Toasting a successful 2025!
Last week was dedicated to our New Year's reception. This year's theme was connection, collaboration, and looking ahead to a sustainable 2025. The meeting, held at Skybar NOK in Groningen, brought together partners, stakeholders, and New Energy Coalition's employees to jointly kick off a year full of renewed energy and ambitions. The reception included a look back at 2024 and a look ahead to 2025.
Review of the 2025 New Year's Reception
During the reception, our CEO, Marieke Abbink, gave a powerful and inspiring speech in which she reflected on the past year's achievements and outlined the course for 2025. She emphasized the important role of our regions of Groningen, Drenthe, and North Holland in the energy transition and expressed her gratitude for the dedication and commitment of all partners and colleagues.
Speech transcript: The course towards a new strategy
Welcome to our New Year's reception. First of all, I'd like to wish everyone a very happy new year! It's wonderful to see us all gathered here at the Forum in Groningen, overlooking the city and surrounding area. Because at New Energy Coalition It's about collaboration. What can we achieve together that a single organization can't achieve alone?
Multi-year strategic plan
New Energy Coalition has now concluded their multi-year strategic plan for the 2021-2024 period. We have significantly achieved and, in many cases, even exceeded the goals we defined for this period. Together, we have secured over a quarter of a billion in investments in sustainable energy for projects and knowledge. I'll share some figures to give you an idea of what that looks like. Together, we have developed more than 80 new projects, more than 20.000 participants have taken part in our educational activities, and around 15.000 people have attended our events. We have worked on fantastic and very diverse projects. I won't list all 80, but examples of these projects include: AI Hub, ConsenCUS, Waterstof Werkt (in which vocational education, higher professional education and university education collaborate with companies; the practitioner, lecturer and professor) and North Sea Hydrogen Valley PortsWe developed and implemented these projects together. Now, in the coming period, it's time for the next step in our regional collaboration.
Groningen and Drenthe
A foundation has been laid in the Groningen and Drenthe region with the plan New Energy for Groningen To boost the region's broad prosperity in the coming period with sustainable energy, and hydrogen in particular. In doing so, we contribute to the Nij Begun-programme. This applies not only to the energy sector, but also to regionally important industries and employers. The initiative to Industrial Cluster East Groningen Making things more sustainable using hydrogen is a good example of this.
Noord-Holland
We've also made great strides in the Noord-Holland region, building a robust energy cluster. Here, we're involved in developing Europe's second national Hydrogen Valley. We're also busy developing smart regional energy systems in the surrounding area.
Collaboration
Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. In the coming period, we will continue to intensify our regional collaboration to develop a new energy economy in North Holland and Groningen/Drenthe. This is already being followed up in North Holland with the collaboration with the North Sea Canal Area, and in Groningen/Drenthe with the connection to Bremen.
We often agree that we need to collaborate. In practice, however, it's not so easy! Collaboration requires an open mind, courage, and patience. Collaboration doesn't happen automatically, but together we have a wealth of knowledge, experience, and energy. Now we need to make it concrete. Who will take on what? What will companies, ports, knowledge institutions, and governments do? We live in uncertain times, and that can slow us down or paralyze us. But: uncertainty is no excuse. We have to get to work.
Looking ahead to 2025
With the 2025 goals clearly in mind, New Energy Coalition is committed to continuing to stimulate innovation, forging new connections, and making a crucial contribution to a sustainable future. As Marieke so aptly put it: "Collaboration doesn't happen automatically, but together we have a tremendous wealth of knowledge, experience, and energy. Let's make it concrete now!"
We thank everyone who attended for the inspiring evening and look forward to a successful and energetic 2025!
