The biggest offshore developments in 2026 span both wind energy and oil and gas, with massive projects underway across the North Sea, the US East Coast, Southeast Asia, and the Gulf of Mexico. Offshore wind is growing fastest in terms of new capacity, while oil and gas activity is picking up again in deepwater regions thanks to rising demand and improved project economics. This article breaks down where the action is, what is driving it, and what it means for the people who work on these projects.
Where are the largest offshore wind projects being built?
The largest offshore wind projects in 2026 are concentrated in the North Sea, the US East Coast, and the waters around Taiwan and South Korea. Europe leads in installed capacity, but Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region. Projects in the gigawatt range are now standard, with some developments combining multiple wind farms into single interconnected systems.
In Europe, the UK, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands continue to expand their offshore wind portfolios. The Dogger Bank project off the Yorkshire coast is one of the largest single wind farms ever built, and several similar-scale projects are in development or construction across the North Sea. Belgium and France are also accelerating their offshore programs after years of slower permitting.
In the US, the East Coast is the main hub, with projects off the coasts of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Virginia moving through construction phases. These projects are complex not just in scale but in logistics, as they require a large and specialized offshore workforce that the US market is still building.
Asia-Pacific is where growth is most dramatic. Taiwan has invested heavily in offshore wind as part of its energy transition, and South Korea and Japan are following with their own large-scale programs. Vietnam and the Philippines are also emerging as significant markets. If you are looking at offshore wind job opportunities, these regions are generating a high volume of new roles across engineering, installation, and operations.
What is driving growth in offshore oil and gas activity?
Offshore oil and gas activity is growing in 2026 because global energy demand remains high, deepwater technology has improved, and project costs have come down enough to make previously marginal fields economically viable. Regions like West Africa, Brazil’s pre-salt basin, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Middle East are all seeing increased investment and new field development.
Brazil’s Petrobras continues to develop its vast pre-salt reserves, requiring a large fleet of FPSOs and a steady supply of offshore workers. Guyana has emerged as one of the most exciting new oil provinces in the world, with ExxonMobil and its partners rapidly expanding production. In West Africa, Angola and Nigeria remain active, and Namibia is attracting significant exploration interest after major discoveries in recent years.
The Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, is investing in offshore capacity to maintain production levels and meet long-term supply commitments. We have a direct presence in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, which gives us a close view of how quickly staffing demand shifts in that region when new projects are sanctioned.
In the North Sea, mature fields are being extended through new drilling programs and brownfield investments, while Norway continues to develop new fields that will produce well into the 2040s.
How do offshore developments differ from onshore energy projects?
Offshore developments differ from onshore energy projects in three main ways: the physical environment is more demanding, the logistics are significantly more complex, and the workforce requirements are more specialized. Working at sea introduces risks and operational constraints that simply do not exist on land, and this shapes everything from project planning to staffing.
On an offshore installation, workers live and work in the same location for rotational periods, which means the project operator is responsible for accommodation, catering, medical care, and emergency response in addition to the actual work. This adds layers of cost and planning that onshore projects do not face.
Safety standards are also stricter offshore. Every person working on an offshore installation must hold specific certifications, including survival training, firefighting, and first aid. These are not optional extras but legal requirements, and they vary by region. A worker certified for the North Sea may need additional training before working in the Gulf of Mexico or Southeast Asia.
The industries we serve all share this characteristic: technical complexity combined with strict safety requirements means that getting the right person in the right role is not just a performance issue but a safety-critical decision.
What skills and roles are most in demand across offshore developments?
The most in-demand roles across offshore developments in 2026 include offshore installation managers, subsea engineers, dynamic positioning officers, marine warranty surveyors, wind turbine technicians, and QHSE specialists. Both the wind and oil and gas sectors are competing for many of the same skilled professionals, which is creating real pressure on the talent market.
Here is a practical overview of the roles seeing the highest demand:
- Dynamic Positioning Officers (DPO): Needed on virtually every offshore vessel, from installation ships to cable layers and drill ships
- Offshore Installation Managers (OIM): Senior leadership roles on platforms and FPSOs, requiring extensive experience and certifications
- Subsea Engineers and ROV Technicians: In demand across both oil and gas and offshore wind for inspection, installation, and maintenance work
- Wind Turbine Technicians (WTT): A growing role specific to offshore wind, combining electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic skills
- Marine Engineers and Chief Officers: Required on support vessels and crew transfer vessels across all offshore sectors
- QHSE Advisors: Every major offshore project requires dedicated health, safety, and environmental oversight
The shortage is most acute at the experienced end. Entry-level roles can be filled relatively quickly, but finding a certified OIM or a senior subsea engineer with the right project background takes time and a genuinely global search.
How does international crewing work on large offshore projects?
International crewing on large offshore projects works by sourcing workers from multiple countries, managing their contracts and compliance under the relevant national and international regulations, and coordinating their rotational schedules so the project always has the right people onboard. This involves navigating visa requirements, work permits, tax obligations, and maritime labor standards simultaneously.
The Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) sets the baseline standard for seafarers working on vessels, covering everything from working hours and rest periods to accommodation standards and repatriation rights. Most offshore installations and vessels are subject to these rules, which means the crewing agency and the project operator both carry compliance responsibilities.
On a large project, you might have workers from the Netherlands, Lithuania, Croatia, the Philippines, South Africa, and Mexico all working together under a single project structure. Each nationality may have different tax treaty implications, different social security arrangements, and different certification requirements. Getting this right requires both local knowledge and a solid international payroll infrastructure.
How iPS Powerful People helps with offshore developments
We have been placing people on offshore projects since 1988, and over those 35-plus years we have built a database of more than 100,000 qualified professionals across maritime, renewables, and oil and gas. When a project starts up and you need certified crew fast, that depth of network makes a real difference.
Here is what we actually do for clients on offshore developments:
- Single placements and full project crewing: Whether you need one DPO or a complete crew for an installation vessel, we handle both
- International payroll and compliance: We take candidates onto our own payroll, manage A1 certificates, work permits, and local labor law compliance, so you carry no administrative risk
- QHSE screening: Every candidate we place is screened against the safety and certification requirements of the role and the region
- Local market knowledge: With offices in the Baltics, Croatia, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and the US, we know the local talent pools and regulatory environments firsthand
- Adaptive project resourcing: Offshore projects change scope. We scale your crew up or down along the project lifecycle without disruption
Want to know more about how we work or discuss a specific staffing challenge? learn about our approach or get in touch with our team directly. We are ready to help you get the right people onboard.