SHY Project

How long does it take to bring a wave energy device from concept to commercial deployment? Decades. Sometimes more. That creates a problem: standard patent protection lasts 20 years. By the time a wave energy technology reaches the market, its core patents may be close to expiring — or already have. So how should wave energy companies protect their innovations? A new study from the SHY Project explores this question head-on, looking at how developers across the sector are managing IP — from traditional patents to licensing models, trade secrets, and open innovation approaches. The answer isn't simple. But getting it right could make the difference between a technology that thrives commercially and one that doesn't. 📄 Read the full paper: https://lnkd.in/eFBW_ubh 🌐 Full news article: https://shyproject.eu #WaveEnergy #SHYProject #IntellectualProperty #OceanEnergy #CleanEnergy #HorizonEurope #EnergyInnovation Wavepiston

⚖️ Innovation in wave energy isn't only about engineering. It's also about protecting it. A new paper from the SHY Project, presented at EWTEC 2025, examines one of the most underexplored aspects of wave energy development: intellectual property. Wave energy faces a unique IP challenge — development timelines can span decades, yet standard patent protection windows weren't designed with that in mind. So what strategies actually work? Key takeaways from the study: → Patents are valuable innovation indicators, but have clear limitations in long-cycle technologies → Licensing and trade secrets offer important complementary strategies → Both open and closed innovation models are being used across the sector → Better use of patent data could accelerate strategic decision-making for developers and policymakers alike As the SHY Project moves towards validating its PTO technology and control strategies, navigating IP effectively will be essential to translating research into real-world impact. 📄 Read the full paper (open access): https://lnkd.in/eFBW_ubh 🌐 Full news article: https://shyproject.eu #WaveEnergy #IntellectualProperty #Innovation #SHYProject #OceanEnergy #HorizonEurope #RenewableEnergy #EnergyPolicy

🌊 New open-access publication from the SHY Project — published in the journal Wear! Wave energy converters spend their entire operational life fully submerged in seawater, under constant cyclic loading. Making sure their internal components last — with minimal maintenance — is one of the sector's biggest engineering challenges. A new study from our partners at DTU Construct and Wavepiston A/S tackles this head-on, testing how POM (polyoxymethylene) performs when sliding against two different counterface materials — polyethylene (PE) and duplex stainless steel (DS) — under realistic seawater lubrication conditions. Key findings: → POM–PE showed a friction coefficient of just 0.12 vs 0.35 for POM–DS → The polymer–polymer pair formed a stable transfer film, reducing wear significantly → The polymer–metal pair suffered from abrasive ploughing and no film formation → A custom reciprocating wear rig was built to replicate the exact loading conditions inside a WEC — running 6 wear tests simultaneously under full seawater immersion These results directly inform the material selection for the SHY Project's composite seawater pump — a key step towards a low-maintenance, long-lifetime wave energy PTO system. 📄 Read the full paper (open access): https://lnkd.in/eQaw9fia 🌐 Full news article: https://lnkd.in/edFTmWNB Funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101147456. #WaveEnergy #SHYProject #Tribology #MaterialsEngineering #OceanEnergy #HorizonEurope #Wear #Polymers #DTUConstruct #Wavepiston #MarineEnergy Wavepiston AMIR HAMZA SIDDIQUI

I’m pleased to share that our research paper on the tribological behavior of POM sliding against polyethylene and duplex steel under seawater lubrication has been published in the journal Wear. This work is motivated by challenges in renewable ocean energy systems, particularly wave energy converters, where durable, seawater‑lubricated polymer components are essential for long‑term, low‑maintenance operation. The study identifies key wear mechanisms affecting component lifetime and maintenance in marine applications. The experimental investigation is based on a custom‑designed reciprocating wear test rig, developed to closely replicate realistic loading cycles, contact conditions, and full seawater immersion experienced in wave energy converters. Many thanks to all co‑authors (Jacob Waldbjoern, Kristian Glejbøl, Mian Masoud, Mehrtash Manouchehr, Christian Berggreen) and our SHY Project partners for the excellent collaboration and support. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eus7vS-x #RenewableEnergy #WaveEnergy #Tribology #TestRigDesign #MaterialsEngineering #Polymers #SHYProject #DTUConstruct #Wavepiston

🌊 New publication from the SHY Project! What happens when a wave energy converter has no restoring force and a fully passive power take-off? Our researchers found out. Key takeaways: → WavePiston doesn't behave like a conventional wave energy resonator → Its passive PTO limits energy flow to one direction only → Adding an external spring mechanism can significantly change performance outcomes → The findings open a critical control co-design challenge — directly tied to the SHY Project's mission This study lays the groundwork for future research connecting power performance and reliability to the Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE) — the metric that will ultimately determine whether wave energy becomes commercially viable. 📄 Read the full paper (open access): https://lnkd.in/eiWA6gqv 🌐 Full news article: https://lnkd.in/euZZ-zj4 Funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101147456. #WaveEnergy #SHYProject #RenewableEnergy #OceanEnergy #HorizonEurope #MarineEnergy Wavepiston #EnergyResearch

📢 New publication from SHY Our latest paper presents a causal force constraint mechanism for wave energy control strategies, helping improve robustness and support safer real-time operation under practical force limits. A step forward in bringing wave energy closer to reliable real-world deployment. 📄 https://lnkd.in/eZBP7HGA #SHYProject #WaveEnergy #OceanEnergy #RenewableEnergy #Innovation Wavepiston Funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101147456.

New publication from the SHY Project. A recent study analyses how weather windows and time to repair influence Wavepiston device availability at two sites in Gran Canaria. The findings provide valuable insight into offshore accessibility, maintenance planning and realistic availability assessment for future wave energy deployments. 📄 Full paper on Zenodo: https://lnkd.in/eYd5q5qW #SHYProject #WaveEnergy #OceanEnergy #RenewableEnergy Funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101147456.

Today, we celebrate the women driving innovation, research, and progress across the ocean sector. At SHY, we recognise the talent, dedication, and leadership of women helping shape a more sustainable future through marine renewable energy. #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2026 #WomenInOcean #OceanInnovation #MarineEnergy #WomenInSTEM #SHYProject Funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101147456.

🌊📄 New open-access paper (EWTEC 2025): When can you actually repair a wave energy device? Offshore availability isn’t only about failures — it’s also about access. This study explores how weather windows and time to repair shape real-world downtime and availability (including daylight constraints) across two Wavepiston deployment sites. 👉 Article on our website: https://lnkd.in/eBVx5upu #WaveEnergy #OceanEnergy #BlueEnergy #OffshoreOperations #Reliability #RenewableEnergy #CleanTech Funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101147456.

🌊📌 Key takeaway: a spring (restoring force) can help a bit, but what really drives performance is how the PTO works. When the PTO isn’t just passive, energy capture can improve much more. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eWGTnwnT #WaveEnergy #OceanEnergy #BlueEnergy #RenewableEnergy #CleanTech Wavepiston Funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101147456.