Digital Twins and Deep Seas Test Europe’s Wind Ambitions

AI speeds design and monitoring as Europe pilots digital tools for the next wave of floating wind

15 Nov 2025

Europe’s floating wind sector is stepping into a new phase shaped by rapid gains in artificial intelligence. Once a topic for research papers, AI is now turning up in early commercial trials that are pulling in fresh partnerships and steady investment.

A recent review across the region shows developers leaning on AI to speed design work and trim engineering costs. Floating platforms face constant motion from waves and shifting winds, which makes them some of the most demanding structures in clean energy. AI can sweep through design options far faster than traditional CFD studies and gives teams a clearer view of what might work in deep water. One researcher noted that digital workflows are becoming almost as important as steel and concrete, even if wide adoption is still some distance away.

The shift is sparking new collaborations. Stiesdal Offshore, known for modular concepts, is testing digital twins with industry partners to cut inspection needs and improve long term reliability offshore. Acteon is expanding its digital monitoring work, rolling out AI assisted systems that watch structural behavior in near real time. Both moves reflect a wider bet that software and data will shape the next generation of offshore wind.

Europe’s pursuit of larger turbines and deeper sites adds pressure to reduce risk and improve forecasting. AI promises faster decisions and sharper predictions, though many tools still lack field scale validation in the harshest storms. Developers caution that results come with uncertainty. Regulators are also weighing how AI supported engineering might be certified in the future, but formal rules for floating wind remain mostly hypothetical. Fraunhofer IWES aims to narrow the data gap with its federated digital twin effort, which helps companies share insights without exposing sensitive material.

Even with those gaps, confidence is building. Analysts say digital tools could help Europe move from pilot arrays to true commercial scale. With governments raising clean energy goals and investors scouting for reliable growth, AI is emerging as a quiet force behind the sector’s next chapter, shaping how floating wind projects are planned, tested and delivered across the continent.