Form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement under 2007 Stock Option Plan



 Exhibit 10.3 
 AMERICAN SUPERCONDUCTOR CORPORATION 
 Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement 
 Granted Under 2007 Stock Incentive Plan 
  

	1.	Grant of Option. 

 This agreement evidences the
grant by American Superconductor Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), on          (the “Grant Date”) to          an
employee of the Company (the “Participant”), of an option to purchase, in whole or in part, on the terms provided herein and in the Company’s 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), a total of
         shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, $.01 par value per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) at          per Share. Unless
earlier terminated, this option shall expire at 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on          (the “Final Exercise Date”). 
 It is intended that the option evidenced by this agreement shall not be an incentive stock option as defined in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended, and any regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Code”). Except as otherwise indicated by the context, the term “Participant”, as used in this option, shall be deemed to include any person who acquires
the right to exercise this option validly under its terms. 
  

	2.	Vesting Schedule. 

 Except as otherwise provided in
this Agreement, this option may be exercised prior to the Final Exercise Date as to not more than the number of shares set forth in the table below during the respective periods set forth in the table below. 
  

				
	 Exercise Period
	  	Percentage of Shares as to
Which Option is Exercisable	 
	 Less than one year from [  ] (the “Vesting Date”)
	  	0	%
	 At least one year but less than two years from the Vesting Date
	  	33 1/3	%
	 At least two years but less than three years from the Vesting Date
	  	66 2/3	%
	 At least three years from the Vesting Date
	  	100	%

 The right of exercise shall be cumulative so that to the extent the option is not exercised in any
period to the maximum extent permissible it shall continue to be exercisable, in whole or in part, with respect to all Shares for which it is vested until the earlier of the Final Exercise Date or the termination of this option under Section 3
or the Plan. 








	3.	Exercise of Option. 

 (a) Form of Exercise.
Each election to exercise this option shall be in writing, signed by the Participant, and received by the Company at its principal office, accompanied by this agreement, and payment in full in the manner provided in the Plan. The Participant may
purchase less than the number of shares covered hereby, provided that no partial exercise of this option may be for any fractional share or for fewer than ten whole shares. 
 (b) Continuous Relationship with the Company Required. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 3, this option may not be exercised
unless the Participant, at the time he or she exercises this option, is, and has been at all times since the Grant Date, an employee, officer, or consultant or advisor to, the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company as defined in
Section 424(e) or (f) of the Code (an “Eligible Participant”). 
 (c) Termination of Relationship with the
Company. If the Participant ceases to be an Eligible Participant for any reason, then, except as provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) below, the right to exercise this option shall terminate 60 days after such cessation (but in no event
after the Final Exercise Date), provided that this option shall be exercisable only to the extent that the Participant was entitled to exercise this option on the date of such cessation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the
Participant, prior to the Final Exercise Date, violates the non-competition or confidentiality provisions of any employment contract, confidentiality and nondisclosure agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, the right
to exercise this option shall terminate immediately upon written notice to the Participant from the Company describing such violation. 
 (d)
Exercise Period Upon Death or Disability. If the Participant dies or becomes disabled (within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code) prior to the Final Exercise Date while he or she is an Eligible Participant and the Company has
not terminated such relationship for “cause” as specified in paragraph (e) below, this option shall be exercisable, within the period of 180 days following the date of death or disability of the Participant, by the Participant (or in
the case of death by an authorized transferee), provided that this option shall be exercisable only to the extent that this option was exercisable by the Participant on the date of his or her death or disability, and further provided
that this option shall not be exercisable after the Final Exercise Date. 
 (e) Discharge for Cause. If the Participant, prior to the
Final Exercise Date, is discharged by the Company for “cause” (as defined below), the right to exercise this option shall terminate immediately upon the effective date of such discharge. If the Participant is party to an employment or
severance agreement with the Company that contains a definition of “cause” for termination of employment, “Cause” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in such agreement. Otherwise, “Cause” shall mean willful
misconduct by the Participant or willful failure by the Participant to perform his or her responsibilities to the Company (including, without limitation, breach by the Participant of any provision of any employment, consulting, advisory,
nondisclosure, non-competition or other similar agreement between the Participant and 

  

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the Company), as determined by the Company, which determination shall be conclusive. The Participant shall be considered to have been discharged for
“Cause” if the Company determines, within 30 days after the Participant’s resignation, that discharge for cause was warranted. 
  

	4.	Withholding. 

 No Shares will be issued pursuant to
the exercise of this option unless and until the Participant pays to the Company, or makes provision satisfactory to the Company for payment of, any federal, state or local withholding taxes required by law to be withheld in respect of this option.

  

	5.	Nontransferability of Option. 

 This option may not
be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered by the Participant, either voluntarily or by operation of law, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and, during the lifetime of the Participant, this option shall be
exercisable only by the Participant. 
  

	6.	Change in Control. 

 Notwithstanding any other
provision of Sections 2 and 3 of this Agreement to the contrary, this option shall become exercisable in full immediately prior to a “Change in Control of the Company” (as defined below). For purposes of this Agreement, a “Change in
Control of the Company” shall occur or be deemed to have occurred only if (i) any “person”, as such term is used in Section 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)
(other than the Company, any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company, or any corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportion as
their ownership of stock of the Company), is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of
the Company’s then outstanding securities; (ii) during any period of two consecutive years ending during the term of this Agreement, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board of Directors of the Company, and any
new director (other than a director designated by a person who has entered into an agreement with the Company to effect any transaction described in clause (i), (iii) or (iv) of this Section 6) whose election by the Board of Directors
or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who were either directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or whose nomination for
election was previously so approved (collectively, the “Disinterested Directors”), cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board of Directors; (iii) the consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any
other corporation, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting
securities of the surviving entity) more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation; or (iv) the stockholders of the Company
approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or there occurs the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company assets. 
  

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	7.	Provisions of the Plan. 

 This option is subject to
the provisions of the Plan (including the provisions relating to amendments to the Plan), a copy of which is furnished to the Participant with this option. 
 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this option to be executed under its corporate seal by its duly authorized officer. This option shall take effect as a sealed instrument. 
  

											
		 		 		 	AMERICAN SUPERCONDUCTOR CORPORATION
						
	Dated:	 	  
	 		 	By:	 	  
	 	
		 		 		 		 	[  ]	 	

  

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 PARTICIPANT’S ACCEPTANCE 
 The undersigned hereby accepts the foregoing option and agrees to the terms and conditions thereof. The undersigned hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy
of the Company’s 2007 Stock Incentive Plan. 
  

			
	PARTICIPANT:
	
	  

		
	Address:	 	  

		
		 	  



  

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