The ForWind - Centre for Wind Energy Research was founded on 1 August 2003.

Bundling university research on wind energy and promoting the knowledge transfer between science, industry and politics - this was the goal with which ForWind was launched. Nine research groups from the University of Oldenburg joined forces at the time. The University of Bremen joined the centre in 2009. Today, ForWind has around 30 working groups with more than 300 employees. They conduct engineering and physical research in all areas of wind energy.

In Oldenburg, the researchers carry out highly complex and precise calculations of the flow around rotor blades and entire wind turbines as well as the flow within wind farms. Since 2017, they have had a research laboratory for turbulence and wind energy systems, the turbulent wind tunnel. Using what is known as an active grid - the largest of its kind in the world - realistic storm turbulence can be generated here at speeds of up to 150 kilometres per hour, which corresponds to a category 1 hurricane. The researchers reproduce and analyse the interaction of wind currents and wind turbines on the Windlab's 30-metre-long measuring section.

Together with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems, ForWind founded the "Wind Energy Research Network" ten years ago. It brings together more than 600 scientists who are working on large-scale projects to address urgent issues relating to onshore and offshore wind energy. They have access to a research infrastructure with test centres and laboratories that sets standards worldwide.

ForWind has long been firmly established in the national and international research landscape. For example, its members are involved in research projects on the large offshore wind farms in the North Sea and participate as experts in numerous specialised committees.