Quo Vadis 2023 Munich
After 4 long years, WRS GmbH was able to continue with the 14th Quo Vadis Conference in beautiful Munich, Germany
It seemed as though all the delegates had been building themselves up for the return of their favourite conference. Almost 90 guests joined Sigi and Kevin at the Augustiner Schützengarten restaurant for the Pre‐Event Dinner on Wednesday evening, 1st November, where they were treated to some tasty Bavarian food and, of course, excellent German Beer and Wine.
Fantastic atmosphere
One question from a delegate to Kevin was “How many people are here tonight.” “Almost 90” Kevin replied. The delegate’s enthusiastic reply was “It seems more like 190, it’s fantastic.”
Conference
At the conference on the next day, 80+ engineers, 37 of which were new to Quo Vadis, 20 different owners and 12 different countries, saw some inspiring presentations…
Sally Lockwood (Generating Better) answered the question, Does the way offshore windfarms are ‘born’ into operation affect their performance?
Friedrich von Storch (EnBW) gave an insight into Offshore O&M excellence and the opportunities and challenges in a vast growing market
Following a comfort break which gave ample time for all‐important networking everyone was treated to another excellent presentation from the technical guru that is Paul Sheldon. He went into depth about the failures of yaw gears and the approach that should be taken to try and mitigate further failures. He also advised what considerations should be taken into account when refurbishing these units.
Hall of Fame
Sigi Donovan took to the stage and presented her now renowned ‘Hall of Fame’ which is always a big favourite with delegates.
Exhibition
The lunch break, which included a hot and cold buffet in the exhibition area, gave delegates the opportunity to visit exhibitors, and of course more time for networking between likeminded engineers.
The afternoon opened up with an in‐depth presentation from Joanna Law and Robert Willems (Vattenfall) regarding the availability of spare parts, followed by Joe Dalton (NTR) who explained how vital it was to look at both wind speed and wind velocity. Following another break the final presentation by Keir Harman (DNV) was entitled: “On the pathway to net zero – how ESG and AI enable longer windfarm lifetimes.”
Hospitality and sponsors/exhibitors
Hotel Leonardo City South was exceptional in every way in supplying refreshments during the day, and WRS GmbH is extremely grateful to the Platinum sponsors DNV and RES, as well as the exhibitors: Hove, Liebherr, Renewable FS, System Seals, Morgan, UFI Filtration, SkySpecs, and Winergy.
The Conference finished at 4pm to allow some delegates to make their way to the airport. Those who stayed on enjoyed another evening exchanging ideas and thoughts. The feedback was totally positive, and everyone said that they were looking forward to next year’s conference in Vienna.
Delegate quotes –
posted on LinkedIn
Nobu Takagi, Horizon Ocean Management, Japan – “Taiga and I attended Quo Vadis which is one of the most prestigious conferences in the wind industry. The event was held in Munich after 4 years break by COVID19.
“It is a fantastic opportunity to hear about the latest situation, challenges and progress in onshore/offshore wind, as well as meeting with industry experts and building professional relationships.”
Clayton Taylor, Ventient Energy – “Just returning from a great event in Munich and the Quo Vadis Conference. A thoroughly enjoyable and interesting couple of days meeting new and old colleagues within the wind industry. Thank you to all the speakers for their insight.”
Craig Jones, Winergy – “Brilliantly organised event with so much passion and knowledge in the room. Such a great environment to share experiences and network. Massive thanks to Sigi & Kevin for making this happen!”
Kevin Harrington, NTR – “There are many great conferences and events across the renewables industry calendar but as a Wind Owner/Operator, Quo Vadis really is unique and the MUST attend one for me. Thank you Kevin & Sigi for a fantastic 2days. Can’t wait for Vienna 2024 to earn another Quo Vadis star.”
James Hamilton, Natural Power – “The Quo Vadis Conference 2023 has been an experience of profound learning and engagement. My deepest appreciation goes to Kevin and Sigrid Donovan for their stellar organisation and coordination, making this event a success once again. Their dedication has crafted a welcoming platform for insightful discussions on sustainable industry issues.
“A big thank you to all the speakers who shared their knowledge and sparked thought‐provoking conversations among us attendees. Their presentations were not only enlightening but spurred a forward‐thinking dialogue that is essential in these pivotal times.
“The buzz for next year’s gathering in Vienna is already in the air, and I am wholeheartedly looking forward to it. The prospect of delving deeper into sustainable practices and networking with likeminded professionals is something I am eagerly anticipating.”
Quo Vadis Conference
Kevin and Sigrid Donovan
WRS GmbH