It brings together the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters MEP and its English counterpart the South West MEP, which covers the area from the Severn Estuary and around the coast of Cornwall to the Isle of Wight.

The agreement was signed at the Renewable UK Wave and Tidal Conference in London witnessed by Greg Barker, the UK Climate Change Minister, and Fergus Ewing, Scotland's Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism.

Mr Ewing said: "The Memorandum of Understanding between the marine energy parks ensures a more coherent and strategic approach in developing the marine renewables industry. It will also provide greater leverage in Europe."