Offshore wind energy stands out as one of the most dynamic renewable energy since 2010, with a relevant market growth in Europe. The deployment of this emergent sector could trigger positive effects on the economy, in terms of job creation, industrial diversification or GDP contribution. However, Spain is lagging behind due to the lack of sectoral promotion policies and a negative macroeconomic environment. In this regard, it should be advisable to conduct ex-ante economic analyses before the implementation of promotion policies. The aim of this paper is to quantify the main potential economic effects of offshore wind on the Spanish economy. The methodology is based on the analysis of the value chain through the life cycle perspective concerning temporal and permanent activities. In addition, the economic quantification is based on the demand-pull input-output approach. Empirical evidences underline a relevant job creation, even in a scenario with a limited installed capacity in comparison with the main European markets. Moreover, most of this employment is concentrated on temporal activities, as well as on industrial activities. The main results emphasise that this sector is capital-intensive. Thus, it is key to set stable long-term policies in order to foster the sectoral value chain. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.