Promising Local Engineer Wins North East ‘Rising Star’ Award
David MacGregor, a 25-year-old engineer from Riding-Mill based offshore wind company, Osbit, has won the 2024 ‘Rising Star’ Award at the North East Business Awards.
Having previously won the Northumberland and Tyneside heat, David went on to claim the overall ‘Rising Star’ Award for the North East at Hardwick Hall last Thursday, beating two other nominees from across the region. This award is presented to a young person in recognition for their positive impact in business, beyond their years and experience.
Despite only graduating in 2021, David has already been responsible for leading a team of eight people in the sale, design, and build of a multi-million-pound engineering system. The project was delivered as the flagship centrepiece to the UK’s first Floating Offshore Wind Innovation Centre (FLOWIC) developed by Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.
Floating offshore wind is a crucial next step in the mission for green energy, and the equipment needed to enable it is entirely novel, requiring high levels of technical innovation. The first-of-kind system David has led the delivery of is a highly innovative test rig which that will test the lifetime endurance of subsea power cables to be used in floating offshore wind farms.
David’s journey from Student Engineer to Project Owner of this multi-million-pound project began at Osbit in 2020, when he undertook a 6-month student placement with the company. Having impressed the team at Osbit during this time, David returned to the business following his graduation, gaining a range of experiences including working abroad, on vessels, and undertaking design work for various projects.
Osbit Director, Martin Jolliffe, who is responsible for Osbit’s technical delivery, and has worked closely with David since he joined the business, comments:
“What was really apparent with Dave, right off the bat, was that he just got it. He fitted in really well with the team, he was clearly very smart and was great at asking questions that meant he could quickly progress.
We encourage everyone here at Osbit to realise their true potential through offering the opportunity to take on real responsibility, right away. Dave’s fantastic achievement is a testament to this culture of opportunity we have here at Osbit, helping our people to truly thrive in what they do.”
Osbit, based in Northumberland’s Riding Mill, operates globally as part of Venterra Group, a dedicated offshore wind energy services company. Venterra was established in 2021, with a mission to help wind power grow. The innovative system David oversaw is fundamental to this mission, as the world turns to new solutions such as floating windfarms.
Upon receiving the award, David remarks…
“I’m truly delighted to have received this award. The incredible people at Osbit have played a huge part in this achievement and my personal development. I’m extremely thankful to them all for the opportunities I’ve had and the contributions they have made. To be able to showcase the work we do with this award is a privilege”.