The energy transition is stalling not just due to a lack of new talent, but because we’re losing vital expertise. ISPT-director Tjeerd Jongsma stresses the urgency of retaining knowledge to keep the Netherlands at the forefront of innovation.
More than eight out of ten Dutch municipalities lack the professionals they need to fulfil their responsibilities in the energy transition, according to research by consultancy firm BMC. The shortage of expertise is a worrying trend.
The energy transition demands a large-scale overhaul of industry, energy infrastructure, and the built environment. This requires thousands of technicians and engineers – but they are few and far between. The influx of technically trained young people has dropped significantly over the past decade, and universities are producing far fewer graduates than needed.
At the same time, we are losing the people who do have experience. Major companies are laying off staff, often leading to the permanent departure of professionals with years of knowledge. As a result, a tremendous amount of expertise is disappearing.
The solution is not just to train new professionals, but especially to retain the knowledge we already have.
That is a dangerous development. If we don’t act now, we risk losing our position as a leader in sustainable technology. We’ll soon have to import expertise from countries like South Korea just to build our own power plants. The money isn’t the problem – the lack of people is.
The solution is not just to train new professionals, but especially to retain the knowledge we already have. Companies should aim to hold on to their staff longer, for instance by temporarily assigning them to other projects or even other organisations. This used to work well in a partnership between TNO and ASML: during busy periods, employees could transfer to ASML and later return to TNO. Such hubs could once again play a crucial role in preserving expertise within the Netherlands.
The Netherlands still has a chance to lead the way in the energy transition. But if companies go under and valuable knowledge is lost, we risk shooting ourselves in the foot.