October 2026 | Issue One

A great deal has happened since the North Yorkshire Maritime and Renewables Cluster came to life earlier this year. This first newsletter is our opportunity to bring together everything that has taken place since we began, to share the momentum that has been building across the county, and to look ahead to what comes next given that North Yorkshire businesses are already working locally, regionally, nationally and internationally in the sector, our aim is to make this a fully cohesive approach for all.

NYM&R exists to connect, grow and advocate for the Maritime and Renewables sector across North Yorkshire, and the opportunity is extraordinary. In addition to the Maritime opportunities that already exist in the region we also have Dogger Bank, the world's largest offshore wind farm, which sits 40 miles off the North Yorkshire coastline. The county has a coastline, a skills base and a business community that are ideally placed to benefit from one of the fastest-growing sectors in the UK economy and our job is to make those connections happen.

From the formation phase of the cluster to four launch events across the county to thousands of school children learning about the wind farm on their doorstep, it has been a remarkable start and here is the story so far…

NYM&R was established in the summer of 2026 with a clear purpose: to create a membership cluster that would bring together businesses, educators, public bodies and individuals working in and around the Maritime and Renewables sector across the county. From the outset the cluster was built around three commitments; to communicate clearly and consistently about the opportunities the sector presents for North Yorkshire, to collaborate across organisational boundaries, bringing businesses and institutions together that would not otherwise connect, and to co-operate with the wider UK Maritime and Renewables ecosystem, including our neighbours at the Tees Maritime Cluster and Humber Marine & Renewables Cluster, to ensure North Yorkshire's voice is heard in the national conversation.

The early work included the development of a full governance framework, a membership structure with tiered pricing to ensure the cluster is accessible to organisations of all sizes, and a document suite covering membership application, press and stakeholder outreach and MP engagement across all seven North Yorkshire parliamentary constituencies. All this plus a brand-new website were delivered as part of an agreed Phase One approach.

In September 2026 the new cluster held four launch events across North Yorkshire in a single week, travelling from Whitby to Scarborough to Filey, with an online webinar completing the programme for those who could not make the events in person. Each event brought together local businesses, public sector and education representatives along with local individuals with an interest in the sector, giving the cluster its first opportunity to communicate its purpose and build its founding membership.

We had over 100 attendees for these events and some excellent discussions as to what is needed for the region, and if you would like to join then simply visit our membership page.

The launch events allowed us to have genuine conversations with businesses and organisations across North Yorkshire about what the cluster could offer them, what connections they needed, and what the sector meant for their communities. They were also to listen to and understand some of the legacy issues that exist in the area and commit to being an honest envoy to help all sides reach mutually beneficial solutions.

The response from the events was clear: there is significant appetite for a cluster that works for North Yorkshire specifically, rather than treating the county as a peripheral part of a larger Humber or Tees-focused story.

Following the scheduled end of Phase One on 28th September 2026, the cluster moved into Phase Two and priorities include the active development of the logistical structure of the organisation and the governance needed, formation of a steering group to guide strategy, developing the membership base, the deepening of relationships with key industry stakeholders and the UK Maritime Cluster network which we have now joined, and the expansion of the cluster's presence across the county through events, communications and sector engagement.

The cluster's focus on education and workforce development is central to Phase Two. The NYM&R Pathway programme, which had its first major outing at Scarborough STEM Week 2026 in October, will be developed into a structured programme connecting schools and colleges across North Yorkshire with the career opportunities the Maritime and Renewables sector offers.

The efforts in Phase One unearthed a significant amount of challenges to bring a cohesive and connected organisation in the Maritime and Renewables sector across the whole of North Yorkshire. The NYM&R cluster will work tirelessly on members' behalf to find solutions and partnerships that will enable the County to take advantage of the opportunities that the growth of this sector presents.

On 6, 7 and 8 October 2026, NYM&R exhibited at Scarborough STEM Week, one of the largest STEM education events on the Yorkshire calendar organised by Scarborough Business Ambassadors and NYBEP. Over the three days, approximately 3,500 school children from across the region attended the event.

NYM&R's stand centred on the Climb a Wind Turbine challenge. We installed a step machine and a counter and gave every child 30 seconds to do as many steps as they could, competing to top the leaderboard for the day. The record across the three days was 124 steps in 30 seconds. The competition was fierce, the noise was considerable and the conversations that followed were exactly the ones we needed to be having.

The winners at Scarborough STEM Week were not the children at the top of the leaderboard, though they were rightly proud of their 30 seconds of effort. The real winners were the children who left the event knowing something they had not known when they arrived: that the world's largest wind farm is 40 miles off the coast of North Yorkshire, that it takes a vast and varied workforce to operate it, and that the careers it offers across the supply chain are closer to home than most of them had ever imagined.

The Scarborough STEM Week exhibition confirmed what the cluster already believed: that education and awareness are not separate from the economic mission of NYM&R but central to it. The businesses that will benefit most from the growth of the offshore wind and maritime sectors in North Yorkshire are the ones that can recruit locally. That means building awareness, aspiration and skills in North Yorkshire's young people now, the Climb a Wind Turbine challenge is one way we are doing that and it will not be the last.

NYM&R membership is open to businesses, public sector organisations, education providers and individuals with a connection to the Maritime and Renewables sector across North Yorkshire. We have three tiers designed to ensure the cluster is accessible whatever the size of your organisation.

To apply for membership, visit our membership page or contact us directly at the details below.