The second day (26 November) leans heavily into security and resilience. The panel session Securing the North Sea brings together representatives from the Dutch Ministry of Defence, Van Oord, and Venterra Group to discuss how Europe can protect offshore energy infrastructure from sabotage, surveillance, or attack. The tone reflects a hard truth: offshore energy is no longer just an industrial sector; it is part of national defence strategies.
At midday, All Set for CCS assesses how ready the North Sea really is to become a hub for carbon capture and storage (CCS). Beyond pipelines and reservoirs, the discussion touches on regulation, liability, and whether industry and governments can agree on who pays for long-term monitoring and risk management.
The conference closes with Harnessing Digital Innovation to Protect and Power Offshore Renewable Energy hosted by the Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC). Earth Observation, AI, and advanced analytics are emerging as the nervous system of the offshore sector, enabling efficiency while monitoring assets for cyber and physical threats. In an industry where downtime or disruption can cost millions, digital resilience is no longer optional.
Security Above and Below Sea Surface
A defining feature of OEEC 2025 is the debut of two new pavilions: one dedicated to AI and cybersecurity, and the other to seabed security. Their inclusion in this year’s event in Amsterdam is no accident. The offshore energy industry and governments have been working tirelessly on increasing the security of offshore energy infrastructure (and its onshore parts) after events such as the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines.
Since then, intelligence agencies have warned of covert mapping of offshore assets, and European governments have launched coordinated responses like the NorthSeal platform, which began operations in January 2025 to monitor suspicious maritime activity and improve joint responses.
Security concerns now stretch beyond the seabed and are also reaching the servers that manage offshore operations. The EU’s Wind Power Package requires Member States to use pre-qualification criteria, including cybersecurity aspects, in future renewable energy auctions. Over the last year or so, debates over Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Mingyang’s proposed factory in Scotland also highlighted how supply chain decisions intersect with national security concerns.
OEEC’s program in November will reflect this new reality: digital and subsea threats are no longer background issues in the offshore energy sector, but central to strategic planning.
A Defining Year
What makes OEEC 2025 distinct is its refusal to treat the above topics as separate. Transition, biodiversity, finance, and security are woven together. The program reflects a sector under pressure, tasked with accelerating renewable buildout while ensuring resilience against new forms of risk.
Against this backdrop, OEEC 2025’s expanded program feels prescient. By placing cybersecurity, seabed protection, and digital resilience on equal footing with wind and carbon capture, the conference acknowledges that the industry’s future will be shaped as much by geopolitics and security as by megawatts and investment.
For Europe, the challenge is not simply to accelerate renewable deployment but to do so in a way that is resilient to sabotage, cyber threats, and fluctuating market conditions. For the U.S., the question is whether offshore wind, and renewable energy in general, can survive in a policy environment that favours oil, gas and coal.
For everyone gathering in Amsterdam, OEEC 2025 will be not only about technology showcases but also about charting how to keep the offshore energy sector on course in uncertain waters.
Offshore Energy Exhibition & Conference is coming up on 25 & 26 November 2025 at Amsterdam RAI. Book your tickets or see if any more exhibitor stands are available at the OEEC website: https://oeec.biz/
