ForWind, the centre for wind energy research, is growing: the University of Bremen has recently joined as a new partner. The centre now combines wind energy research from the universities of Oldenburg, Hanover and Bremen, forming a research network that is unique in Germany. The close cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology IWES creates a research network of international importance that can cover all areas of wind energy research.

The collaboration between the three partners is already showing initial success: the universities are currently cooperating in the "germanwind" wind energy cluster in the north-west region. The network of around one hundred partners recently qualified for the final round of this year's cutting-edge cluster competition organised by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Increased cooperation between scientists from the three locations is planned in the area of research. The universities also want to jointly develop study programmes in the field of wind energy.

Lutz Stratmann, Lower Saxony's Minister for Science and Culture: "By funding ForWind, the state of Lower Saxony is making a decisive contribution to ensuring the efficient further development of an innovative technology through basic and applied research at
. In recent years, ForWind has successfully intensified the networking of science and industry. The addition of the University of Bremen to ForWind expands the research spectrum so that we can utilise our potential in the north-west
even better and more effectively in future."

Renate Jürgens-Pieper, Senator for Education and Science of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen: "The university research network ForWind is an excellent complement to the wind energy research of the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology in Bremerhaven IWES. Together with the
industry, these institutions are making a decisive contribution to developing the north-west into Germany's leading region for wind energy. Participation in the cutting-edge cluster competition organised by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is a further step in this direction."

Prof Dr Joachim Peinke, scientific spokesman for ForWind, praised the entry of the University of Bremen. This expands the research spectrum of ForWind to include important subject areas. "In future, the aim is to jointly advance wind energy research. In this way, ForWind wants to help establish the north-west region of Germany as a wind energy location
of outstanding international importance in the long term."