As a result of the emerging energy crisis and the requirement for countries to utilize more energy derived from renewable sources, demand for renewable energy technologies is likely to rise. Therefore, it is critical that production of such technologies is ramped up in order to meet this demand. However, evidence suggests that engineering and manufacturing companies in the UK are not entering the renewables market at the desired rate and, hence, renewable supply chains currently lack the ability to respond to increased demand due to the lack of businesses willing to move into supplying the renewables sector. Through a three phased research approach, this paper will identify the barriers and risks that are suggested as reasons why companies do not invest and operate within the renewables sector. Through further analysis obtained from the survey work and focus groups, the paper goes on to identify and categorize these barriers and risks in the form of ‘system constraints’ which are then used to construct a current reality tree (CRT) that connects the constraints into a comprehensive characterization map of the sector which suggests why companies fail to enter the renewables supply chain market. The CRT identifies the complex arrangement of issues which act as risks and barriers. These issues include; poor supply chain readiness leading to a company’s inability to respond quickly and correctly to opportunities, a lack of suitable policies and government investment in the renewables infrastructure (which leads to a lack of opportunities for supply-chain companies) and a lack of knowledge of the sector by companies, meaning that supply-chain companies are resistant to investing in the sector for fear of poor return on investment. This work provides key insights into the UK manufacturing supply chain and its attitudes to entering the renewables sector. Furthermore, the paper also applies and evaluates the use of the CRT technique and ascertains its suitability to effectively characterize sector issues and its current problems.

Marine renewable energy technologies (MRE-T), which capture energy from oceans and seas, represent a pivotal area for sustainable energy development. These technologies, including wave energy converters, tidal energy systems, ocean thermal energy conversion, and salinity gradient power, offer the potential to diversify energy sources, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and mitigate climate change impacts. Despite its vast potential, marine renewable energy currently constitutes only a small fraction of global electricity generation, highlighting the challenges and complexities associated with its development and deployment. This paper builds on original research undertaken in 2019 by the authors exploring the barriers for companies attempting to enter the Marine Renewable Energy-Supply Chain (MRE-SC). The aim of this paper is to adopt the Theory of Constraints (ToC) approach to develop a Future Reality Tree (FRT) which creates a roadmap to enable companies to successfully enter the MRE-SC. This will enable academics and practitioners to visualize the cause-and-effect relationships around market entry into MRE-SCs for companies, whilst outlining the future goals, and the pathways to achieving the desired results within a holistic system. Therefore, the FRT provides a bridge between current and future visions and provides a valuable strategic perspective on the way companies can transition into the MRE-SC, thereby enabling a future state to be described, guiding the identification of changes that are required to establish an effective change management approach.