SUNBIO has delivered integrated technical and scientific results demonstrating the feasibility of multifunctional offshore renewable energy infrastructures combining clean energy generation, ecological restoration, and continuous marine monitoring. Its core outcome is the design and experimental validation of the Offshore Hybrid Renewable Energy System (OHRES), integrating wave energy, marine photovoltaics, and thermoelectric generation into an autonomous platform capable of powering observatories and nature-inclusive monitoring hubs. The project also established a validated framework for nature-inclusive offshore design, including biocompatible structures, artificial reefs, and restoration solutions for seagrass habitats, together with a comprehensive ecological monitoring strategy based on fixed and mobile platforms, multi-parameter sensors, and indicator-based assessments aligned with EU and international frameworks. Collectively, these results demonstrate how offshore energy installations can evolve from single-purpose infrastructures into biodiversity-supporting assets. SUNBIO’s impacts include reduced environmental footprint of offshore renewable energy, enhanced habitat restoration and biodiversity, and improved ecosystem resilience, alongside technological advances in hybrid offshore energy systems, autonomous power supply, and integrated environmental monitoring. Strategically, the project supports EU climate neutrality objectives, the Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy, and the Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters”, with strong potential for replication. Further uptake will require extended pilot-scale demonstration and long-term testing, continued optimisation of hybrid energy integration, storage, and adaptive monitoring, access to investment and blended finance, and supportive regulatory, standardisation, and innovation frameworks enabling scale-up and long-term impact.
