Wind energy research network receives North German Science Award

The 2014 North German Science Award goes to the "Wind Energy Research Network". ForWind - Centre for Wind Energy Research at the Universities of Oldenburg, Hanover and Bremen, the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (IWES) Northwest and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) are involved in the network.

Lower Saxony's Minister for Science and Culture, Gabriele Heinen-Kljajić, presented the 50,000 euro prize at a ceremony in Hanover's Old Town Hall on Friday. With this decision, the science ministries of the northern German states recognised the exemplary cross-institutional and interregional cooperation of the Wind Energy Research Network.

Minister Heinen-Kljajić congratulated the scientists. She was delighted that the prize had gone to a project from Lower Saxony. "The Wind Energy Research Network is working on the rotor blades of the future, for example, which will make large wind turbines as efficient and quiet as possible. The research alliance is thus making an outstanding contribution to the success of the energy transition," emphasised the Minister. The work of the scientists involved is extraordinarily innovative and will powerfully advance wind energy research.

Stephan Barth, ForWind Managing Director and Steering Committee Chair of the Wind Energy Research Network, accepted the award in Hanover.