Search results

Developing the Hydrogen Economy

The European Commission has selected the Northern Netherlands to become the leading European hydrogen region and supports establishment of a complete local (green) hydrogen ecosystem covering production, storage, distribution, refueling and final use of hydrogen (Cordis, H2Valley, 2019). In line with the European recognition, the Dutch government has set the goal to establish a hydrogen ecosystem by 2025 that would further expand to Western Europe by 2030. Yet before the European Union nominated the Northern Netherlands as European Hydrogen Valley, the key stakeholders in the Northern Netherlands – industry, SMEs, knowledge institutions and government – committed to the long-term cooperation in development of the green hydrogen market. Subsequently, the three regional governments of the Northern Netherlands, - Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe, - prepared the common Hydrogen Investment Agenda (2019), which was further elaborated in the common Hydrogen Investment Plan (2020). The latter includes investments amounting to over 9 billion euro, which is believed will secure some 66.000 existing jobs and help create between 25 thousands (in 2030) and 41 thousands (in 2050) new jobs.However, implementation of these ambitious plans to establish a hydrogen ecosystem of this scale will require not only investments into development of a new infrastructure or technological adaptation of present energy systems, e.g., pipelines, but also facilitation of economic transformation and securing the social support and acceptance. What are the prospects for the social support for the developing European Hydrogen Valley in the Northern Netherlands and its acceptance by inhabitants? The paper discusses the social support and acceptance aspects for a hydrogen ecosystem in the context of regional experiences of energy transition, including the concerns of energy justice, safety, and public trust that were raised in the recent past.

Expats in the Twente region

http://dx.doi.org/10.14261/postit/E878E1FB-39D2-4B34-AC3ABBEDA3DC35EFIn 2015 and 2016, Saxion University of Applied Sciences organized the 2nd and 3rd edition of the Regional Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conference (RIEC).Relatively peripheral border regions are often seen as less attractive for high qualified temporary migrant workers (expats). Usually these region offer less possibilities for highly skilled migrants to find suitable work, because of the clustering of these types of jobs in core regions. Companies in more peripheral regions are thought to be less open for international experience and international cooperation. To test this assumption, several interviews with expats about their personal experiences and future improvement suggestions were held in order to get an overview of how expats feel working and living in Twente, a region which is located in the Eastern part of The Netherlands 

Uitkomsten Pilot-kennistafel “weerbaarheid en welzijn”

De Nationaal Coördinator Groningen (NCG) heeft als taak om onderzoek en kennisontwikkeling gerelateerd aan aardbevingen en de ontwikkelingen van een kansrijk Groningen te ontwikkelen.

Erasmus Plus project SUSWELL aims to improve Health and Well-being in Kosovo and other Eastern European countries

Erasmus+ capacity building project SUSWELL: 4 questions for Paul Beenen

Erasmus Plus project SUSWELL aims to improve Health and Well-being in Kosovo and other Eastern European countries. We asked projectleader Paul Beenen from Hanzehogeschool Groningen / Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen 4 main questions about his drive and motivation for SUSWELL.

How do demographic transition and unbalanced population decline affect social support systems of elderly?

The structure and financing of collective long-term care and support in the Netherlands changed dramatically with the introduction of the Social Support Act (WMO) the 1st of January 2015. This act arranged that municipalities assist people to live in their homes for as long as possible by providing various forms of aid and support. This aid and support however, is in addition to the help that people arrange for themselves and / or receive in the form of volunteer aid (mantelzorg) by family, friends and neighbours. Furthermore under this Act people only become eligible for state financed sheltered accommodation in the exceptional case of severe physical or mental illness. The fact that under the new regime of the Social Support Act municipal support is made additional to volunteer aid, it is important to understand what role family, friends and neighbours potentially can play and in fact do play. This is especially important in regions were unbalanced population decline through out-migration of young people, effectively changes social structures and accelerates the ageing of the population. For this reason we designed a limited pilot-study to test the possibilities and the necessity of a broader study focussing on potential and every day practice concerning volunteer aid for elderly in regions characterized by unbalanced population decline. In this pilot study we will focus on a rural municipality in the north of the Netherlands: Oldambt.Within the framework of this pilot-study we focussed on living arrangements and social network of two groups of senior citizens; one group of men and women aged 65-79 and one group aged 80 years and over. Based on demographic data kindly made available by the municipal office of Oldambt, in this paper we will draw a picture of these citizens living in the municipality. Going deeper into the material and the municipality’s structure we will than focus on one of the municipality’s communities, Finsterwolde, with its village, hamlets and surrounding rural area. For the purpose of this pilot-study we constructed a sample of 30 men and women aged 80+-elderly and asked them to fill in a questionnaire. Based on the outcomes of these questionnaires we than had five in-depth interviews with some of them. Finally, on the basis of the gathered material, we will draw some general conclusions while presenting some new questions for further research into the living conditions and social support systems for elderly in a region with unbalanced population decline and accelerated ageing.