Dear Mr. Catto,
Dear Mr. Aufderheide,
Dear Mr. Albers,
Dear Minister Horch,
Dear Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to the Global Wind Summit in Hamburg, welcome to the world-largest wind energy fair and the Wind Europe Global On & Offshore Conference.

About 40% of the exhibitors this year come from outside Germany, which shows the high degree of international interest in ecological wind energy technology and business.

To meet the climate goals set forth in the Paris Agreement, we need a rapid extension of on- and offshore wind farms, we need to invest in our power grids so that we can transport the clean energy to consumers, and we have to promote technological innovation – first and foremost the development of new energy storage systems and the extension of sector coupling.

Under the banner “NEW 4.0 – North-German Energy Transition”, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein rallied businesspeople, researchers and politicians into an innovation alliance.

Together, we want to synchronise the consumption and production of electricity and network intelligent systems. The goal is to supply our entire region, all of our companies and 4.5 million inhabitants, with 100 % renewable electricity by 2035.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Hamburg has come a long way as a wind-location. Well-established companies have managed to compete successfully on the world market and to retain its pioneering spirit.

Start-ups, corporations and research institutes are working hand-in-hand to find innovative solutions to make grids more adaptable and efficient, and to improve our storage and transformation systems.

We are also trying to touch base with other innovative industries that share our interests: solutions from the maritime industry, from ports and logistics, aviation and e-mobility could be useful for the development of renewable energy.

This is why you will meet shipbuilders at the WindEnergy fair as well as people who develop drones, which are already being used to monitor wind farms.

The energy revolution needs strong, practical research. The success of the wind industry depends on technical innovations being developed and introduced to the market. All of this is happening in Hamburg.

The Energy Research Association brings together the expertise in the field of energy research of Hamburg’s five major universities:

• the University of Hamburg,
• the HafenCity University,
• the Hamburg University of Technology,
• the Helmut Schmidt University and the
• University of Applied Sciences Hamburg.

We have a Center for Green Technology, the Energy Campus and several cooperations with the Hamburg based Fraunhofer Institutes, such as a rotor blade testing facility, which is supposed to help improve the reliability and longevity of wind turbines.

20,000 people in the metropolitan region Hamburg work in the field of renewable energy.

Here the wind industry can find infrastructure with modern production plants, heavy-load port facilities, top-of-the-line shipbuilding technology and specialised industry for offshore projects.

This makes Hamburg an excellent place for business and a perfect host for the world-largest wind energy fair.

Ladies and Gentlemen, between 500 speakers, 1,400 exhibitors, and 35,000 visitors at the WindEurope Conference, Hamburg this week is firmly in the hands of the wind industry.

I wish you all a successful fair, with good conversations and networking.

Thank you very much.

Es gilt das gesprochene Wort.