Summary:
CNOWR is a newly formed and growing community of researchers from universities, colleges, and research institutes across Canada who want to contribute to the country’s ambitions for sustainable offshore wind development. While it does not yet have the capacity to fund research, it can facilitate the conversations—both within Canada and with international collaborators—that are essential to developing successful interdisciplinary research projects. These projects will need to bring together expertise in biodiversity conservation, engineering, physical and biological systems modelling, societal engagement, information sciences, advances in ocean monitoring technologies, and the design of decision-support tools.
Goal and Approach:
The main goal of CNOWR is to connect and coordinate a national, intersectoral network supporting the development of a sustainable offshore wind energy sector in Canada. CNOWR will foster the co-development of knowledge, practices, and tools at the intersection of energy transition, biodiversity conservation, and coastal and marine spatial use. Specifically, it will connect researchers, Indigenous and coastal communities, industries, and NGOs to identify key knowledge gaps and co-develop tools for decision-making, environmental monitoring, and marine spatial planning. It will also strengthen training and knowledge mobilization while building a lasting cross-sector network capable of developing and responding collectively to future research and funding opportunities.
