Building Renewable Energy Capability: Mark Day Joins Azura Ocean Technology Through New Zealand’s Applied Doctorate Scheme
EHL is pleased to acknowledge the appointment of Mark Day ( Mark Day | LinkedIn) to Azura Ocean Technology, an EHL strategic partner, through New Zealand’s Applied Doctorate Scheme.
Mark’s appointment represents more than a valuable research opportunity. It highlights the importance of creating clear pathways for emerging engineers and researchers to apply their skills in the renewable energy sector, where technical depth, adaptability, and commercial understanding increasingly need to work hand in hand.
Working in collaboration with the University of Canterbury and Azura Ocean Technology, Mark will undertake a research project under the theme “Aotearoa’s Path to Energy Innovation.” With a background in Mechatronics Engineering, Mark brings a strong foundation in controls, automation, and integrated water systems—capabilities that are highly relevant to the future development of ocean energy and broader renewable technologies.
As the renewable energy industry evolves, progress depends on more than expertise in a single discipline. It requires engineers and researchers who can move across technical domains, connect research with real-world application, and contribute to the commercialisation of emerging technologies. Mark’s background demonstrates this crossover clearly. Skills developed in automation, control systems, and water technologies have direct relevance to the design, optimisation, and scaling of renewable energy solutions, particularly in complex environments such as ocean energy.
His appointment also reflects the wider value of applied doctoral programmes in building the sector’s future workforce. Initiatives like New Zealand’s Applied Doctorate Scheme help bridge academia and industry, giving talented researchers the opportunity to deepen their knowledge while contributing directly to innovation challenges faced by companies operating at the forefront of clean energy development.
For Azura, bringing doctoral researchers into the business supports the development of fresh ideas, contemporary scientific approaches, and long-term innovation capability. For the sector more broadly, it strengthens the talent pipeline needed to help renewable energy industries grow, adapt, and mature.
Mark’s journey is a strong example of how the next generation of engineers can build on existing technical expertise and apply it in new contexts to support the transition to a more sustainable energy future. As ocean energy and related renewable technologies continue to develop, this kind of interdisciplinary capability will be essential.
We congratulate Mark on this opportunity and look forward to seeing the impact of his research with Azura Ocean Technology and the University of Canterbury.
Advancing Offshore Desalination – Azura Ocean Technology
