Transition Energy, Health and High-tech in acceleration

 The Energy, Health and High-tech innovations: what does that mean concretely for the Arnhem Nijmegen region? General director Jan van Dellen of The Economic Board Region Arnhem Nijmegen sees opportunities for sustainable energy, higher quality of care with fewer people, from which both the business community and residents reap the benefits: “The knife cuts both ways. The technology makes it possible, now only the regulations remain…”

 

 

In The Economic Board Region Arnhem Nijmegen, government, education and entrepreneurs know how to find each other for economic innovation, also when it comes to the energy transition and healthcare.

 

“The energy transition is very broad,” emphasizes director Jan van Dellen. “In this region, we have the entire energy network less than ten kilometers apart. From TenneT, which supplies high-voltage pylons, and Alliander as an energy supplier for electricity in urban areas, to Allego, which supplies electric charging stations. The healthcare sector is also the largest employer in our region, with icons such as Radboudumc, Radboud University, Rijnstate, Byondis and many healthcare providers. By working together intensively here, the healthcare innovations will reach our home faster.”

 

 

 

Connectr-Energy innovation

The innovative power in the field of energy is clustered in Connectr-Energy innovation . “In doing so, we consciously chose to focus on three core activities: electricity as a connector; energy storage and sustainable propulsion.” Connectr is on the one hand a job generator, but also ensures the maintenance of existing employment.

 

In June 2022, King Willem-Alexander opened the European test charging center of ElaadNL and in November the Connectr Shared Office opened . The first Connectr Shared Facilities that will be created in the region have also been opened, such as the Energy Demo Field where companies can safely demonstrate innovations.

 

The results of this investment in energy as a booster have brought a subsidy to our region for Nedstack of 21 million and a follow-on investment in Elestor of 30 million, both very active in hydrogen innovations.

 

 

Gear

 

The Economic Board establishes connections within the fragmented landscape of energy, healthcare and high-tech. The joining of forces of expertise and networks is extremely valuable in this respect, emphasizes the general manager. “I have eighteen members from these three sectors on my Board, all of whom are at the forefront of accelerating these developments,” notes Van Dellen.

Maarten Otto, CEO of energy supplier Alliander, is a member of the Board. But Jan van Iersel, chairman of the Executive Board of Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, also sees that we are making great strides when it comes to sustainability and circularity, where they make an important contribution to advice on nitrogen, creating room to build houses in our region.

 

 

 

Mapping

 

“Of course you need the technology and the people for that, but if the rules get in the way, then we simply can't do anything,” says Van Dellen. The Economic Board wants to identify and solve these practical problems as much as possible. “Together with the mayors and aldermen, we are looking at how we can advise the government about the existing rules, which are really very old, to speed up the transitions. But also how a healthier lifestyle can be developed in neighbourhoods, whereby the patient can be treated at home and does not have to go to the hospital every time.”

 

 

 

Share energy

 

Another example is sharing commercially generated energy with households in residential areas. “We are now looking at the possibility of a decentralized energy hub on a large industrial estate, where you can store the overcapacity in a large battery and share it with the surrounding districts,” says the general director. “This means that a district is not only self-sufficient, but you even relieve the entire regional high-voltage grid.” And here, too, the linking opportunity translates into financial benefits: “It saves dozens of euros in the energy bill per household if you can share the power. However, outdated regulations also apply here that need to be upgraded.”

 

 

 

Job market

 

But: also make a strategic contribution to the shortage on the labor market. In 2022, The Economic Board, the Green Metropool Region (18 municipalities in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region) and the Province of Gelderland will focus on: a Lifelong Development (LLO) for everyone, attracting and retaining talent and activating unused labor potential. With concrete objectives: “In 2026, 10,000 employees will be further developed in technical and digital skills,” says Van Dellen. And, he predicts: “In the period 2023-2026, 40,000 young adults were brought into contact with innovative companies in the region.”

 

 Health and High Tech

 

Exploiting economic opportunities goes hand in hand with working on social health issues and new key technologies, says the director. “High-tech provides the basis for realizing groundbreaking innovations. The focus is on technical developments that enable and accelerate the transition in healthcare, in order to bring healthcare to the neighbourhoods.” In this way it becomes possible to provide appropriate care to the residents at home. We have contributed to a Growth Fund initiative: “That is the revolution of self-thinking molecular systems. also called Robot Lab . This initiative by Wilhelm Huck, Radboud University, will end up on the Noviotech Campus.” This involves 97 million euros.

 

All these initiatives ensure that the quality of care is increased and that fewer people are involved, he notes. “The latter is important because we are also short of many hands in the healthcare sector.”