FOCUS ON DEMAND will be the theme for 2024.
ERC’s Steering Committee announced this on the annual breakfast event for invited members at the TNO location in Rijswijk.

Our new partner Deloitte received a very warm welcome from the members present.
Oscar Snijders of Deloitte introduced the company and his colleague Gisele Widdershoven will take the seat in the Steering Committee. Furthermore, Deloitte’s director of the sustainable finance team Michiel Engelaar will lead the focus group Financing the Energy Transition. With this expertise ERC has widened its span for the members who want to strengthen their financial knowledge.

Coming back to the 2024 theme, ‘Focus on demand’ is key to make the energy transition happen. For many producing and supply oriented companies, uncertainty of demand stands in the way to take investment decisions. This year we will organize three demand focused events on the built environment, industry and mobility, respectively. We expect to have significant uncertainty reduction and new insights by year end.


OVERVIEW EVENTS 2024:

• 7 MARCH - DEMAND IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. 

• 4 JUNE - MATCHING ENERGY SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR INDUSTRY

• 14 NOVEMBER - DECARBONISATION PATHWAYS FOR TRANSPORT
   

Maxine Tillij, director of Energy System Strategy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) presented the 5 Government priorities formulated in the recent National Plan Energy System 2050. The first two are Maximizing Energy Supply and  Saving Energy. In a world moving away from about 80% fossils in the energy mix today maximizing the supply of zero-emission energy sources includes scaling up of solar-PV, wind, nuclear and bio-based carbons, which will be needed to produce feedstock for the chemical industry and sustainable transport fuels.

The 2030 goals are within reach, but we have to move now to the more difficult sectors to be decarbonized in the next decade. According to Maxine this requires a longterm strategy which is adaptive at the same time. This is a real brainteaser for supply and demand oriented companies and their staff.
It sems that the themes of EZK and ERC are complementary, so let’s makes good use here to help us striking the balancing act of LT-strategy and adaptation to changes in society.



Following the key note, our managing directors of the partner companies gave their views on their areas of attention. Some of the broader topics included future business models, e.g. what products will be produced, where the major decisions are being made since many companies have the HQ outside the Netherlands. Furthermore, how uncertainties in supply and demand affect the eco-system of large corporates with many SME suppliers. Scarcity of space is a key issue for expansion of infrastructure and the amount of new materials required. Innovation should go hand in hand with a social narrative that resonates in people’s minds to make ET successful.



Adam Middleton connected the panel of Young Professionals by stating the AI is indeed an important development, however expertise of people is absolutely key: there is a need for a large influx of talent at all levels. The five YP’s of the respective partner companies talked about the fact that the transition is not going fast enough, let’s get doing things, focus on execution and realization – and their passion to make thing happen. My personal take away is that our YP’s are less encapsulated and have therefore the mental freedom to drive ‘unconventionals’, so let’s give them that space.

Before and after the meeting time was well-spent for networking, getting-to-know and social contact. This makes our community valuable to members and I trust Deloitte will experience this value very soon.

The presentation of Maxine as well as the photos taken can be found at the website www.energyreinventedcommunity.com. Login to your personal account. 
Go to FORUM, select EVENTS and select "2024-01 FOCUS ON DEMAND".

We thank Ewald Breunesse for writing the report.
Looking forward to meeting you again on 7 March in Nieuwegein!