This case places students as active players in NordSea Energy’s strategic review, following the cancellation of two major U.S. offshore wind projects. Once considered a cornerstone of the global energy transition, offshore wind now faces rising interest rates, supply-chain bottlenecks, regulatory fragmentation, and political volatility. As leadership debates whether to double down on expansion, selectively retrench, or return focus to oil and gas, students confront a broader question: when do ecosystems fail?
Beyond ecosystems, the case explores capital allocation under uncertainty, credible commitment across complements, regulatory risk, and governance in capital-intensive industries. Students examine how turbine manufacturers, financiers, governments, and local communities shape project viability. Suitable for courses in strategy, innovation, energy transition, and international business, the case challenges learners to evaluate how ecosystem alignment—not technological capability alone—determines long-term competitive advantage.
1. Analyze innovation as an ecosystem coordination challenge.
2. Evaluate bottlenecks that constrain capital-intensive projects.
3. Assess strategy across fragmented regulatory environments.
4. Examine diversification versus focus under policy uncertainty.
5. Design capital allocation approaches under ecosystem risk.
- Ecosystem Strategy
- Energy Transition
- Offshore Wind
- Political Risk
- Capital Allocation
- Innovation Strategy
- SDG7 Affordable and Clean Energy
