The Wind Innovation Forum 2026 brought together Europe’s wind energy research and innovation community in Amsterdam for three days of discussions, knowledge sharing and collaboration. Researchers, industry representatives, national authorities and European stakeholders gathered to exchange perspectives and identify priorities for the future of wind energy research and innovation.

The Forum provided an opportunity to reflect on Europe’s research and innovation landscape and explore how current priorities can translate into concrete actions, stronger collaboration and greater impact.

Defining Research Priorities for the Future

The programme featured thematic sessions covering five key areas: Skills, Acceptability and Coexistence; Circularity and Sustainability; Wind Energy Systems Integration; Digitalisation and Optimisation of Operation and Maintenance; and Industrialisation, Scale-up and Competitiveness.

Led by EERA JP Wind’s Sub-Programme Coordinators, these sessions brought together experts from across the European wind energy community to discuss ongoing challenges, emerging technologies and future research needs. The discussions helped identify opportunities for synergies across research areas and highlighted the importance of addressing both technological and societal challenges to support the development of wind energy in Europe.

A dedicated session on cross-cutting research topics provided a broader perspective, exploring themes such as disruptive technologies, atmospheric conditions, policy, social aspects and finance. It offered an opportunity to connect different research areas and identify shared priorities for the years ahead.

Supporting European Research and Innovation

The Forum also addressed the future of European wind energy research and innovation funding. Discussions explored how Europe could support its strategic R&I priorities through the next European Framework Programme, FP10, and beyond, identifying potential instruments and opportunities to strengthen collaboration between research organisations, industry and policymakers.

A forward-looking panel brought together representatives from industry, research, national authorities and European R&I organisations to discuss how the priorities identified across the Forum could contribute to the next ETIPWind Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA).

From Discussion to a Shared Research Vision

The Wind Innovation Forum marked an important step in bringing together the expertise and perspectives of the European wind energy community. The insights gathered throughout the three days will contribute to the development of the next ETIPWind SRIA, helping define the research and innovation priorities needed to support Europe’s wind energy ambitions.

By fostering dialogue, strengthening connections and identifying common priorities, the Forum reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in accelerating wind energy research and innovation and supporting the development of a competitive, sustainable and resilient European wind energy sector.