Photo: Wind turbines in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region/Credit: Hamburg Media Server
Hamburg, 16. September 2026
With a total of 1,299 gigawatt of installed wind power worldwide, the industry has become a major part of the global power system. The next phase is no longer only about adding more gigawatts, but about integrating growing volumes of wind power into existing energy systems. That challenge looks different in every region, from grids and storage to offshore infrastructure, digitalisation and hydrogen. WindEnergy Hamburg will bring these perspectives together in one place.
More than 1,600 exhibiting companies from 40 countries and 43,000 participants from 100 nations are expected for WindEnergy Hamburg from 22 – 25 September 2026. Over more than a decade the event has become the leading global meeting point for the wind industry and a barometer of where the sector is heading, with a particular focus on the technologies and solutions driving the next phase.
“Wind energy is reaching a point where system integration is becoming just as important as adding new capacity,” says the wind power expert Jan Rispens, Managing Director of Renewable Energy Hamburg (EEHH). “The key question is how wind can work together with grids, storage, digital technologies, industry and hydrogen.”
Growing uncertainty across global energy markets is making regional differences more visible. Investment conditions, infrastructure needs and technology priorities vary widely from one market to another. Five regions stand out for understanding where the global wind energy market is heading next:
- Europe – system integration: Europe is increasingly focused on grids, storage, permitting, offshore infrastructure and repowering.
- Asia – scale and offshore growth: Asia combines industrial scale with fast-growing offshore markets. China leads manufacturing and deployment, while Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are expanding offshore and floating wind.
- North America – resources and demand: The United States and Canada combine large wind resources with growing electricity demand and changing regulatory conditions.
- India – rapid growth: India is becoming a major wind market and manufacturing hub.
- Brazil – renewable potential: Brazil combines strong onshore wind resources with growing industrial opportunities around grids, Power-to-X and green hydrogen.
Wind power beyond the turbine
Across all markets, the technology agenda is broadening. Storage and grids are becoming critical for system integration, while AI and digitalisation support predictive maintenance and optimisation. Offshore wind is increasingly shaped by ports, vessels, cables and supply chains. Hydrogen and Power-to-X add another route for using renewable electricity in industry.
WindEnergy Hamburg opens with a concentrated snapshot of the global wind market, bringing together global industry leaders such as Iberdrola (ES), Ørsted (DK), Siemens Gamesa (DE/ES), Vattenfall (SE), Vestas (DK) and EDP (PT) and many others to discuss energy security, competitiveness, investment and the conditions needed to scale wind worldwide.
“Whether grid connection challenges, energy security, the integration of energy storage technologies, or AI-based maintenance tools: at WindEnergy Hamburg 2026, policymakers, public authorities, scientists and the leading players of the wind energy industry will meet to jointly shape the future of onshore and offshore wind energy. Wind power is not only essential for achieving climate targets, but also for strengthening Europe’s energy security and industrial competitiveness,” says Claus Ulrich Selbach, Vice President Exhibitions Maritime & Energy at Hamburg Messe und Congress.
The opening conference on 22 September, 10:30–12:00, will be streamed live. And you can follow it online here: Live-Streams – WindEnergy Hamburg
Further market insights will be available throughout the Global Markets Theatre at WindEnergy Hamburg.
Turning global energy trends into local value creation
Wind energy is increasingly part of a broader system that includes storage, grids, digitalisation, AI, hydrogen and new industrial applications. At the same time, global challenges require local solutions. Hamburg is one of Europe’s established renewable energy centres, combining a strong wind industry with research, port and maritime infrastructure, grid expertise and a growing hydrogen economy.
One example how this transfer can be realized is the Innovation Park Hamburg-Bergedorf, which is currently under development. The site is designed to bring together internationally recognised research institutions, companies and energy infrastructure to accelerate the transfer of new technologies into industrial application.
On 23 September at 2:00 p.m. (CET), Hamburg’s Second Mayor Katharina Fegebank, Hamburg Invest CEO Dr. Rolf Strittmatter and Prof. Dr. Hans Schäfers of HAW Hamburg will discuss how this can create economic value and foster innovation at the Renewable Energy Hamburg (EEHH) booth in Hall B7.
“Innovation parks can turn research into economic value by bringing science, companies and infrastructure together in one place. The aim is to create the conditions in which new technologies can move faster from development into real-world application,” says Dr Rolf Strittmatter, CEO of Hamburg Invest.
For four days, Hamburg offers a concentrated view of how the world’s major wind regions are tackling the same challenge: turning a growing amount of wind power into a reliable and competitive part of the energy system of the future.
Further information on WindEnergy hamburg 2026
Opening Press Conference – WindEnergy Hamburg
At the opening press conference, journalists can discuss the state of the global wind industry, energy security, competitiveness, key market challenges and the growing role of Asia-Pacific. Moderated by journalist Andrea Thilo, the session will feature representatives from the global wind industry and beyond.
Participation is possible both on site in Hamburg and online via live stream.
Date: 22 September 2026
Time: 09:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (CET)
Room Chicago, 2nd floor, near the Central Entrance (Eingang Mitte)
Please RSVP at: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019fb198a1e5794c8acd5e521e9fe3dc
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