Wind for Shipping is a project by Interreg North-West Europe, that brings together 12 partners from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France. This project started in January 2025 and will end on 1 July 2028. It aims to support the sustainable maritime transition by focusing on the use of wind propulsion technologies. Econowind is a proud contributor to this project.

The project focuses on the development of the upscaling of rotorsails and wingsails, such as Econowind’s VentoFoils. It aims for reduced production costs and optimized manufacturing processes, to make wind propulsion more commercially viable. Wind for Shipping therefore explores the automation in production, new logistics chains for global installation and the development of skilled professionals.

The total budget is €5.7 million, of which €3.4 million is co-financed by the European Union, through the Interreg North-West Europe programme. The participating regions are Pays de la Loire Bretagne (France), Weser-Ems (Germany) and Fryslân (the Netherlands). Project partners, among Econowind, include shipyards, shipping companies, research institutions and regional authorities.

By encouraging cooperation between coastal regions, it aims to strengthen regional maritime innovation ecosystems. This way, the project contributes to the development of Europe as Maritime Centre of Excellence in Green Shipping.

In the coming years, Wind for Shipping will test several wind propulsion systems on seagoing vessels, such as the VentoFoils. On top of that, it will support and examine the wider adoption of these technologies in the maritime industry.

‘Together, we are setting sail for a cleaner, smarter and more resilient future in shipping.’