A new study by consultancy Trinomics, in collaboration with DTU Wind, has concluded that every €1 of public funding allocated to wind energy innovation and industrial scale-up could generate €7 in annual economic returns for Europe by 2040, while strengthening the EU’s industrial competitiveness, energy security and strategic autonomy.

The report calls for the creation of a dedicated Fund for Wind Research and Competitiveness, arguing that targeted support for the wind sector would deliver significant economic and industrial benefits across the European value chain.

According to the study, the proposed fund would provide €11.6 billion in support to the European wind industry, with around €9 billion earmarked for expanding manufacturing capacity to ensure the continent’s supply chain can meet rising demand linked to Europe’s energy independence goals.

The authors recommend integrating this funding into the future European Competitiveness Fund to ensure more strategic and efficient allocation of resources.

€33 billion annual boost to the EU economy

The study estimates that targeted wind funding would deliver major returns for the EU economy by 2040, including:

• Adding €33 billion annually in gross value added
• Supporting 180,000 additional jobs across the wind value chain
• Increasing EU wind equipment exports by €12.6 billion per year
• Ensuring up to 89% of wind value remains in Europe, compared with 47% without targeted support
• Reducing energy imports by displacing 70 bcm of imported gas annually, equivalent to around 700 LNG shipments

The report describes investment in wind not only as an energy transition measure, but also as a central industrial policy strategy for Europe.

Despite the sector’s strategic importance, the study argues that EU funding for wind energy currently remains too limited and fragmented.

According to Trinomics, wind projects typically receive well under 2% of the budgets available under EU programmes for which they are eligible. Support is currently spread across 12 different EU programmes, many of them based on broad technology-neutral calls.

The report also highlights administrative delays, noting that average time-to-contract under programmes such as Horizon Europe and the Innovation Fund exceeds nine months.

The study warns that this fragmented support structure weakens Europe’s wind industry in the face of growing international competition.

China increasing pressure on European manufacturers

The report points to China as a major competitive challenge, stating that Chinese turbine manufacturers have received between two and five times more public support than their European counterparts in recent years.

According to the study, this stronger backing has enabled Chinese companies to scale manufacturing capacity more rapidly and compete more aggressively in global markets.

The authors warn that insufficient funding in the next EU budget cycle could result in Europe losing market share, industrial capacity, jobs and potentially influence over critical energy infrastructure.

Call for dedicated wind funding in next EU budget

The study concludes that the EU should earmark dedicated funding for wind energy in the next European budget to ensure support becomes more focused, predictable and aligned with industrial needs.

It argues that a more coordinated funding framework would help expand European manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, boost exports and innovation, and keep a larger share of the wind sector’s economic value within Europe while reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.