TPWind works to identify research priorities in order to lower wind energy costs. The SRA will focus on the long-term scenarios for technology development, encouraging the industry, member states and political decision-makers to use long-term research findings when they develop new prototypes.

The MDS will present the optimum future market conditions for large-scale deployment of wind technology. Through the MDS, Member States, EU institutions, research institutions and the industry will be able to tailor market-related policy development to the changing needs of the technology as it matures.

Commissioner Potočnik said at EWEC that “The Strategic Research Agenda released by the Wind Technology Platform contains a well structured analysis of the needs of the wind energy sector to achieve its ambitions. I am very glad to see this. I also note that a large number of priorities are put forward in this document. So it will be important to have a clear focus for the activities to come.”

Commissioner Potočnik asked the wind industry, as represented at EWEC, if it was ready to create a European Industrial Initiative on Wind Energy Technologies. He was referring to the European Commission’s Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), which was adopted by the EU Council at the end of February 2008. Wind energy is one of the six key technologies identified in the SET-plan for an industrial initiative.

According to Commissioner Potočnik, the financial aspect of this initiative will be addressed through the upcoming Commission proposal for financing low carbon technologies, current FP7 instruments, national programmes, and industry participation:

“By marrying the resources available through the Framework Programmes with those of national and regional authorities within joint programmes, and by working with industry in public-private partnerships, we will achieve much more in the future.“

TPWind’s Strategic Research Agenda and Market Deployment strategy documents, to be released this summer, will help provide research guidance and pave the way to a European Wind Industrial Initiative. Another upcoming TPWind event is the first TPWind Mirror Group meeting, which will be held in May 2008, bringing together representatives of Member States in order to ensure European wind energy research priorities are matched at national level.



More information on TPWind
Download the synopsis
Read Janez Potočnik's speech during the EWEC closing session.