Scotlands new dawn.

As daylight broke on 16th February 2009, a year of careful planning and guarded negotiations came to fruition. For the Crown Estate it was the climax of a job well-done, for Scotland it was a glimpse into its new industrial future.

At 8am the Crown Estate announced the winning bids for Scotlands first offshore wind licenses. The ten-strong list of winners boasted most of Europes wind energy majors, with a sprinkling of home-grown giant-killers too.

Had these licences been located elsewhere or had they been onshore, then one could have been forgiven for barely noticing this rather understated event, but it wasn't elsewhere, it was Scotland and its significance couldn't be ignored.

Up until now, Scotland has barely figured on the global wind energy scene and yet it boasts some of the best wind resources in Europe. Key to its lack of development had been an unwillingness by the Scottish Parliament to endorse the erection of turbines across some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Which is why the offshore licensing round proved to be such a milestone.

Historically, onshore wind farm projects have received a hostile reception from the 'not-in-my-backyard' (NIMBY) brigade and stringent planning regulations have caused severe (if not terminal) delays. By moving the whole shebang out to sea, the Crown Estate were alleviating some of the risk posed by NIMBYism, whilst capitalising on the stronger, more consistent offshore winds.

So Scotland was launched into the spotlight of the wind energy industry and Alex Salmond took a significant step towards realising his dream of turning Scotland "into the "Saudi Arabia" of marine energy". But whilst the Scottish first minister may have appeared in a greenish hue of SNP yellow in front of the TV cameras on the 6th Feb., there is significantly more to play for than a smog-free highland games in 2050.

Scotland has a problem and a pretty big one at that. North Sea oil deposits are being depleted or are no longer sustainable at current low oil prices and before long thousands of jobs in the North Sea oil industry will be under threat. This will hit Scotland hard, particularly the north-east, which has enjoyed unrivalled prosperity over the past few decades and could lose its highly skilled work-force. If this happens, the Scottish parliament will feel the backlash, something they wish to avoid at all costs.

If any industry makes a natural bedfellow to the oil and gas industry, it is offshore wind. Many new technologies and methodologies employed in the O&G industry could be transferred with a little 'tweaking' to the offshore wind industry and one company has already been created to do just that.

However, whilst the technologies make excellent bedfellows, the mindsets don't. In this respect, wind and oil & gas are at a juxtaposition to each other. Some view the former as a threat to their traditional engineering industry, but if offshore wind is to succeed, business leaders need to place their prejudices aside and prepare for its arrival.

Offshore service companies are in an ideal position to adapt to the changing market and expand their operations to accommodate offshore wind. If they are proactive now, they can grab a slice of the burgeoning market before others follow. If they don't, highly lucrative opportunities could be wasted, resulting in an economic and social fallout rivalling that of the docks and fishing industries.

Scotland has made an excellent start to what could be a revolutionary period in its history. Success in harnessing the financial might of wind will be rewarded by an industry for the future.

Failure to do so will punish those who can afford it least.