Pioneer from the north
The success of wind turbine manufacturer Enercon is mainly based on its innovative strength.
ALWAYS ONE IDEA AHEAD. The rise of the Enercon company to the position of an internationally leading manufacturer of wind turbines is above all associated with one name: Aloys Wobben. At the beginning of the early 1980s the talented engineer and shrewd entrepreneur built his first wind turbine in a garage. In 1984, in Aurich, East Frisia, he founded the firm that now employs 13,000 people and has installed more than 22,000 turbines in over 30 countries. Wobben’s motivation was the conviction that we can get by without fossil fuels. He also had a passion for research and development. As a result, Enercon today owns over 45% of the patents in the wind energy sector worldwide. In 2012, Wobben retired from the operational business and transferred his shares to a foundation. One of his 1980s wind turbines is still turning today – in the garden of his one-family house on the outskirts of Aurich.
