How did the France Energies Marines Institute come into being?
France Energies Marines is the result of a very long process
of dialogue and consultation involving an incredibly diverse range of stakeholders: research institutes, energy operators, manufacturers, local authorities, equipment suppliers… In short, the entire spectrum of what might be called an integrated sector, spanning everything from fundamental research to operational implementation.
How did you go from the idea to making it a reality?
At the time, we were witnessing an extremely rapid rise in the installation of offshore wind turbines, particularly in the United Kingdom. Against this backdrop, France appeared to offer enormous potential, yet was also lagging far behind in many respects. All stakeholders in the maritime sector therefore came together around the idea of collectively creating a framework to support the development of the sector in France. On 15 March 2012, the Institute was born!
And then?
Establishing an organisation with the resources to effectively coordinate a rapidly developing sector was by no means a foregone conclusion: the project leaders’ strong ambition was met with scepticism and institutional inertia. But thanks to unwavering determination, the Institute has demonstrated its ability to foster synergy among stakeholders and has thus gained genuine legitimacy to support the sector. The direction we envisaged at the outset has changed, but the result is exactly what we had hoped for. We can be proud of this!