Floating Offshore Wind: Companies, Startups & Research

DNV and Flotation Energy are among the active companies, with 530 and 502 documents respectively in the recent activity window. DNV works on certification and design analysis; Flotation Energy develops projects, including White Cross in the Celtic Sea. Siemens AG contributes turbine-load research and offshore electrical infrastructure, and Ocean Winds develops and operates floating-wind projects.

X1 Wind is a notable startup in the data, with 16 recent-window documents and 4 patents. Its patented concepts include a weathervaning turbine connection to a pre-laid mooring system. The company reported a strategic funding round in September 2025. Sowento GmbH works on turbine control and digital-twin simulation, while Dublin Offshore studies mooring compliance and load reduction.

Shanghai JiaoTong University, Dalian University of Technology and Ocean University of China are prominent research contributors, with 102, 90 and 71 recent-window documents respectively. Their work includes wave-basin testing, platform dynamics, tendon mechanics and storm response. Other active groups include Harbin Engineering University, Zhejiang University and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

The data records $411.2 million across 191 grants since 2020, plus $3.16 billion across 23 funding rounds. These are recorded totals associated with the topic, not necessarily sums dedicated solely to floating-wind technology. For example, X1 Wind received a reported early-VC round of $426,830 in September 2025.

Siemens AG leads the listed patent holders with 31 patents, followed by TotalEnergies SE with 20 and Saipem with 12. Patent activity declined 45.2% year over year, based on the defined comparison of the last 12 months with the prior 12 months. Publication activity moved in the opposite direction, rising 2.0% year over year.

Recent milestones include Ocean Winds reaching full power at its 30 MW French floating-wind farm in July 2026 and China deploying a tension-leg floating turbine to power an oil field in July 2026. Research in September 2026 examined storm response in a 15 MW tension-leg turbine and wake behavior under platform sway, reflecting increased focus on coupled system performance.

The main platform approaches are spar-buoy, semi-submersible, tension-leg and barge designs, alongside mooring and anchoring systems that keep each turbine on station. Spars use a deep draft; semi-submersibles distribute buoyancy across a broad structure; tension-leg platforms use taut tendons for vertical stiffness; and barges use broad, shallow-draft hulls. Each design trades stability, motion, installation needs and mooring demands differently.

The United States leads the country list with 10,489 documents, followed by the United Kingdom with 7,068. Germany and China each have 4,074 and 4,064 documents, while Norway has 3,901. These figures indicate recorded activity, not project capacity or commercial deployment; the data also shows substantial activity in France, Japan and Spain.

Utility-scale wind farms are the largest listed application, with 2,609 documents. Other applications include remote and island power, with 833 documents; green hydrogen production, with 402; offshore oil and gas electrification, with 381; and data centers and energy storage, with 1,524. These categories describe areas of activity, not confirmed commercial deployment in every case.