Much has been written about the “new economic powerhouses” such as China, India and Brazil catching up with the traditional world leaders of Europe and North America.

The wind energy industry is by no means immune from this phenomenon: the industry originated in Europe, but by last year the biggest market was China. Moreover, more and more wind energy companies are setting up factories in China and India, as well as in countries like South Korea and Brazil.

Although many components have to be imported from Europe, and European turbines maintain their reputation for the highest quality, some Chinese-made wind turbines have even now started being exported.

What does all this mean for Europe’s wind power industry? Will it be overtaken by the Asian behemoth? June’s Wind Directions – coming soon - investigates the globalisation of the industry to try and answer these questions and more.