The European Union should establish a dedicated European Fund for Wind Research & Competitiveness as part of its next long-term budget to strengthen the region’s wind energy industry and safeguard its position in the global clean tech market, a new report from the European Technology & Innovation Platform on Wind Energy (ETIPWind) said on Tuesday.
In its report From Innovation to Industrial Competitiveness, ETIPWind argued that current EU research and innovation (R&I) policies fall short of supporting the scale-up and industrialisation needed to meet Europe’s climate and energy targets. The proposed fund would centralise support for wind energy R&I, streamline bureaucracy, and direct public investment toward critical industrial and technological challenges.
“This report shows wind energy can become the pillar of Europe’s industrial competitiveness and energy security agenda,” said ETIPWind Chair Adrian Timbus. “We need to build on this momentum to ensure wind is a top priority in Europe’s industrial strategy and that we invest massively in innovation and industrialisation of wind power solutions.”
The wind industry is a key component of the EU’s clean energy sector, employing more than 370,000 people and contributing over €52 billion to the bloc’s gross domestic product, according to the report. Nearly all wind turbines installed in Europe — 99% — are manufactured domestically, underlining the sector’s strategic importance to the continent’s energy independence and technological sovereignty.
Despite this, recent figures show that wind installations are not keeping pace with EU targets. In 2024, only 13 gigawatts (GW) of new wind capacity were added — significantly below the 35 GW per year required to meet the EU’s 2030 target of 425 GW.
The report identified increased and better-coordinated R&I funding as essential to scaling up wind deployment. Priority areas include automation of manufacturing, streamlined installation techniques, innovative turbine designs, and investment in grid and port infrastructure.
ETIPWind said the EU’s current support for wind energy innovation is “too fragmented, lacks focus and direction, and is overly bureaucratic.” It added that the current financial ecosystem for wind is underdeveloped and does not provide the targeted support needed to commercialise new technologies.
The proposed European Fund for Wind Research & Competitiveness would act as a “technology-specific one-stop shop” covering the entire innovation chain, from basic research to large-scale deployment. ETIPWind is calling for a minimum of €600 million annually in combined EU and national public funding under the next multiannual financial framework (2028–2034).
The group also emphasized the need to simplify administrative procedures and implement a shared EU-wide strategy to align innovation goals with industrial needs.
“There is great consensus between the political will and the industry needs,” Timbus added. “We must strengthen and formalise the collaboration between the wind sector, the European Commission, and the Member States.
