Based in Bristol, Blackfish has established itself in the Scottish marine renewables sector, working closely with companies such as Mocean Energy and Orbital, and has built up a roster of offshore wind clients.

The firm’s enhanced focus on Scotland’s burgeoning offshore wind sector will be steered by a dedicated team based in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, helmed by senior engineers Nick Del-Greco and James Hastie, alongside strategic advisor Stuart Brown.

Jonathan Powell, managing director of Blackfish, underlined the increasing demand for solution-oriented engineers triggered by the swift expansion of offshore wind, especially in Scotland’s ScotWind round.

Mr Powell said: “The rapid expansion of offshore wind in Scotland, in particular the ScotWind round, is creating strong demand for solution-focussed engineers who can partner with developers to address real-life complex engineering challenges – with the clear goals of improving safety, accelerating innovation and driving down cost.

“Already we are working with two of the three largest wind turbine OEMs and nine of the world’s biggest offshore wind developers, and are actively developing bespoke, innovative designs and technology to improve efficiency and lower costs for the sector.

“We are also engaged with innovation bodies including Wave Energy Scotland, the Carbon Trust and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult to develop industry-standard products in areas including electrical connections and moorings.”

Mr Hastie added: “We believe our knowledge of tackling problems in the offshore environment is second to none and the creation of a distinct Scottish operation enables us to be closer to our customers, deliver content locally and create opportunities to further expand our offering north of the border.

“These are really exciting times to be involved in offshore wind engineering.”