Marine Innovation & Technology Uses Digital Prototyping to Create More Stable Platforms for Deep-Sea Wind Turbines

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — August 30, 2010 — Marine Innovation & Technology, a naval architecture and offshore engineering firm, is using Digital Prototyping software from Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), to develop the WindFloat: a small, floating platform capable of supporting large offshore wind turbines.

Autodesk Inventor Professional, Autodesk Vault Professional, and Autodesk Showcase Professional software helped enable the company to design and render the WindFloat in just three weeks. The WindFloat improves on the design of existing offshore support structures by significantly minimizing the motion caused by environmental forces such as wind, waves and currents.

The WindFloat’s improved stability means that wind turbines can be placed in previously inaccessible locations where water depths exceed 50 meters and winds are nearly constant — greatly increasing the potential of offshore wind as a renewable energy resource. Each WindFloat can produce up to 10 megawatts of renewable electrical power, enough to power as many as 10,000 homes.

Digital Prototyping Aids Design and Visualization

Through the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program — which provides software grants for emerging clean tech companies in North America and Europe — and with training support from Autodesk reseller KETIV Technologies, Marine Innovation & Technology was soon leveraging the benefits of Inventor software. As a result, Marine Innovation & Technology significantly accelerated the development of the WindFloat as well as contributed to the company’s marketing efforts.

“Digital Prototyping has been essential to expressing our ideas to prospective clients,” said Dominique Roddier, partner of Marine Innovation & Technology and CTO of Principle Power. “We use Inventor software to build a single 3D model that provides vital technical information, and we can create exquisite renderings using Autodesk Showcase Professional, which enables clients to see a photorealistic rendering of the product before they decide to invest.”

Marine Innovation & Technology’s success designing the WindFloat helped it to sell the technology to renewable energy company Principle Power, which plans to use it for the commercialization of green electricity. Principle Power aims to deploy the WindFloat technology worldwide and is already actively pursuing projects in Portugal, Oregon and Maine. Using Autodesk Vault Professional software, Marine Innovation & Technology was able to securely store and distribute engineering information between project sites.

“Marine Innovation & Technology is making exciting contributions to the renewable energy sector,” said Robert “Buzz” Kross, senior vice president, Autodesk Manufacturing Industry Group. “We are pleased that Digital Prototyping helped them reduce the time required to design and visualize the WindFloat and secure key new business wins.”

About the Clean Tech Partner Program

The Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program supports early-stage clean technology companies by providing design and engineering software that accelerates their development of solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Clean tech companies in North America and Europe who can benefit from Autodesk solutions for Digital Prototyping are invited to apply to receive up to $150,000* worth of software for only $50. Access to a collection of Autodesk industry-leading software applications includes up to five licenses of AutoCAD Inventor Professional Suite, Autodesk Showcase, Autodesk Vault Professional, Autodesk Revit Architecture, Autodesk Alias Design, Autodesk Algor Simulation and Autodesk Inventor Publisher software. For additional information, visit http://www.autodesk.com/cleantech.

About Marine Innovation & Technology

Marine Innovation & Technology is a consulting firm specializing in challenging offshore engineering problems involving complex hydrodynamics. Founded in 2003, the company is headquartered in Berkeley, Calif. For additional information, visit www.marineitech.com.

About KETIV Technologies

KETIV Technologies is a leading Autodesk Gold Partner with over 25 years' experience delivering CAD software and services in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Focused on the manufacturing, AEC, and Process Plant industries, KETIV's team of industry experts increase the profitability of engineering companies by helping them simplify the process of conceptualization, design and production.

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and entertainment industries -- including the last 15 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software to design, visualize and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com .