JB Energy and Nihon University Sign Strategic MOU to Advance Brazil–Japan Research and Education in Floating Offshore Wind

Partnership strengthens the international academic ecosystem supporting the Aura Sul Wind Project through joint research, student exchange, innovation, and open scientific collaboration.

Tokyo, Japan – August 9th, 2026 – Japan Blue Energy Co., Ltd. (JB Energy) and the College of Science and Technology of Nihon University have signed a Strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on research, education, knowledge exchange, and innovation activities supporting the Aura Sul Wind Project, Brazil’s first floating offshore wind demonstration project and Latin America’s first floating offshore wind pilot initiative.

The agreement was signed by Dr. Rodolfo Trentin Gonçalves, Chief Executive Officer of JB Energy, and Prof. Dr. Tomoyuki Todoroki, Dean of the College of Science and Technology, Nihon University, and in the presence of Prof. Tomoki Ikoma, Vice-Dean the College of Science and Technology (Funabashi Campus in Charge), Nihon University, establishing a long-term academic partnership dedicated to advancing floating offshore wind technologies while strengthening Brazil–Japan cooperation in engineering research, workforce development, and international scientific collaboration.

For floating offshore wind, technological innovation depends not only on engineering excellence but also on sustained collaboration between academia, industry, and government. Developing next-generation floating systems requires multidisciplinary research, access to high-quality experimental and operational data, and the education of highly qualified engineers capable of transforming scientific knowledge into commercial-scale solutions. Through this partnership, JB Energy and Nihon University aim to accelerate these efforts while contributing to the long-term development of floating offshore wind in Brazil, Japan, and beyond.

Scope of Collaboration

Under the Memorandum of Understanding, Nihon University and JB Energy intend to collaborate through:

• Research and development in floating offshore wind technologies;
• Hydrodynamics, mooring systems, and offshore concrete structures;
• Digital twins, artificial intelligence, and machine learning;
• Environmental monitoring and offshore renewable energy systems;
• Student and researcher exchanges;
• Joint supervision of Master’s and PhD students;
• Laboratory and testing collaboration;
• Joint research proposals for national and international funding programs;
• Organization of technical workshops and seminars;
• Development of educational materials;
• Sharing of non-confidential technical data;
• Scientific publications and dissemination of research outcomes.

Beyond individual research projects, the collaboration supports the establishment of a long-term international research framework where universities, industry, and government organizations work together to accelerate innovation, education, and technology transfer in floating offshore wind.

A Strategic Partnership for Brazil–Japan Research and Innovation

The Aura Sul Wind Project is being developed by JB Energy as Brazil’s first floating offshore wind demonstration project, located approximately 65 km offshore from Rio Grande, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. 

The Aura Sul Wind Project is evolving beyond a single demonstration project into an international research and innovation platform connecting universities, research institutions, government agencies, and industrial partners from Brazil and Japan. Within this vision, Nihon University becomes an important academic partner contributing expertise in floating system hydrodynamics, nonlinear wave effects, wind interaction, mooring systems, and prestressed concrete structures—areas that strongly complement the Raijin Float® floating foundation developed by JB Energy.

The collaboration also supports JB Energy’s broader initiative to establish a coordinated Japanese academic consortium for floating offshore wind, bringing together leading universities with complementary technical expertise. Rather than concentrating research within a single institution, the consortium is designed to promote multidisciplinary collaboration across hydrodynamics, offshore structures, numerical modeling, construction methodologies, environmental sciences, and digital engineering.

Another distinguishing feature of Aura Sul Wind is its commitment to open science. Whenever possible, environmental monitoring and metocean data collected throughout the project—including measurements from floating LiDAR systems and offshore monitoring campaigns—will be made available to the international research community, creating valuable opportunities for collaborative research and scientific publications.

The partnership also reinforces both institutions’ commitment to educating the next generation of offshore engineers through student mobility, joint supervision of graduate students, long-term academic exchange, and participation in real industrial engineering projects, ensuring that future researchers gain practical experience alongside academic excellence.

“Floating offshore wind requires much more than innovative engineering. It requires an international ecosystem where universities, industry, and governments work together to generate knowledge, educate future engineers, and accelerate technology development. Our partnership with Nihon University represents another important step toward building this Brazil–Japan research network, where scientific collaboration and education become strategic pillars for the future of floating offshore wind.”

Rodolfo Trentin Gonçalves
Chief Executive Officer JB Energy

“We are pleased to establish this collaboration with JB Energy through the Aura Sul Wind Project. By combining academic research with real engineering challenges, this partnership creates valuable opportunities for scientific advancement, international collaboration, and the education of future engineers who will contribute to the development of floating offshore wind technologies.”

Prof. Dr. Tomoki Ikoma
Vice-Dean, College of Science and Technology Nihon University

About the Aura Sul Wind Project

The Aura Sul Wind Project is Brazil’s first floating offshore wind demonstration project and one of the most advanced floating offshore wind initiatives currently under development in Latin America.

At the heart of the project is the Raijin Float®, an innovative concrete semi-submersible floating foundation developed by JB Energy and specifically engineered to support the MySE 18.5 MW offshore wind turbine in Brazilian waters. Beyond demonstrating an innovative floating technology, Aura Sul Wind has been conceived as an international living laboratory that integrates research, education, environmental monitoring, industrial collaboration, and technology validation.

The project brings together universities, research institutions, government agencies, and industrial partners from Brazil and abroad to generate open scientific data, advance engineering knowledge, strengthen workforce development, and establish the technological, environmental, and regulatory foundations for the future commercialization of floating offshore wind in Brazil.

About JB Energy

JB Energy is a Japanese engineering and technology company dedicated to advancing floating offshore wind through proprietary technologies and integrated engineering solutions.

The company developed the Raijin Float® floating foundation and leads the Aura Sul Wind Project, coordinating an international ecosystem of industrial partners, universities, research institutions, and government organizations.

By combining technological innovation with long-term international collaboration, JB Energy is helping establish the technical foundations for the next generation of floating offshore wind projects across Japan and Brazil while contributing to the global advancement of offshore renewable energy.

About Nihon University

Founded in 1889, Nihon University is one of Japan’s largest and most prestigious private universities, recognized for its strong tradition in engineering, applied sciences, and technology education. Through its College of Science and Technology, the university conducts internationally recognized research in hydrodynamics, offshore structures, structural engineering, concrete technologies, and marine engineering, while educating generations of engineers who contribute to Japan’s industrial and technological development.

Through its partnership with JB Energy, Nihon University will contribute its academic expertise to the Aura Sul Wind Project while strengthening international research collaboration, student mobility, and scientific innovation between Japan and Brazil in support of the future of floating offshore wind.

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