Combining the two “will form a national champion for the development and cost reduction of offshore wind, wave and tidal energy across the UK”, it was claimed.

ORE Catapult chief executive Andrew Jamieson will lead the merged organisation. His counterpart at Narec, Andrew Mill, becomes a non-executive director of ORE Catapult.

The new body will be known as the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.

Glasgow-based