Guests from key parts of UK industry and service sectors
were invited to join key speakers Professor Ian Bryden of The University of Edinburgh, and Martin Wright from Marine Current Turbines, to discuss the topic ‘Ecology and Technology – Renewable Energy for tidal and wave power’.

The forum is held to underline Bosch’s commitment to industrial excellence and to the environment by opening up
a platform for debate on key environmental and industrial issues.

Robert Meier, Managing Director of Bosch in the UK opened the forum by showing Bosch’s involvement with the topic at hand; ‘In 2005, worldwide expenditures of the Bosch Group
for environmental protection came to nearly 125 million euros.
We seek and we find technological answers to ecological questions.’

In 2005 Bosch spent over 3 billion euros on research and development, to keep them at the leading edge of technology. Meier says ‘It is an obligation to develop innovative and beneficial technologies that also contribute to the conservation of precious reserves.’

Paul Cooke, Managing Director of ‘Drive and Control Company’ Bosch Rexroth introduced the main speakers
to the guests.

Bosch Rexroth has been a member of the Bosch group
since 2001 and is highly involved in developing many great drive and control solutions. In the renewable Energy sector, Bosch Rexroth is involved in helping to develop the technologies of Wind Turbines and Wave Energy.

Cooke said ‘Such projects rely on a committed partnership and Bosch Rexroth in this regard offers high technology, robust and reliable equipment and even more importantly
a passion for playing its part in protecting the environment
for our future generations.’

The first of the main speakers was Professor Ian Bryden. Professor Bryden currently holds the Chair of Renewable Energy at the University of Edinburgh and leads The Marine Energy and Coastal Defence Research Team within The Institute for Energy Systems.

Professor Bryden spoke of the origins of marine renewable energy and its developments through time. His passion and knowledge of the subject clear in every word.

His speech touched upon some of the criticisms to this technology. One criticism is that a result of wave power plants would be unpredictable coastal changes. To this Bryden states ‘Wave power developments may even be able to protect vulnerable coastlines. We know enough about the behaviour of waves and sediments to achieve this.’ He added ‘The Marine renewable industry has been scrupulous in its attention to environmental and social impact. I wish all industries were
so ethical.’

The second of the main speakers was Martin Wright, Managing Director of Marine Current Turbines (MCT). MCT is a company which, backed by the government, is trying to exploit tidal currents for large-scale power generation.

Renewable energy has been of particular interest for a number of years and his work at MCT represents the culmination of that interest.

Both speakers gave a real insight into the potential of the industry and the positive impact it could have if exploited.

Martin Wright closed the event, leaving guests with a final thought. ‘We didn’t inherit this land we live on from our ancestors; we borrowed it from our children.’