Wind energy has become a cornerstone of Europe’s energy transition, supplying approximately 20% of the EU’s electricity. Yet, despite technological progress, growing investments and ambitious European targets, deployment is still not progressing at the pace required to meet Europe’s climate and energy objectives. What is holding back the expansion of wind energy in Europe, and what will it take to accelerate the transition? 

Beyond its contribution to climate neutrality, wind energy also plays a strategic role in strengthening Europe’s energy independence and resilience. “Energy security means reducing Europe’s dependence on imports. And that means deploying more domestic renewables, including wind.” as highlighted by Alexandre Fremaux, from WindEurope. This perspective underscores how accelerating wind energy deployment is not only an environmental priority but also an economic and geopolitical necessity, helping Europe reduce its reliance on imported energy while strengthening its domestic renewable energy capacity.

DTWO, TAILWIND and SUDOCO explore these questions in a three-episode podcast series, produced as part of ICONS Innovation Stories. The initiative brings together researchers and industry representatives to discuss the future of wind energy and the role of European research and innovation. 

Episode 1: Wind energy in Europe, where do we stand? 

The first episode examines the current European wind energy landscape, highlighting the sector’s achievements, future prospects and the barriers preventing faster deployment. 

Hosted by Veronica Tossetti, the discussion features experts from WindEurope, the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and the offshore renewable energy industry. 

The conversation addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing the sector, including lengthy permitting procedures, grid infrastructure limitations, supply chain constraints and investment uncertainty. 

The speakers also explore the importance of industrialisation, standardisation and digitalisation in supporting the transition towards larger, more efficient and economically viable wind energy systems. 

Particular attention is given to offshore wind development, highlighting the differences between the North Sea and the Mediterranean. While fixed-bottom technologies are well established in the North Sea, the Mediterranean’s deeper waters create opportunities for floating offshore wind, requiring innovative technological solutions. 

Three projects, one shared vision 

The podcast series reflects the complementary contributions of three Horizon Europe projects working to advance wind energy technologies and support Europe’s clean energy transition. 

DTWO is developing a federated digital twin framework to support improved data integration and the management of offshore wind systems. 

TAILWIND focuses on innovative mooring and anchoring solutions to facilitate the deployment of floating offshore wind technologies. 

SUDOCO contributes complementary research and expertise to the development of offshore wind energy solutions. 

By bringing together different perspectives and areas of expertise, the series highlights how collaboration between research and industry can help overcome existing barriers and accelerate the deployment of wind energy across Europe. 

Listen to the first episode 

What will it take to unlock Europe’s wind energy potential? 

Discover the challenges, opportunities and innovations shaping the sector in the first episode of the series. 

Listen to Episode 1 of  Wind of change: Europe’s race to stay ahead

Stay tuned for the upcoming episodes, exploring further innovations and solutions for the future of European wind energy. 

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