How did you become involved in our Scientific & Technological Committee?
One of my colleagues at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory used to attend FOWT, the French conference on floating offshore wind. I suppose that’s where she met people from the France Energies Marines team, and they asked her if she would like to join the Institute’s Scientific and Technological Committee. As she was very busy, she asked me if I would like to join the Committee. At the time, I knew nothing at all about France Energies Marines. That’s how relationships are formed: you go to conferences, you meet people and you start working together.
Could you explain the role of this Committee?
The main role of this committee is really to guide France Energies Marines in its research to meet the sector’s needs. We examine the proposals submitted to us, offer advice and ask questions. This helps to improve the projects put forward to the Institute’s Board of Directors, which makes the final decision on the selected projects. Another key strength of this Committee is that it is made up of researchers from different backgrounds, laboratories and countries. This leads to very rich and stimulating discussions.
What did you particularly enjoy about being a member of this Committee?
What I appreciated most was the international mix of Committee members. There were people from Norway, Denmark, the UK and the US. There was a lot of discussion about the type of research everyone was doing and the experiences they were sharing. This enabled us to offer advice on the work that needed to be done and on what was not a priority or relevant. I think this sort of discussion is very interesting. Being a member of this Committee is very useful, not only for France Énergies Marines, but also for me and, more broadly, for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. For example, if the Institute is conducting research in a given field, we shouldn’t duplicate the work; we should collaborate or do something different. The aim is really to carry out work with high added value.