Stu Pringle
Founder
The 2026 Spanish edition of WindEurope rolled into Madrid this April. A new venue in a new city. Does that extend to a new wave of industry optimism?
Well, judged on footfall alone, absolutely. This event was b-u-s-y. This was my third event of the year and the level of buzz in Madrid made my trips to Glasgow for Scottish Renewables and London for Oceanology feel like mere starters before this as a full fat main course. (I have not got myself in the right mindset yet to take on the behemoth that is Hamburg for this September).
It was busy. But was it any good?
That depends on how you measure it. The venue itself was perfectly pleasant, two large halls linked by an outdoor central corridor of seating and cafes that only works in climates considerably drier and warmer than we are blessed with back in the UK. Getting to and from the venue was, ahem, interesting. The surrounding building works meant that Google Maps was a lie and the ‘walk’ from the nearest overland station was more like an obstacle course. Fences may have been scaled. I did get to see all of Real Madrid’s training ground though (and that was pretty cool.) The taxi set up was wild, not quite sure how the system worked (or didn’t). By day two, I had it figured out and the pro-move was the metro. Take the metro.
The atmosphere was upbeat. I’d describe it as cautiously optimistic. It’s not the boomtown of a few years ago but there is a feeling that wind is back and recent developments like the AR7 results in the UK have given the industry a sense of momentum again. Long may that continue. It was not unbridled optimism however, many of the protagnists at the show have been in this game for a long time now, to quote of them “I’ve been riding this rollercoaster for years,” so while the buzz was definitely there, so was the realism.
The mood on the floor
Every show I go to, I see new exhibitors whose brands are previously unknown. This year it felt like there were a number of newer players in the blade optimisation and software space. What was also noticeable was the ‘big guns’ were keeping it relatively low key. While most of the Tier 1 developers were there, there wasn’t the massive stands seen elsewhere. Perhaps the budget is baked into Hamburg. As one wiley delegate said to me “there’s only one company doing the flex of the upstairs meeting room – I wonder what actually gets said in those meetings?” What indeed….?
While booths were modest in size, they were overflowing with features. From bits of cool tech to the essential branded coffee baristas, it was all there in numbers this year in Madrid. There was also a healthy volume of start ups, fighting the good fight and putting out some tight and effective pitches to the passing delegates (that stuff is hard, *doffs cap*)
Was it light on projects and heavy on service providers? Honestly, yes, I think you have to acknowledge that. But having been to the Bilbao equivalent twice in the past, I think that’s long been a feature of this particular show.
Madrid after dark
Madrid itself was cool. I was taken out for dinner by the lovely people from Adapted Energy. We went Bodega hopping in proper Madrid and on to an awesome restaurant for one of those meals that will be remembered for a long time. I just wish I could remember the name of where we went but its lost in the fug of Bodegas and Cervesas. And that’s ok.
As ever, I bumped into plenty of UK based and even Bristol based businesses. You know, for those based in Brizzle, we could meet up in Gloucester road any time, let’s not leave it so long…
Leaving Madrid with something you don’t always get: momentum
Where does all this leave us? Well, despite the lurking spectre of international geopolitics and ongoing discussions of OEMs and floating commitment, I have to say I came away from Madrid with renewed enthusiasm and confidence in this great industry.
Are boom times around the corner? Most likely not, but considered development and innovation coupled with a lot smarts around safety, efficiency, and cost saving – that feels like its happening and that for me is something to be celebrated.
Next big stop on the tour is Manchester in June ahead of the big one, Hamburg this September.
2026? You look good so far.
Like what you see?
Let's spec out a project and get going.
