In 2021, the realisation of Connectr - Energy Innovation at Industriepark Kleefse Waard (IPKW) progressed. Much more is set to happen in the coming year, promises new civic entrepreneur (CE) Marieke Butterhoff. The energy cluster in the region is going to bet on Met Smart Energy Hubs.
Last year, the construction of the Connectr Innovation Lab started in Arnhem. A great milestone for all parties who expressed their support for the project, with the Province offering 4.6 million euros and the Municipality of Arnhem 2 million. The halls of the innovation lab will get its first occupant with ElaadNL's European test charging centre in June. The intention is that more and more companies, students and governments will work together here in the coming years to accelerate the energy transition.
Direct impact from Connectr
Jeroen Herremans, 2021 CE Energy at The Economic Board, speaks with pride about Connectr: "When I took office, the goal was to realise an innovation lab for energy in the region. And that we as a board - together with the business community, the knowledge institutions and the government - then ensured that Connectr came about. The fact that it was on everyone's agenda, that everyone wanted it and that it actually happened shows the power of making choices and standing for it together."
Herremans is happy with all the developments that have taken place: "I like the fact that Connectr has made an immediate impact. A SPRONG application, a REACT application, a MOOI application and a Horizon application: in total, more than 20 million euros of development money has already been released from outside the region to the region to work on that energy transition. I think that's just fantastic."
Smart Energy Hubs
Marieke Butterhoff took over from Herremans as CE in early January. In this role, she continues to work on expanding and strengthening the energy cluster in the region. In doing so, she is specifically committed to the Smart Energy Hubs. We describe these as smart decentralised energy systems. Here, sustainable energy is produced, stored and applied locally. The challenge here is to balance the often fluctuating sources - such as sun, wind and biomass - and use of energy locally.
Butterhoff: "There are plenty of opportunities in business parks in the Lifeport region. By looking at business parks as Smart Energy Hubs, the pressure on the electricity grid can be eased. Battery and hydrogen technology as decentralised storage systems play a major role in this. Technology that is being developed in the East Netherlands and can soon be applied in the region."
Strengthening the energy cluster
Two business parks in the region are the first to explore and take up the Smart Energy Hub approach. This is at Innofase in Duiven and TPN West/Engie in Nijmegen. The link with emission-free transport, such as shipping and logistics, is obvious at these locations.
Furthermore, Connectr will also be involved in developing the Smart Energy Hubs. This will happen on the one hand as a partner in the development or implementation of projects, but also knowledge development and sharing. This will further shape the energy cluster in Lifeport.
The interactive map shows which organisations in the region specialise in the Energy theme. These parties contribute to the joint ambition to put Lifeport on the map in 2025 as a European hotspot for development of key technologies for energy transition. You can read more about these ambitions on our page on Energy.
