This brings the total government investment in the development of new wind technology on the Isle of Wight to just less than £10m, with half from SEEDA and half from DECC. The funding will allow Vestas to develop its next generation of offshore blades.
The funding is being provided on a competitive basis; Vestas, along with other companies, bid against the Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF) scheme for offshore wind R&D.
Vestas submitted its bid earlier this year for funding for two different projects under the ETF - developing new ways of validation and testing and developing automated manufacturing processes.
The company currently employs 160 people on the Isle of Wight. By the time the new R&D centre opens in 2011, this figure is expected to grow to 200 people and to 400 over the following years.
The R&D centre will strengthen the composites cluster and expertise on the island, which includes aerospace engineering company GKN, which SEEDA is also working with.
Radio wave weapon knocks out drone swarms
Probably. A radio-controlled drone cannot be completely shielded to RF, else you´d lose the ability to control it. The fibre optical cable removes...