Scotland stands at a crossroads. The global wind-assist technology market is projected to surge past $40 billion by 2034, and the country has the expertise, the industrial heritage, and the ambition to seize a significant slice of that opportunity. Yet, the path to leadership is fraught with challenges—chief among them, securing the patient capital needed to scale near-market climate solutions.
The urgency is palpable. Stricter international climate regulations, the EU’s ambitious sustainability goals, and increasing customer demand are driving a rapid shift toward cleaner shipping. Scotland’s wind-assist technology shares manufacturing, supply chain, and skills synergies with its wind sector and historic oil and gas industries. Aligning these high-value capabilities could accelerate maritime decarbonisation, positioning Scotland as a global hub for zero-emissions shipping. But here’s the rub: securing the funding to scale these technologies remains a formidable obstacle.
The paradox is stark. Scotland excels at supporting bold, high-risk, early-stage innovation. Pre-seed and seed funding, though competitive, is accessible—enabling solutions to be tested, demonstrated, and proven. But when a technology is ready to benefit from substantial global market demand, securing Series A funding to accelerate deployment becomes a major hurdle. The result? Promising start-ups often set up overseas, taking green jobs, transferable skills, and economic growth with them. UK government-backed investment organisations typically step in post-revenue, by which time the window for local benefit has closed.
This is where policy must evolve. The government could take a direct stake in the success of socially beneficial climate tech companies. If taxpayers fund the highest-risk stage, they should also share in the rewards. Once these technologies scale, they could recoup their investment and support future innovation funding by channelling returns back into the system. The result? Scotland and the UK would fully reap the benefits—creating good green jobs, driving real and sustainable economic growth, and securing a visible leadership role in a rapidly expanding global market.
The case for long-term investment in maritime wind-assist technology is economic, industrial, strategic, and environmental. Diane Gilpin, CEO of Glasgow-based Smart Green Shipping, offers a compelling example. From the outset, Smart Green Shipping recognised that Scotland’s deep roots in marine engineering, renewables, and transferable skills from the oil and gas industry offered an ideal foundation to develop their technologies. Headquartered in Govan, drawing on the Clydebuilt heritage, they designed and constructed FastRig, an autonomous, stowable, lightweight aluminium wingsail system that harnesses clean, renewable wind energy—capable of reducing fuel use and emissions by up to 40% per annum.
Collaborating with Scottish engineering experts such as Malin Group, Caley 360, and John Tracey Specialist Welding, Smart Green Shipping transformed their initial concept design into a proven product. The FastRig combines commercially available components, reducing embedded emissions, materials use, and maintenance complexity. It is designed to be reused, repurposed, and eventually recycled. The company is also collaborating with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland to further advance re-use programmes via condition-based monitoring, digital passports, and a global installation hub.
Alongside FastRig, Smart Green Shipping has developed FastRoute, an AI-enabled, independently verified performance modelling software, and FastReach, a ‘wind-as-a-service’ platform. The latter provides standardised contracts, leasing and buyback options, plus operations and maintenance services. The result is an end-to-end solution that addresses shipping’s commercial considerations, financial considerations, and complex multi-level stakeholders.
Last year, FastRig completed its two-stage testing process. Land-based testing at Hunterston in North Ayrshire gave stakeholders—engineers, apprentices, shipowners, charterers, investors, quality standard assessors, and crew—the opportunity to test and further evolve FastRig under real-world conditions. Next, the company successfully conducted industry-first sea trials onboard the MV Pacific Grebe in 2024, delivered on time, on budget, and receiving excellent feedback from the crew. Sea trials were carried out under rigorous International Towing Tank Conference scientific protocols and performance verified by academics and independent naval architects.
Smart Green Shipping is building a resilient, future-proof cross-sector value chain—rooted in Scotland—that strengthens the global supply chain. On 25 September, they will bring together senior leaders from the Scottish and UK Governments, financial institutions, green technology companies, and key policymakers for an exclusive roundtable to turn this vital opportunity into action. It’s about proving that Scotland’s ability to deliver this world-leading technology—with the right vision and investment—can capture a significant portion of a rapidly expanding global market.
Other countries are already seizing this opportunity. The European Union has launched the Wind for Shipping project, focused on boosting wind-assist technology,