level of integration in the offshore wind industry value chain

The offshore wind industry (OWI) has experienced an explosive growth within the course of a decade and because of this rapid expansion, the industry has not had the opportunity to integrate well and be-come more efficient. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the integration level of the offshore wind industry value chain. The work relies on a review of international peer-reviewed journals. The empirical basis of the paper is based on interviews with key players in the industry. The scope of this study covers the wind turbine generator, foundations, subsea cables, offshore substation, installation vessels and the wind farm developer. The preliminary findings are that the different indus-trial sectors participating in the OWI are not aware of the maturity level of the sector. The fact that some developers are disintegrating the already integrated supply of some components highlights the importance of being aware of the industry’s maturity level to take appropriate decisions. On the other hand the strategic alliances taking part in various sectors of the OWI show that some of the players know that they have to join and share the expenses of much needed R&D for the benefit of the whole industry. This work is a first step to map the state of integration of the OWI. It is intended that the re-sults will help managers in the different industries to be aware of the challenges that need to be tackled in order to make the OWI more competitive and become more integrated in the future.