I3FLOAT maps innovation priorities for floating offshore wind

The new Floating Offshore Wind Strategic Innovation Agenda of the European I3FLOAT project maps out where innovation can make the greatest difference in the years ahead. The agenda is the result of an extensive process involving more than 400 representatives from 195 organisations across the European floating offshore wind sector.

The agenda brings together the sector’s innovation needs in 105 so-called Innovation Lines, divided into 20 sub-areas and seven strategic domains covering the full life cycle of a floating wind project. The seven domains are:

• floating substructures, mooring systems and dynamic cables;
• electrical infrastructure and grid connection;
• wind turbines and FOW-specific controls;
• wind farm design and site planning;
• industrialisation;
• logistics and offshore installation;
• operation, maintenance and decommissioning.

The innovation priorities were then assessed based on their technical and industrial feasibility and their expected impact on cost reduction. In doing so, I3FLOAT aims not only to indicate where innovation is possible, but above all where it is most strategically relevant to the further development of the sector.

An important message from the agenda is that the competitiveness of floating offshore wind will no longer depend solely on new technological breakthroughs. Scaling up production, standardisation, more efficient installation, strong supply chains, and an efficient approach to operation and maintenance will become at least equally important.

Innovation must increasingly be considered beyond the boundaries of individual technologies. The integration of different components and processes across the entire value chain will be essential to make projects more efficient, reliable and cost-effective.

The Strategic Innovation Agenda was developed through a combination of regional workshops, expert consultations and online participation. The regional workshops were organised by the eight clusters and associations working together within I3FLOAT. They brought together stakeholders from across the value chain to identify technological challenges and regional priorities.

The identified priorities are more than a strategic framework: they serve as the basis for future project calls within I3FLOAT, supporting innovative solutions and collaboration between European companies and ecosystems.

Belgium also made an active contribution to this process. As part of I3FLOAT, Blue Cluster organised a Floating Wind Roadmap Workshop in Aalst on 26 February 2026. Belgian companies, knowledge institutions and other stakeholders came together to share their expertise, needs and priorities relating to floating offshore wind.

The insights from this regional workshop were incorporated into the European Floating Wind Innovation Roadmap and the further development of the Strategic Innovation Agenda. This ensured that Belgian expertise and input could also contribute to the broader European innovation process.

With this agenda, I3FLOAT makes clear what the next phase of floating offshore wind is about: moving from promising technology towards a scalable, industrial and competitive European sector.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.