Haugesund, Norway / Tokyo, Japan – 27th May 2026
FLOWRA and NOW partner to advance development of floating offshore wind systems

 

 

Photo caption from left to right in the front row:
Mr. Mototsugu IKARI (General Manager – International Alliance, FLOWRA)
Mr. Arvid Nesse (Chief Executive Officer, NOW)

 

Photo caption from left to right in the second row:
Mr. Gunnar Birkeland (Head of the Working Group for Japan, NOW)
Mr. Fumiaki EBIHARA (Special Advisor to METI and Director General of Representative Office in Europe of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization)
Ms. Marte Eide Klovning (The Mayor of Utsira)
Mr. Nils Konrad Bua (The Mayor of Haugesund)
Ms. Cecilia Girard-Vika (Director of METCentre)
Mr. Ivar Slengesol (Chair of the Steering Committee for NOW)

 
The Floating Offshore Wind Technology Research Association (FLOWRA) and Norwegian Offshore Wind (NOW) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on Research & Development as well as value chain encouragement of floating offshore wind systems.
The MOU was signed by the Chairperson of the board at FLOWRA, Mr. Masakatsu TERAZAKI and Chief Executive Officer of NOW, Mr. Arvid Nesse, and presented on 27th May 2026 at the Floating Wind Days 2026 held in Haugesund, Norway. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Mr. Ebihara, Special Advisor to METI and Director General of Representative Office in Europe of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Ms. Marte Eide Klovning, The Mayor of Utsira, Mr. Nils Konrad Bua, The Mayor of Haugesund, Mr. Ivar Slengesol, Chair of the Steering Committee for NOW, Mr. Gunnar Birkeland, Head of the Working Group for Japan – NOW, and Ms. Cecilia Girard-Vika, Director of METCentre.
The MOU seeks to foster bilateral collaboration between the Norwegian industry and Japanese industry through NOW and FLOWRA, supported by Innovation Norway which has already been a partner with FLOWRA. This will include managing offshore demonstration facility and encouragement of correlated value chain which maximizes the effectiveness and meaning of the floating offshore wind development.
 
Comments by Masakatsu Terazaki, Chairperson of FLOWRA Board of Directors, said:
 
“We are delighted to be partnering with Norwegian Offshore Wind (NOW), an industry cluster focused on floating offshore wind and the operator of METCentre, one of the world’s most recognised offshore demonstration sites for floating offshore wind.
The importance of offshore demonstration facilities for floating offshore wind, a sector with significant growth potential, is clear. Equally, supply chain development is a critical enabler for the growth of the floating offshore wind industry. In this context, we consider this collaboration to be a highly meaningful step towards further advancing the technology development and wider deployment of floating offshore wind. By combining the efforts and expertise of NOW and FLOWRA, we trust that we can accelerate the development of fundamental technologies for floating offshore wind, as well as the establishment of validation and assessment methodologies. Furthermore, by supporting the formation of the supply chain, we aim to contribute to the expansion of the floating offshore wind market and, ultimately, to the realization of a sustainable society. “
 
Mr. Arvid Nesse, Chief Executive Officer of NOW, said:
 
“This MOU formalizes a relationship that Norwegian Offshore Wind and FLOWRA have already been building over the past years through mutual visits, dialogue and shared industry engagement. Norway and Japan have many similarities as offshore wind nations — in both countries, the greatest long-term potential lies in deep waters and floating offshore wind. To succeed, international collaboration is essential. Offshore wind is a truly global industry, and by working across borders we can combine competence, industrial capacity and innovation to develop strong value chains capable of delivering on our shared ambitions.”
 
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FLOWRA is a technical research association that works with overseas organisations to research and develop common basic technologies for floating offshore wind to reduce costs and risks.
NOW is an industry cluster maximising opportunities and helping members to gain access and succeed in the key offshore wind markets. The cluster is industry driven, agile, and market focused. And with the goal of creating world-leading supply chains within offshore wind, it helps suppliers and developers to find each other. NOW also run the METCentre, the test site and home of the world’s very first floating wind turbine, and has competence and an extra drive for floating wind. NOW aims to be a hub for information and knowledge sharing, as well as representing the industry in national and international forums for offshore wind development.
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Contact:
Floating Offshore Wind Technology Research Association (FLOWRA)
Inside CROSSCOOP, Urbannet Uchisaiwaicho Building, 3F
1-1-13, Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 〒105-0004
E-Mail：info@flowra.or.jp
Web: https://flowra.or.jp/en/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flowrajapan/
 
Norwegian Offshore Wind
Kvaløygata 3, 5537 Haugesund Norway
Email: an@norwegianoffshorewind.no
Website: https://www.norwegianoffshorewind.no/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/norwegianoffshorewind/