Early September the 2023-2024 Academic Year was kicked off in all Dutch Universities. One of them being the Eindhoven University of Technology at which ASML CEO Peter Wennink chairs the Supervisory Board. Topic of the ceremony was the speed of the energy transition. Whilst the University and the politician took a more national perspective, ASML CEO Peter Wennink looked at the issue from a different perspective. He sees fragmented politics. “Compared to our competitors, we are at a disadvantage. We risk falling behind because there is no clear vision, no long-term focus. And that doesn’t just apply to government. Business and academia are also responsible for a fair society, they have to take responsibility.”
Mr. Wennink’s message is echoed by Ann Mettler, vice president, Europe, at Breakthrough Energy, in one of McKinsey’s recent Executive Briefings (Business insights on growth and societal benefits | McKinsey). “Europe has been ahead of the curve when it comes to new technologies to combat climate change.” The problem, she notes, is that Europe lacks an innovation ecosystem that can deploy technologies at scale. Technological speed, scale, and simplicity are crucial for Europe to maintain momentum in its energy transition.
At Acerus we believe Multi Stakeholder Partnerships between businesses, NGOs, financial institutions and government are crucial to speed up innovation in Europe and stay competitive.