Discussions during WindEurope 2026 in Madrid, on substructures and sustainable material solutions highlighted the need to balance performance with manufacturability, installation and lifecycle considerations in floating offshore wind development.
The session also underlined the importance of collaboration in accelerating progress. Bringing together projects with complementary approaches supports a broader understanding of sector challenges, spanning engineering, manufacturing, environmental and societal aspects.
Zabala Innovation, responsible for communication and dissemination within the MADE4WIND project, emphasised the role of linking innovation with stakeholders and policy frameworks.
Floating offshore wind is expected to play a significant role in enabling deployment in deeper waters and contributing to Europe’s climate neutrality targets. However, the discussion highlighted that progress will depend on integrated approaches addressing not only technical performance, but also sustainability, cost and social acceptance.
MADE4WIND, which stands for Innovative circular materials and design methods for the development of floating wind turbine components, focuses on the development and testing of new component concepts for a 15 MW floating offshore wind turbine. This includes design and manufacturing approaches for blades, substructures and drivetrain systems.
