A lack of trust between enterprises and authorities can affect the progress of the energy transition. The Province of Drenthe recognizes this and the resulting effects on the development of fitting economic and energy policies.
Taking up the gauntlet, Drenthe and its 12 municipalities have developed a support programme with a pool of experts - IBDO: Ik Ben Drents Ondernemer – to provide advice for small and medium businesses in the region.
IBDO: "Seizing opportunities for a green world"
Speaking the same language
Sustainability and Energy advice has been a part of IBDO’s portfolio since 2019.The experts from IBDO are often entrepreneurs themselves and therefore perfectly equipped when building a relationship with the enterprises they advise. There is a common understanding. The IBDO business advisor with the highest success rate in terms of 'conversion' also happens to be the owner a recreation park. Speaking the same language is a real bonus when offering support to the large group of SMEs in Drenthe on such topics as innovation, digitalization and energy transition.
Organizing collective demand
A key element of the IBDO experts' approach when it comes to energy advice is that of the collective interest: organizing a shared demand for renewable energy, energy efficiency technology and investments. In this regard, industrial sites are a logical starting point and the Province of Drenthe developed a special programme called “De Leidraad’ to support and develop the organizational capacity on 24 business parks.
However, there is also great interest in a sectoral organization, bundling enterprises active in the same sector and facing the same challenges in Drenthe. There are also financial incentives from a national level which help the provincial authority to follow up on individual advice with more capacity to organize .
IBDO: Promoting energy tranisition for enteprises
A positive business case
In addition to supporting the collective, industrial site or sectoral solutions, IBDO advisors also provide enterprises with individual solutions, tailored to specific needs and business potential. In both cases, a positive business case is crucial. Without this the SMEs reached by IBDO advisors are not likely to engage and move forward with their energy transition. Interesting fact is that, although many enterprises expect their business case to be negative without transition subsidies, the opposite is true, with lower energy costs and a sound return on investment.
IBDO is a separate entity
An important aspect of the best practice IBDO Business Support is that this expert pool is organized as a separate entity, outside the provincial authority. One valuable and practical tip from these business advisors is never to leave a 'conversion' without a next appointment. This is a basic sales technique used to follow up on the advice given and strengthen trust in the relationship.
As a result of the current net congestion problems all over the Netherlands, companies are more open to adapting and becoming sustainable as it is now a pre- condition for growth now.
Modesty is one of Drenthe’s cultural characteristics, to a certain extent. However, there’s little reason for this region's enterprises to be humble about their first energy transition successes. IBDO business coaches, together with provincial and municipal policy advisors, actively promote inspiring examples and this is already leading to a growing interest amongst other enterprises who now want to actively participate too.
IBDO: Energy transition and the collective demand
Tailor-made success
In the work of the IBDO Business Advisors, Drenthe's Guide for Energy Neutral Business Parks (De Leidraad) is still relevant although it's mostly used as a framework to develop individual, tailor-made solutions for specific industrial sites and their businesses. However, as we progress further in the transition, it is clear there is no 'one size fits all'. Individual plans must always be supported by the local municipality. The Province of Drenthe is already developing the next steps towards a mature and integrated regional action plan for industrial sites and business parks called ‘Toekomstbestendige Bedrijventerreinen’ (TBBT) which stands for future-proof business parks. The programme consists of a number of pillars: organizational capacity, sustainability & energy, circular economy, green & blue and restructuring.
Confirming Drenthe's success so far, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Green Growth recently recognized their tailor-made approach as a best practice for other provinces.