Wind Catching systems is the Winner in the Sustainability category in FastCompany’s 2022 Innovation by Design Awards
Oslo, 15 September 2022
Oslo, Norway, September 15, 2022 – Wind Catching Systems was declared the winner in the Sustainability category in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards for 2022 in the Sustainability category.
The Innovation by Design Awards, which can be found in the October 2022 issue of Fast Company, honor the designers and businesses solving the most crucial problems of today and anticipating the pressing issues of tomorrow. The competition, now in its 11th year, features a range of blue-chip companies, emerging startups, and hungry young talents. It is one of the most sought-after design awards in the industry.
The Windcatcher
Wind Catching Systems (WCS) is developing the Windcatcher, a floating wind power plant based on a multi-turbine design. Through having multiple turbines on a single floating platform, Wind Catching Systems will maximize the energy production per floating structure while enabling a self-contained maintenance system eliminating the need for specialized vessels to support offshore maintenance operations.
With the Windcatcher, a wind power system specifically designed for floating wind projects, WCS solves some of the central challenges facing floating wind; drastically reducing acreage use per kWh of electricity produced while minimizing operations and maintenance complexity and cost.
“We are honored to be named the winner in the Innovation by Design Awards, and I am particularly glad to see that our project is finding recognition on the other side of the Atlantic as we see an exciting and important market opening up for floating wind on the US coasts. Our ambition is for the Windcatcher to make a considerable contribution to the world-wide transition to renewable energy." Says Ole A. Heggheim, CEO of Wind Catching Systems.“Our groundbreaking design being recognized by such an important publication as Fast Company is highly appreciated and inspires us in our continued work to unleash the power of offshore wind," concludes Mr. Heggheim.
The Innovation by Design awards
“A common theme among this year’s Innovation by Design honorees, which range from healthcare interfaces to autonomous driving technology, is permanence,” said Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company.“The products that leaped out to our editors and judges went against our quick-fix consumer culture, while also manifesting a more inclusive vision of design."
The judges include renowned designers from a variety of disciplines, business leaders from some of the most innovative companies in the world, and Fast Company’s own writers and editors. Entries are judged on the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact.
Winners, finalists, and honorable mentions are featured online and in the October issue of Fast Company magazine, on newsstands September 27, 2022.
About Fast Company
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com
About Wind Catching Systems
Wind Catching Systems was founded in 2017 and is headquartered at Lysaker outside Oslo, Norway. The company’s largest owners are GM Ventures (the venture capital arm of General Motors), Ferd (Norway’s largest private investment company) and North Energy ASA (NORTH) (a publicly traded energy investment company listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
For further information, please contact:
Ole Heggheim, CEO, +47 905 35 024, oh@windcatching.com