ForWind and NorthWind sign Memorandum of Understanding for joint wind energy research

On 22 May 2023, John Olav Giæver Tande (Chief Scientist at the Norwegian research organisation SINTEF and Director of the Centre for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FME) NorthWind) and Dr Stephan Barth (Managing Director of ForWind - Centre for Wind Energy Research) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for joint offshore wind energy research in the presence of the German Ambassador Dr. Detlef Wächter. Detlef Wächter, Minister President Stephan Weil, Minister of Economics Olaf Lies and State Secretary for Science Prof. Dr. Joachim Schachtner.

In the future, potentials are to be explored on how infrastructures can be used jointly and how scientists and students can cooperate more closely by exchanging data and research results. Within the framework of the cooperation, both partners want to identify opportunities for European and Norwegian-German research cooperation in the field of offshore wind energy.

The cooperation opens up the possibility for the partners to work together on the development of a European Centre of Excellence for Offshore Wind Energy. In this research network, expertise and ideas can be brought together to achieve the set goals for the development of offshore wind energy in Europe in a timely manner. In addition, this cooperation would also act as a hub for the training and qualification of urgently needed skilled workers for the wind energy industry. The cooperation is based on the existing good cooperation within the framework of European research projects and the coordination in the European Energy Research Alliance. Together with other leading research institutions from this alliance, the aim is to establish a sustainable cooperation framework in line with the importance of offshore wind energy for Europe.

FME NorthWind is a Norwegian research collaboration. The centre, which brings together leading Norwegian and international universities, research institutions and industrial companies, provides a dynamic and comprehensive platform for interdisciplinary research. The diverse research activities are aimed at the further development of wind energy technology, especially in the field of offshore, environmental impact assessments, as well as research transfer to the participating industrial companies.

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