Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) uses tethered flying devices to access wind energy at variable altitudes, beyond the reach of conventional wind turbines. The emerging technology aims to reduce the material consumption and environmental impact and eventually also reduce the cost of renewable energy. Over the past 15 years, the scientific and industrial community has grown considerably. Technology demonstrators up to 600 kW have been built and tested in relevant environments.

In total, 171 delegates from 20 countries across Europe and abroad, among them scientists and engineers, professors and students, entrepreneurs and investors, convened to share their experiences, findings, opportunities and visions for airborne wind energy.

The conference program included

• 6 plenary talks by selected experts from international agencies, industry and academia
• 63 oral presentations in 12 sessions arranged in three parallel tracks
• 2 panel discussions with 5 OEM presentations covering all aspects of AWE
• 2 poster sessions, preceded by plenary spotlight presentations

We saw fascinating documentation of industrial developments, ongoing research projects and engaging panel discussions about key themes for the commercialization of the technology. In addition to the learning component, the conference was also the perfect opportunity to network within the emerging community.