Mayor Jon Mitchell Pitches New Bedford at UK Offshore Wind Conference
This week Mayor Jon Mitchell represents New Bedford at the Offshore Wind North East (OWNE) Conference & Exhibition 2022 in Sunderland, United Kingdom. With the staging of the United States’ first industrial-scale offshore wind project, Vineyard Wind, set to begin in 2023 from the Port of New Bedford, the City remains the object of broad interest among the offshore wind industry.
The Mayor will offer remarks highlighting the unique competitive advantages of New Bedford for European wind companies seeking to establish a presence in the U.S., including opportunities for partnerships between industry vendors and New Bedford area companies. New Bedford is well positioned to support the needs of the industry, as the closest industrial port to the largest cluster of designated wind energy areas in the United States, and as a home to a diverse marine economy that generates more than $11 billion in economic output annually.
“New Bedford’s participation in the OWNE Conference is a reflection of the sustained effort the City has made to cultivate and strengthen relationships with European offshore wind interests. It’s no longer a question of when British companies and their continental counterparts will establish toeholds in the U.S. market, the central question today is where will they choose to establish their domestic base,” said Mitchell. “Our objective is to make sure that the Port of New Bedford is top of mind whenever location discussions take place among offshore wind interests.”
With more than 800 attendees and 130 exhibitors, OWNE 2022 is one of the largest annual gatherings of the British offshore wind industry.
Mayor Mitchell, the only American speaker at the event, has meetings set up with over a dozen companies and economic development agencies to discuss what the City has to offer.
“The relationship between North East England’s offshore wind cluster and the United States market continues to strengthen and we are delighted to have Mayor Mitchell speaking at Offshore Wind North East,” said Caroline Lofthouse, head of business development at NOF. “It’s really important for UK companies to have a greater understanding of developments in America, which will support opportunities to partner with US companies, and Mayor Mitchell will provide our delegates with an insight into New Bedford’s commitment to offshore wind.”
Accompanying the Mayor is Jennifer Downing, Executive Director of the New Bedford Ocean Cluster.