Clubhouse for the energy transition fosters interaction and collaboration
Connectr’s Shared Office has opened at the Kleefse Waard Industrial Park. This new, dynamic working environment is situated at the heart of the energy cluster for entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions and public authorities working on the energy transition. By bringing these parties together in person, knowledge and ideas can be easily shared, enabling innovations to be implemented and scaled up more quickly.
Connectr Shared Office and Innovation Lab
The new facility provides space for 100 flexible workstations that can be used on a subscription basis. Together with the Innovation Lab, where ElaadNL has already moved in this year and others will follow by the end of 2023, this is the place to meet the energy network and learn about the latest technology.
All players in the energy cluster, a mix of start-ups, scale-ups, SMEs, civil society organisations, governments and education can physically meet here to work together and accelerate each other's growth. Innovations can also be developed and tested here.
First members at work
Peter Molengraaf, figurehead of the Top Sector Energy, together with Kevin Rijke (director of IPKW), Murk Wymenga (architect of the Shared Office), Marcel Hielkema (chairman of the board of the Connectr foundation and Jeroen Herremans (director of Connectr) welcomed the first users to their new workplace. Among them Ecovolt, Floading and SemperPower, working on the three key technologies at the heart of Connectr; electrical energy engineering, electrochemical energy storage and sustainable drive systems. These key technologies feature in weekly Shared Office programming. Network parties such as Kiemt, FME and SEECE have also moved into Shared Office to connect directly with the latest developments within the energy transition.
"For your question you have as an entrepreneur, the answer is to your left or right in the Shared Office. And across the street there is still a spot free for those who want to connect!" (Jeroen Herremans, director Connectr)
European hotspot for energy transition
All ingredients are present to make this region, with Arnhem as its focal point, 'the place to be' in the field of energy. Traditionally, Arnhem already has a clustering of leading companies and institutions involved in energy transition and energy infrastructure. This starting position will now be further strengthened because, with the arrival of Connectr Shared Office and Innovation Lab, the region will symbolically and literally have its own place to deepen and accelerate collaborations.
"The most important thing is that companies and knowledge institutions will work together intensively here. We don't have time to each invent the wheel for themselves. The time has come to dare to say out loud that Arnhem is the electricity capital of the Netherlands. Not because it had that ambition, but because traditionally those companies are already located here. That also gives a great responsibility in accelerating the energy transition. If we put our shoulders to the wheel on this together, the region will also benefit. Just like in the old days." (Peter Molengraaf, figurehead Top Sector Energy)
Dit is Connectr 2030 is morgen. De energietransitie heeft een schaalsprong nodig, die vraagt om het versneld toepassen en opschalen van innovaties. Connectr zorgt daarvoor, met behulp van een Innovatieprogramma, Innovatielab, Shared Facilities en de Kernorganisatie. Innovaties worden vanuit Connectr direct getest, gedemonstreerd en in de praktijk gebracht. De kernorganisatie bestaat uit IPKW, Kiemt, Oost NL en de HAN. Ook Gemeente Arnhem, Provincie Gelderland en The Economic Board met het innovatienetwerk Lifeport zijn nauw betrokken. Al deze partijen slaan de handen ineen om de positie van Oost-Nederland als toonaangevende en innovatieve Europese regio te versterken.
