FHI active at the OndernemersTop: focus on innovation, energy transition and regulatory pressure

On December 9, Hans Zijlstra and René Dijkstra participated on behalf of FHI in the OndernemersTop at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. This meeting, initiated by Minister Dirk Beljaarts and organized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, brought entrepreneurs together to provide valuable input. The plan was successful; a large part of the participants consisted of entrepreneurs.

After a plenary session, in which the objectives of the summit were explained, two rounds of break-out sessions followed. The topics varied, which meant that choices had to be made. Based on FHI's spearheads - Innovation and Energy Transition - and input from the members, Hans and René divided the topics as follows: Hans focused on "Complexity and reducing regulatory pressure" and "Strengthening innovation and digitalization", while René participated in the sessions on "Labor market" and "Grid congestion and sustainability". Unfortunately, the program did not allow for the topics "Space for business and environmental permits" and "Earning capacity of businesses" to be discussed.

Attendance was high, resulting in well-filled sessions with lively discussions. Many of FHI's positions were appreciated by other entrepreneurs. On the topic of regulatory pressure, Hans advocated that the government should set priorities and not draw up rules that it cannot enforce afterwards. He pointed out the need to avoid 'gold plating', where Dutch rules are stricter than the basic European rules, which harms the level playing field. He also proposed simplifying regulations, so that (small) entrepreneurs bear less administrative burden. As an example, he mentioned the CBAM regulations, which could be easily handled by customs instead of the individual companies now.

During the session on Innovation and Digitalization, Hans advocated for more accessibility of innovation and digitalization for small manufacturing companies. He emphasized the importance of industry organizations in introducing practical cases in an accessible way. This strengthens cooperation between companies and acts as a catalyst for faster innovations.

In the session on the labour market, René highlighted the importance of more technical education. He emphasised that priorities such as construction, energy transition, healthcare and ageing depend on technically trained personnel. He advocated for more financial resources for technical training, which is more expensive but essential. He also proposed basing tax on hourly wages, so that working more becomes attractive again. In the session on grid congestion, René emphasised the need for grid reinforcement and called for giving users more room for joint solutions, so that industry – the engine of our prosperity and resilience – can continue to run.

The afternoon ended with a plenary summary of the six breakout sessions, followed by a panel discussion with, among others, the minister, Jacco Vonhof and Ingrid Thijssen. It was clear that the minister understands the challenges for the business community, and in particular the industry. The focus is now on implementation, and positive results can already be reported. For example, four 'Dutch heads' on European regulations have been removed, including the requirement for the RI&E: from now on only one independent expert is required instead of three.

FHI looks back on a valuable afternoon. Hans and René are convinced that their participation has made an impact and that FHI's contributions will have a positive influence on the future of business.