Our energy supply is changing. Fossil fuels that we use for heat, electricity, and transport are being replaced by renewable sources, and the role of decentralized energy supply is increasing. Accelerating this energy transition contributes to a vital and livable society, in which economic growth, social justice, and a clean environment make people want to live and work in the Netherlands.
Driving force innovations
Energy Innovation NL is the driving force behind the innovations needed for the shift to an affordable, reliable, safe, and sustainable energy system. We help companies, knowledge institutions, governments, and societal organizations to work together on the energy system of the future.
We encourage new initiatives that accelerate the transition to sustainable energy. In doing so, we create new economic activity and strengthen our international competitive position.
Energy Innovation NL is based on the goals formulated for 2050 in the Energieakkoord and the Energieagenda and by the EU member states. By 2050, we want to have achieved a completely sustainable energy supply and a CO2 reduction of 80 - 95% compared to the base year 1990. This provides direction for the innovations we stimulate. The Energy Agenda is based on four energy functions. In 2017, these were further elaborated into five transition paths. The innovations of Energy Innovation NLsupport the transition paths according to this coherence.
Organisation
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Energy Innovation NL and the Topconsortia Kennis en Innovatie mainly form an 'organizing capacity'. The core tasks are programming (in collaboration with knowledge institutions, companies, and governments), building Publiek Private Samenwerkingen (PPPs), and knowledge dissemination.
To implement our mission and the set goals, we work with 3 agendas:
- The Knowledge and Innovation Agenda (KIA) forms the backbone of Topsector Energie. In it, the research and innovation tasks are worked out for all themes and Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs). The Knowledge and Innovation Agenda was revised in 2017. This followed the elaboration of the transition paths of the energy transition. This meant, among other things, that interdepartmental agendas will be decisive and that there will be an even stronger focus on a cross-sectoral approach.
- International export and knowledge agenda, with which we increase the chances of sales in foreign markets and attract foreign investments.
- The Human Capital Agenda (HCA) establishes the connection between the demand for well-trained employees in the energy sector and the supply of educational institutions. New, innovative techniques require the right curricula at universities, universities of applied sciences, and vocational education, as well as 'lifelong learning and further training'.
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Peter Molengraaf, figurehead Topsector Energie
Peter Molengraaf (1965) has been the figurehead of Energy Innovation NL since January 1, 2022. He is a familiar face in the energy sector. He studied Computer Science at TU Delft and then earned an MBA at Erasmus University. He began his career at Shell in various business and project management roles. In 2005 he moved to the utilities sector and held various directorial roles at Nuon and was CEO at Alliander. For several years now, he has been active as a supervisory director at Invest-NL, Kadaster and board member at HollandSolar, among others. He will continue to hold these positions alongside his new role as figurehead of the Top Sector Energy.
As a figurehead, he sees two major challenges. Firstly, how are we going to generate even more sustainable energy, knowing that demand will continue to rise. That doesn't necessarily all have to be in the Netherlands, but we really need much more. And within the Netherlands there are definitely opportunities, such as on large buildings. The second major issue is in storage, more demand control and flexibility. Our energy system is built on continuous availability of energy and that will change as we switch to sustainable electricity. The sun and wind are simply not there every hour of the day. It really still requires a lot of ideas, knowledge and innovation to tackle these big issues. The Top Sector Energy can be a major catalyst in this.
Maxine Tillij, director of the Energy System Strategy at the Directorate-General for Climate and Energy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
Maxine Tillij was previously director of Strategic Analysis & Policy at TNO. She studied Dutch law at Leiden University. Within the Climate and Energy Directorate, the Energy System Strategy Directorate is responsible for developing the vision for the energy system in 2050, setting out development paths towards it and translating it into system choices in the present (e.g. via assessment frameworks for and integrated programming of investments in infrastructure). The management draws up the National Energy Plan and is the client for (associated) explorations and research. The management monitors and evaluates the development of the energy system and develops and uses the knowledge, information and data required for this.
Dorien Terpstra, SME representative
Dorien Terpstra is general director of the Zehnder Group Netherlands & Belgium and vice-chairman Indoor Climate Netherlands. She has worked in construction for over 20 years in various roles at both strategic and operational level at Siemens Building Technologies in various countries in Europe and Asia and AFRY, a leading engineering firm from the Nordics, among others. Within the Top Team she is the SME representative. She mainly works on how the mission-driven multi-year programmes can become accessible for SMEs in the Netherlands. She wants to see what opportunities the energy transition offers for business, from the already successful financing counter to the accessibility of information and securing and strengthening the competitiveness of the Netherlands.
Richard van de Sanden, Captain of Science
Richard van de Sanden is scientific director of the Eindhoven Institute for Renewable Energy Systems (EIRES) and professor at the Faculty of Applied Physics at the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands. He is also a research group leader at the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER) waar hij van 2011 tot juli 2020 directeur was. Sinds 2023 is hij lid van het Topteam Energie. In zijn grensverleggend onderzoek richt hij zich op het ontrafelen van de fysisch-chemische processen in plasma’s, onder andere van belang in de innovatieve productie van groene chemicaliën en brandstoffen en hij is zeer goed ingevoerd in de wereld van waterstof. Binnen het Topteam is hij, als Captain of Science, vooral bezig met het verbinden van kennisinstituten aan het innovatieproces om de energietransitie te versnellen. Richard behaalde zijn Ph.D. in 1991 van de Universiteit Eindhoven over een fundamenteel plasmafysisch onderwerp en promoveerde door tot voltijd hoogleraar aan de Technische Universiteit Eindhoven in 2000. Bij het DIFFER-instituut richt hij zich op de fysica en chemie van plasma-oppervlakte-interactie en op onderzoek naar de directe en indirecte omzetting van hernieuwbare energie in synthetische brandstoffen en chemicaliën. Hij won verscheidene wetenschappelijke prijzen zoals de Plasmaprijs van de AVS Plasma Science and Technology Division voor zijn carrièreprestaties. Hij is auteur en co-auteur van meer dan 500 papers en mede-uitvinder van meer dan 20 patenten. In 2021 werd hij lid van het bestuur van NWO-TTW en sinds 2022vertegenwoordigt hij dit bestuur in de programmacommissie van NWO-NWA.
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- Rob Kreiter (TKI Energie en Industrie)
- Jörg Gigler (TKI Nieuw Gas)
- Bob Meijer (TKI Offshore Energy)
- Michiel Kirch (TKI Urban Energy)
- Harold Veldkamp (Digitalisering)
- Marsha Wagner (Human Capital Agenda)
- Martine Verweij (MVI Energie)
- Mart van Bracht (Systeemintegratie)
Job Openings
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There are no job openings at this time.
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TKI Urban Energy
Verbouwstromen is looking for a Communication Strategist, Communication Specialist, and Scrum Master. Click here for more information (Dutch). -
There are no job openings at this time.