Site Visit to VGA S.r.l. in Italy
- johanblinden
- 4 apr.
- 2 min läsning
As part of our recent project meeting in Perugia, we had the pleasure of visiting the facilities of our project partner VGA S.r.l. in nearby Deruta.
Founded in 2011, VGA is an Italian SME with a sharp focus on test rigs, actuation systems, energy storage, and high-tech equipment—especially for demanding applications in the energy, aerospace, and space sectors. Their expertise and advanced in-house capabilities are vital to the success of the MORE-CETP project.
VGA brings over a decade of R&D and commercial experience to the offshore renewable energy (ORE) field. Through their involvement in multiple European research projects—such as EuropeWave, RISEnergy, MORE, and INFINITY—they are helping shape the next generation of materials qualification testing.
DDuring our visit, we explored VGA’s impressive workshop facilities and learned more about their ongoing work in developing next-generation test rigs. VGA is leading several innovative initiatives—such as the IMPACT project, where they designed two novel test platforms capable of simulating up to 75% of subsystems impacting wave energy converters' (WECs) LCOE. These include a powerful 250kW Dual Hardware-in-the-Loop rig and new test metrics that aim to cut testing time in half while improving reliability.
We also heard about past projects like IMAGINE, where VGA developed and operated a linear electromechanical PTO test rig, and DrEADS, which focused on accelerated testing of flight control system components for aerospace applications. This diverse experience in both ocean energy and aerospace perfectly positions VGA to drive forward the development of realistic, accelerated testing methods for the MORE project.
A big thank you to Giacomo, Federico, and the VGA team for the warm welcome and engaging discussions. It’s inspiring to work with such forward-thinking partners pushing the boundaries of offshore engineering and materials innovation.
Comments