The fastest-growing offshore projects right now are offshore wind farms, particularly floating wind installations in deeper waters, alongside continued expansion in oil and gas decommissioning and subsea infrastructure. Renewables are leading the charge, driven by government targets across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North America. This article breaks down which sectors, regions, and roles are growing fastest, and what that means if you need to staff up for one of these projects.
What sectors are driving offshore project growth right now?
Offshore wind is the single biggest growth driver in offshore projects today, followed by subsea oil and gas maintenance and decommissioning, and increasingly by offshore hydrogen and carbon capture infrastructure. These three sectors are generating consistent demand for vessels, crews, and specialist engineers across all project phases.
Offshore wind has moved from a niche European technology to a global industry in less than a decade. Governments across the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, the US, Taiwan, South Korea, and Australia have committed to large-scale capacity targets, and developers are building out projects at a pace that the supply chain is still catching up with.
Oil and gas is not standing still either. While new greenfield exploration is more selective, subsea maintenance, life extension, and decommissioning are all growing areas. Operators are investing heavily in keeping existing infrastructure productive and in safely retiring assets that have reached the end of their life. Both activities require skilled offshore crews and project professionals.
Emerging sectors like offshore hydrogen production and carbon capture and storage (CCS) are earlier in their development cycle, but they are generating real project activity and real hiring demand, particularly for engineers with subsea or offshore energy backgrounds who can transfer their skills.
Why is offshore wind expanding faster than other energy sectors?
Offshore wind is expanding faster than other energy sectors because it combines strong policy support, falling technology costs, and growing investor confidence. Unlike oil and gas, which is subject to price volatility and shifting sentiment, offshore wind benefits from long-term government contracts that give developers and their supply chains a stable basis for investment.
The economics have also improved dramatically. Turbine sizes have increased significantly, meaning fewer units are needed to generate the same capacity. Installation vessels, cables, and foundations have all become more efficient to deploy. This makes projects financially viable in locations and water depths that would have been unworkable a few years ago.
Floating offshore wind is one of the most active frontiers right now. Fixed-bottom turbines are limited to shallower coastal waters. Floating platforms open up vast new areas, including the deep waters off the US West Coast, Japan, and Norway, where wind resources are strong but the seabed is too deep for conventional foundations. Projects in this space are moving from the demonstration phase to early commercial scale in 2026, which is creating demand for specialists who understand both offshore engineering and renewable energy systems.
Which regions have the most offshore projects in development?
Europe remains the most active region for offshore projects overall, with the North Sea, Baltic Sea, and Celtic Sea hosting large pipelines of wind development alongside ongoing oil and gas activity. Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region, led by Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and Australia. The US Gulf of Mexico and East Coast are also seeing significant investment.
In the Middle East, offshore oil and gas projects continue to expand, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where national energy companies are investing in both production capacity and infrastructure upgrades. We have a direct presence in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, which gives us a strong read on what is moving in that market and what roles operators are actively looking for.
The Baltic region is particularly active for offshore wind, with projects in German, Danish, Finnish, and Polish waters all progressing. Our offices in the Baltic States mean we are well positioned to source qualified crew and specialists for projects operating in that part of the North Sea and Baltic.
Latin America, particularly Mexico and Brazil, is seeing renewed offshore oil and gas investment, and Mexico is also beginning to look at offshore wind potential in the Gulf of Mexico. If you want to explore the full range of industries we work across, including civil and maritime, you will find that the same regions driving offshore growth are also where most of the broader energy infrastructure activity is concentrated.
What types of offshore roles are most in demand on growing projects?
The offshore roles in highest demand right now are installation engineers, marine coordinators, subsea technicians, dynamic positioning (DP) officers, and QHSE specialists. On the renewables side, wind turbine technicians with offshore certification and experience on specific turbine platforms are particularly sought after. On the oil and gas side, subsea engineers and inspection specialists are consistently needed.
Project management and marine warranty surveying roles are also in strong demand as developers try to coordinate complex, multi-vessel installation campaigns. These are senior positions that require both technical depth and commercial awareness, and they are genuinely hard to fill quickly.
For anyone looking at current offshore vacancies, the most active areas right now reflect exactly this pattern: installation support roles, vessel crew, and specialist engineers with offshore renewables or subsea experience.
How do staffing needs differ between offshore wind and oil and gas projects?
Offshore wind projects tend to require larger crews for shorter, concentrated installation campaigns, while oil and gas projects more often need smaller, highly specialized teams over longer operational periods. This means the hiring model, contract structure, and mobilization timelines are quite different between the two sectors.
Wind installation campaigns are often seasonal and vessel-dependent. A single installation vessel may need a full crew of 100 or more people, all required at the same time, for a campaign that runs for several months. The challenge is mobilizing quickly, ensuring everyone holds the right offshore certifications, and managing crew rotations efficiently.
Oil and gas projects, particularly on production platforms or subsea maintenance contracts, tend to operate on continuous rotation schedules. The crew size may be smaller, but the continuity requirement is higher. Operators need people who know the asset, understand the procedures, and can work safely in a high-consequence environment with minimal ramp-up time.
The table below summarizes the key differences:
| Factor | Offshore Wind | Oil and Gas |
|---|---|---|
| Crew size per project | Large (installation campaigns) | Smaller, specialized teams |
| Contract duration | Short to medium, campaign-based | Longer, rotation-based |
| Mobilization urgency | High, tied to weather windows | Moderate, planned in advance |
| Key certifications | GWO, HUET, offshore wind specific | BOSIET, OPITO, IMIST |
| Payroll complexity | High (multi-country, short contracts) | High (long-term international rotations) |
How can operators staff up quickly for a fast-moving offshore project?
Operators can staff up quickly for a fast-moving offshore project by working with a staffing partner who has a ready database of pre-screened, certified professionals and can manage contracts, compliance, and payroll across multiple countries from a single point of contact. Planning ahead and confirming key roles before the project start date is the single most useful thing you can do.
The reality is that the most qualified offshore professionals are often already on rotation or committed to other projects. If you start looking for a DP officer or a marine coordinator two weeks before mobilization, you are competing with every other operator who did the same thing. Starting early, even with a provisional scope, gives you access to a wider pool.
Compliance is the other area where projects slow down unnecessarily. International projects involve visa requirements, local labor law, A1 certificates within the EU, and varying certification standards. Getting this right before your crew mobilizes, rather than discovering a problem at the quayside, is what separates projects that start on time from those that do not.
How iPS Powerful People helps you staff offshore projects
We have been placing crew and specialists in offshore projects for more than 35 years, with a database of over 100,000 qualified professionals and offices in the Netherlands, Baltic States, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Mexico, and the US. That reach means we can source the right people quickly, wherever your project is operating.
- Full project crewing: We do not just fill individual vacancies. We can take on the complete manning of an offshore project, from survey to installation, managing crew rotations, certifications, and mobilization logistics.
- Payroll and compliance: We place candidates on our own payroll, handle A1 certificates for EU work, and manage contracts in line with local labor law, so you carry no compliance risk.
- Sector expertise: We work across maritime, renewables, oil and gas, and civil, and we screen every candidate against QHSE requirements and international safety standards before they go anywhere near your project.
- B Corp certified: We hold B Corp certification, which means our business practices meet verified standards on social and environmental performance. That matters when you are choosing a long-term partner.
Whether you need one specialist or a full project crew, we are ready to help you move fast without cutting corners. Learn more about who we are or get in touch with our team to talk through what your project needs.