SAMS news room

Ahead of a research conference speech in Oban, the chief executive of Scottish Renewables says Scotland has an opportunity to be a world leader in offshore renewable energy development by continuing to share knowledge across all sectors.

Claire Mack will deliver the message to kick off the Environmental Interactions of Marine Renewables (EIMR) conference, this year hosted by the Oban-based Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), a partner of UHI, between 13^th and 17^th April.

Supported by headline sponsor Crown Estate Scotland, the international event brings together researchers, policy makers and industry representatives to exchange ideas and expertise around this growing industry and to share new scientific discoveries.

Claire will give the opening address at the conference, encouraging collaboration between the sectors.

She said: “Scotland has a unique opportunity to lead the world in offshore renewables and that leadership must be built on a shared commitment to understanding and enhancing our marine environment. By fostering strong collaboration between research, industry and policymakers, this conference plays an important role in sharing evidence and good practises, addressing key challenges and supporting the responsible growth of offshore renewable energy.

“As the sector continues to grow, maintaining that open exchange of knowledge and experience will be critical to building trust, improving how projects are delivered and ensuring long-term benefits for communities and the marine environment.”

The conference will also feature keynote talks by Dr Simon Waldman of Heriot Watt University, Dr Joop Coolen of Wageningen University and Research, the Netherlands, and Dr Anna Redden of Acadia University, Canada.

On the afternoon of the 15^th April, Dr Waldman will take part in a hybrid online session alongside a keynote speaker at the concurrent Pan American Marine Energy Conference (PAMEC) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The decision to connect the conferences will increase the international exposure for marine renewables research in very different environments, said EIMR Conference organiser Dr Steven Benjamins of SAMS.

He added: “We are thrilled to have Claire Mack opening this conference. As the chief executive of the industry body for renewable energy in Scotland, she is the ideal voice to help us bring together participants from a range of backgrounds, interests and expertise.

“Having a strong industry voice, allied with some of the world’s leading researchers in marine environmental interactions, ensures we will have an extremely informative event that I believe will help this industry progress.”

Last minute registration for EIMR2026 is at Home - EIMR 2026.