NOVA INNOVATION LTD

Their core work

Nova Innovation is an Edinburgh-based SME that designs, builds, and deploys tidal turbines and tidal energy arrays. They develop direct-drive tidal turbine technology and work on the full lifecycle — from feasibility and power take-off systems to array deployment and lifetime extension in harsh marine environments. They are one of a small number of companies globally that has moved tidal energy from concept through to operational multi-turbine arrays, making them a rare commercial actor in ocean energy.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Nova Innovation's early H2020 work (2014–2016) focused on proving the feasibility of their core direct-drive tidal turbine concept and accelerating it toward commercial readiness through SME Instrument funding. From 2017 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward operating tidal turbine arrays at scale (EnFAIT, their largest project at nearly €10M) and solving long-term operational challenges like marine corrosion and component lifetime (ELEMENT). This trajectory shows a company that moved from proving a device works to making fleets of devices commercially viable.

Nova Innovation is moving toward solving the operational and economic barriers to commercial-scale tidal energy farms, making them a strong partner for anyone working on marine renewable deployment, grid integration, or offshore asset management.

How they like to work

Nova Innovation overwhelmingly leads its projects — coordinating 5 out of 6 H2020 projects, a very high ratio for an SME. They started with small SME Instrument grants (solo or near-solo) and graduated to coordinating large collaborative projects with up to 44 unique partners across 13 countries. This pattern indicates a confident, technically capable coordinator that drives project direction rather than simply contributing a work package.

Nova Innovation has built a network of 44 unique consortium partners across 13 countries, a remarkably wide reach for an SME with only 6 projects. Their partnerships span the European marine energy ecosystem, from research institutions to offshore engineering firms.

What sets them apart

Nova Innovation is one of very few companies worldwide that has taken tidal energy from a concept through feasibility, device development, and multi-turbine array deployment — all within H2020. Their direct-drive approach (no gearbox) differentiates them technically from competitors, and their track record of coordinating progressively larger EU projects shows they can manage complex, multi-partner R&D programmes. For anyone building a consortium around ocean energy, marine renewables, or blue economy topics, they bring both deep technical capability and proven project leadership.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EnFAIT
  Largest project at nearly €10M EC funding — focused on deploying and operating a real-world tidal energy array, a critical step toward commercial tidal power.
• ELEMENT
  Addresses the under-explored problem of long-term survival of tidal turbines in harsh marine conditions — essential for making tidal energy bankable.
• D2T2
  SME-2 accelerator project that scaled Nova's direct-drive turbine from feasibility to market-readiness, a textbook SME Instrument success story.