Scotland has launched its first marine energy park, Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Energy Park, to boost the nation's marine power sector.
The new site is the second marine energy park (MEP) in the UK and follows the launch of an MEP in south-west England earlier this year.
MEPs are designed to link private and public organisations working in marine energy to bring emerging technologies to the market.
The latest venture, launched by UK energy minister Greg Barker, will include the European Marine Energy Centre (Emec) at Orkney, where testing of a range of wave and tidal devices is under way.
"It's great to see Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters confirm their place on the marine power map with the launch of the second of the coalition government's UK marine energy parks," Barker said.
"Marine power is a growing green clean source of power, which has the potential to sustain thousands of jobs in a sector worth a possible £15bn to the economy by 2050."
Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing added: "Progress in Scottish wave and tidal renewables has been staggering, but the Scottish Government recognises that more financial support is needed to help the sector achieve its fullest potential.
"That is why we have committed over £30m through WATES and WATERS schemes and investment at EMEC, and why we are still continuing to invest in the sector with the £18m Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund created to accelerate the development and deployment of commercial arrays."
