Internationalizing
Cooperation within the North Sea region sounds logical; after all, we share the North Sea coast. But already in 2010, an SME wind cluster was established in the Northern Netherlands: Northern Netherlands Offshore Wind (NNOW). An initiative of NOM, Energy Valley and the North Holland North Development Agency. The NNOW wanted to be a full discussion partner for large energy and wind companies. The joint acquisition, promotion and knowledge exchange worked so well that the cluster was able to operate independently as a foundation in 2016. NNOW was given back to the market and NOM, together with the province of Groningen, stepped into a new European project; Inn2Power. A stroke of internationalization.
Knowledge and opportunities
Inn2Power will run until November 2020. The goal is to have created 15 strategic collaborations by then, to have a broad database of member companies and knowledge institutions and to have created an active network through the matchmaking events organized in the different countries.
"The first two years of the project a lot has been sown, now it is time to reap," says Wim A,B. of the NOM. "The project stands or falls with the enthusiasm of SMEs."
Holly Innovation Cable Equipment
That there are many innovative and enthusiastic entrepreneurs is proven by Tjark Hulst. With his Hulst Innovation Cable Equipment (HICE), he was one of the first to be involved with NNOW and thus also with Inn2Power. HICE builds and designs innovative cable equipment for the offshore industry. The challenge for Inn2Power is to get a good picture of companies like HICE and to introduce them to possible cooperation partners or clients."