About

Engineering the future of clean energy.

CGEN designs modular generator systems that reduce lifecycle costs, simplify maintenance, and enable scalable deployment — onshore, offshore, and at sea.

Our mission is to deliver next-generation generator technology that makes renewable energy systems easier to build, operate, and maintain.

By embedding modularity, serviceability, and durability at the core of our designs, CGEN supports a more efficient, reliable, and circular clean energy transition. 

CGEN powers the next generation of renewable energy.

Milestones & achievements

  • Over six years of operational testing across wave, tidal, and wind platforms
  • 18+ months at sea in Mocean Energy’s BlueX wave device
  • Raised over £975k in funding since spinout and £4M+ in total CGEN tech funding since 2015
  • Partners in EU Horizon MEGA WAVE PTO and Innovate UK TIDEGEN
  • Completed ICURe Pre-Accelerator (2024) and TechX Business Accelerator (2025)
  • Winner: Scottish Cleantech Start-Up of the Year 2025
  • Winner: UK Cleantech Start-Up of the Year 2025
  • Advancing toward 1 MW+ wind field trials with industry partners

Our Journey

CGEN Engineering Ltd is a spinout company from The University of Edinburgh, founded by experts in renewable energy, generator designs and manufacturing. Built on 15+ years of research and development, CGEN is now commercialising its plug-and-play modular generator systems for a wide range of renewable energy applications.

With a growing industry network and multiple grant-funded projects underway, CGEN is positioned to accelerate next-generation drivetrain solutions across clean energy markets.

Our leadership team

Dr Joseph Burchell
Co-founder and Managing Director‍‍

He has completed InnovateUK's ICURe Program and was instrumental in commercialising CGEN technology. He has over 8 years' experience in renewable energy as a Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and has led the design, build, and testing of tidal and wave energy systems, including large-scale test rigs.

Prof Markus Mueller
Co-founder and Technical Director

He has 27 years' experience in renewable energy, specifically electrical engineering and generator design, working closely with industry. Markus holds a Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies, and a Chair in Electrical Generation Systems at the University of Edinburgh. His research has led to two spin-outs, and he is the inventor of C-GEN technology, holding 2 patents in generator technology.

Mike Galbraith
Manufacturing Director

He is a specialist in generator construction and mechanical systems, with over 40 years of experience in machine design, manufacturing, and system integration. He has built CGEN machines for over 15 years, and leads the development of university test rigs and commercial demonstrators throughout Europe and beyond.