A methodology for multi-criteria design of multi-use offshore platforms for marine renewable energy harvesting

Multi-use offshore platforms (MUPs) combining renewable energy from the sea, aquaculture and transportation facilities can be considered as a challenging way to boost blue growth and make renewable energy (especially wave energy) environmentally and socio-economically sustainable. MUPs allow sharing the financial and other market/non-market costs of installation and management, locally using the produced energy for different functionalities and optimizing marine spatial planning. The design of these solutions is a complex interdisciplinary challenge, involving scientists and technical experts with different backgrounds.