Date Created: 27 June 2012
Cooperation between Scotland and Germany can help both countries make the most of opportunities in the thriving global energy centre.
Speaking at the Windforce 2012 offshore wind conference in Bremen, Scotland's Energy Minister, Fergus Ewing, will argue that the greatest renewables opportunities will come from the two nations working together.
The conference will also host the signing of a letter of intent committing Forwind, a research partnership of three German universities, to explore collaborative projects with Scotland's university research alliance, the Energy Technology Partnership.
Mr Ewing will also meet with represents of German companies who have already invested in Scotland and many more who are interested in investing in Scotland's world-leading renewable energy industry.
Germany is already Scotland's fourth biggest export market and, as the country moves away from nuclear energy, the current export value of £1,265 million is expected to increase.
More German companies are expected to join recent investors such as Motel One, Enercon Limited and RePower. More established German investors in Scotland include Allianz, BASF, E.ON and SGL Carbon.
Mr Ewing said:
"We have 36 twinning relationships between German and Scottish cities and towns, and Scotland has an 18,000 strong German community. Germany is our fourth largest market for exports, with exports worth £1,265 million in 2010, and this can only increase as Germany turns away from nuclear power and towards renewables.
"Both countries have highly ambitious renewable energy targets. It makes sense for our two countries to work together to reach our targets, and that is why I’m delighted to witness the signing of this letter of intent between ForWind and the Energy Technology Partnership, which will see some of the finest minds in renewables research working together for a common goal."
Anne MacColl, SDI's Chief Executive, said:
"We very much welcome the opportunity to increase our collaborative work with German universities and institutions in the area of offshore wind.
"Scotland is recognised worldwide for its expertise in renewable energy and this letter of intent further highlights our reputation as the partner of choice in major international projects.
"By building and strengthening international trade relations, we can support more home-grown companies to target new overseas markets and just as importantly, help investors view Scotland as the ideal place to locate and grow their business."
Explore Scotland's energy sector