Heureka oder Phoenix aus der Asche? Der Entwicklungspfad der Offshore-Windenergieindustrie in Nordwestdeutschland

Abstract

Eureka or phoenix from the ashes? The developmental trajectory of offshore wind energy in Northwestern Germany. After the crisis in the shipbuilding industry the hopes for new regional developmental impulses are based upon the boom in offshore wind energy production. The paper examines whether there exist direct or indirect links between the new and the old regional industrial trajectory. The results indicate that these links are only of indirect nature. The core stimuli for the development were the ports in which seagoing vessels are able to land and a strong market pull effect. The crisis in contrast only generated an indirect push effect and the shipbuilding industry provided human capital and specialized infrastructure from which the new industry could benefit, but which could have been created elsewhere as well.