Exchanging ideas, building the future of floating offshore wind.
Four research projects. One conversation about what it actually takes to build the next generation of offshore wind.
INF4INiTY in partnership with FLOATFARM, MADE4WIND and TAILWIND.
There’s a moment in every emerging industry when the conversation shifts from possibility to implementation. Floating offshore wind is entering that moment, and this side event at WindEurope 2026 is designed to sit right at that threshold.
This is not a traditional panel of presentations. It is a working session built around a single theme: Innovation, Sustainability, and Societal Impact of Offshore Wind. The format brings together researchers, engineers, and industry practitioners who do not often share the same stage and invites the public to actively engage, ask questions, and contribute to the discussion.
Not just what we can build, but how we build it, and why it matters.
Event details
📍 Madrid, Recinto Ferial IFEMA MADRID — N113+N114, Level 1 – Conference Area
🗓️ 22 April 2026
⏰ 16:00–18:00
Official event page: https://windeurope.org/annual2026/networking/floating/
Three dimensions on the table:
- Driving down costs: Innovation and LCOE modelling to make floating wind genuinely competitive
- Offshore & the marine environment: Biodiversity, socio-environmental impact, and how coexistence moves from theory to practice
- Circular offshore wind: Rethinking materials, lifecycle, and low-impact design from the start
These are not separate tracks but interconnected dimensions of offshore wind deployment. The session addresses them holistically, where engineering, environmental and societal factors inform decision-making at every stage.
Speakers & Project Representatives
Gael Verao INF4INiTY · TU Braunschweig · LinKedIn Project coordinator. PhD in numerical modelling of wave energy converter arrays; research on cable trenching in floating offshore wind. |
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Balram Panjwani MADE4WIND · SINTEF · LinKedIn Senior research scientist, 15+ years in offshore wind. Coordinator of MADE4WIND, focused on scalable floating wind deployment. |
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Aligi Foglia TAILWIND · Norwegian Geotechnical Institute · LinKedIn Lead geotechnical engineer. Specialises in soil–structure interaction and foundation performance for offshore wind turbines. |
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Robert Behrens de Luna FLOATFARM · TU Berlin · LinKedIn Aeroelasticity and control co-design for floating wind. Leads full-system integration within FLOATFARM. |
Panelist
Christian Windt INF4INiTY · TU Braunschweig · LinKedIn Research group leader in Sustainable Ocean Engineering, covering marine renewables and aquaculture systems. |
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Rafael Ruiz Maestre MADE4WIND · ACCIONA · LinKedIn Innovation project manager. Leads R&D on floating wind substructures, bridging research and real-world deployment.
Francesco Papi FLOATFARM · University of Florence · LinKedIn Assistant Professor in wind energy. Focuses on wind turbine simulation, design and optimization, with expertise in floating wind systems. |
Moderators
Markel Penalba INF4INiTY · Mondragon University · LinKedIn Head of Offshore Technologies & Aerodynamics lab. Research spans offshore renewables and green hydrogen integration. |
Alessandro Bianchini FLOATFARM · University of Florence · LinKedIn Associate professor, wind turbine aerodynamics. WP1 leader within FLOATFARM. |
The next phase of floating offshore wind will not be driven by isolated breakthroughs but by alignment.
Alignment between technology and environment.
Between research and industry.
Between innovation and society.
That is the space this session is designed to explore and it only works as a two-way conversation.
The floor is open.
