Every euro of EU public funding directed at wind energy generates seven euros in annual economic returns by 2040, according to a study by Trinomics and DTU Wind published on 21 May 2026. The research, produced to inform Europe’s next multiannual financial framework, makes the case for a dedicated €11.6 billion Fund for Wind Research and Competitiveness.
The proposed fund would focus primarily on manufacturing scale-up, with around €9 billion earmarked to expand European supply chain capacity. The Trinomics modelling projects that by 2040 this level of investment would add €33 billion per year in gross value added to the EU economy, support 180,000 additional jobs, boost wind equipment exports by €12.6 billion annually, and displace 70 billion cubic metres of imported gas — equivalent to roughly 700 LNG shipments. With targeted support, up to 89% of wind value would remain in the EU, compared with 47% without it.
The study identifies a structural problem with how wind is currently funded. Wind typically receives less than 2% of budgets in eligible EU programmes, spread across 12 separate schemes. Average time-to-contract in Horizon Europe and the Innovation Fund exceeds nine months. This fragmentation puts European manufacturers at a disadvantage against Chinese competitors, who received between two and five times more public support in recent years.
Without targeted intervention, Europe risks losing industrial capacity, export market share, and strategic control over critical energy infrastructure, the study warns. WindEurope is pressing for wind-specific earmarks in the next EU budget to ensure support is predictable, focused, and fast enough to match industrial timelines.
