Cooperation as an engine for future-proof business parks in Limburg

When talking about sustainability, we quickly think of housing or mobility. But much of the task lies in places that are less visible, and at least as decisive: business parks. They play a key role in Limburg's future.

Masses of production, transport and innovation take place on these sites. At the same time, the challenges are piling up. The electricity grid is full, demand for fossil-free energy is growing, climate change is causing heat stress and flooding, and pressure on space is increasing. For entrepreneurs and municipalities, this task feels complex. Because where do you start? And how do you safeguard all your own interests and priorities?

Lidy Rutten, booster on behalf of LWV, sees it on many business parks: entrepreneurs who want to, but each act from their own situation. Their focus is on issues such as personnel, costs, continuity and growth. Sustainability comes on top of that, but many issues transcend the individual company.

"A business park consists of different entrepreneurs and owners, with different interests and challenges," says Lidy. "But issues such as energy, grid congestion and climate adaptation affect the whole area. You can't solve those on your own as an entrepreneur. You need each other for that."

That is precisely where the first challenge lies. Without a clear organisation, there is a lack of cohesion, ownership and a point of contact towards municipalities. As a result, good ideas get stuck in separate initiatives.

According to Lidy, a good level of organisation is therefore the basis for really getting sustainability off the ground. "Only when entrepreneurs organise themselves, for instance through a business association, park management or working group, does it create space to formulate ambitions together, make choices and tackle collective projects."

This organisation is important in practice. But it also creates trust and support. "Sustainability should not be a top-down trajectory," stresses Lidy. "It should become a joint movement of entrepreneurs, municipalities and other stakeholders."

Boosting that level of organisation requires time, attention and personal contact. In practice, that means going out into the field, talking to entrepreneurs and listening carefully to what is going on. Not starting with a policy goal or a ready-made plan, but asking what entrepreneurs themselves experience.

"You have to take entrepreneurs seriously," says Lidy. "Listen to their questions and concerns. Connect to what is urgent for them, not what seems logical on paper. That could be about rising energy costs, expansion plans, accessibility, safety or flooding. From such recognisable themes, room is created to look wider. Small, concrete topics in particular can be the start of bigger steps towards sustainability."

An independent booster plays an important role in this: someone who monitors the process, brings interests together and ensures that discussions do not remain separate. "That role is essential to turn loose conversations into one unified voice. By starting small and achieving initial results together, trust grows. And with it the willingness to look beyond one's own company," Lidy says.

From a specific issue, space arises for the next step: concrete projects on business parks. This is where OML's role comes into focus. Vanessa Silvertand sees a growing urgency especially in the field of energy.

"The vast majority of companies do not yet realise that they may face a problem with the availability of energy," says Vanessa. "Companies are electrifying their fleets, looking to expand or moving away from natural gas. But if you need more energy than is available, you have to start thinking differently."

This awareness, she says, is an important first step. "Many entrepreneurs know that grid congestion is a problem, but do not always make the link with their own future plans yet. While the consequences can directly affect their growth, production, sustainability ambitions and investments."

Collaboration can then be part of the solution. One example is the development of energy hubs, where companies in a business park coordinate energy better with each other. "If companies are on the same grid field but need power at different times, cooperation and exchange can be an option," Vanessa explains. "For some sites, that can help to still make strides within existing capacity."

In addition to energy, climate adaptation is also becoming increasingly urgent in business parks. "Most sites are highly urbanised," says Vanessa. "This makes them vulnerable to heat stress and flooding, but also makes for a less attractive working environment. In summer, during heavy showers, it is difficult for water to drain away. Greening helps to better capture rainwater and lower temperatures. Moreover, it makes a site more pleasant to work and stay in."

This gives sustainability a broader meaning. It is not only about energy, but also about liveability, health and the quality of the working environment. You don't just solve a problem, you add quality. In addition, greening contributes to biodiversity, better air quality and property value. This also gives sustainability an economic component.

Implementation turns out to be complex

But the step towards implementation is not self-evident. Many plans get stuck in exploration because the step to realisation is complex. "It ultimately comes down to money and space," says Vanessa. "Who pays for the construction? Who maintains it? And what do you provide in return? These are questions we have to answer together first."

Also with energy projects, practice is complicated. "For an energy hub, you need a conclusive business case. It has to be technically possible, but also organisationally right. Otherwise it runs aground."

In addition to organising and realising, PVB Limburg is focusing on building a knowledge and expertise centre. According to Renée Boesten of LIOF, this is essential to accelerate the next phase.

"Many entrepreneurs are still insufficiently aware of the energy and climate issues and what they themselves can do about them in concrete terms," says Renée. "Grid congestion, flooding, heat stress and energy transition often sound complex. As a result, they remain abstract."

The knowledge and expertise centre should make that complexity understandable and applicable. Not by adding even more information to everything that is already available online, but by creating overview. "We do not want to be the next information platform," stresses Renée. "Our role is to bundle initiatives, share practical experiences and quickly refer entrepreneurs to the right party."

Learning from what works

An important part of the knowledge and expertise centre is the wider use of experiences from individual trajectories. What is learned at one business park can be valuable for other municipalities, entrepreneurs and park managers. This is why PVB Limburg organises meetings around topics that matter in practice, such as greening, energy hubs and grid congestion.

"During these meetings, we bring together parties who normally don't always speak to each other naturally," explains Renée. "Then you often see that they want the same thing but are waiting for each other. By facilitating the conversation, movement is created."

We also actively coordinate with the national level, including PVB Netherlands and other regional development agencies. In this way, Limburg insights can be mirrored to national developments and successful approaches can be shared more widely. "Good examples inspire and show that sustainability is achievable. Big changes often consist of small, manageable steps."

Sustainability of business parks is a task for all of us. It requires maximum cooperation. For parties to find each other and take steps together. Entrepreneurs, municipalities, park management and partners who each take their own responsibility. The power is not in one solution, but in the integral approach. This is how we build future-proof business parks in Limburg together.

The foundations are now in place. Major steps have been taken at dozens of business parks. Municipalities are connected, entrepreneurs are involved and concrete sustainability projects are increasingly emerging. In the coming years, the focus will shift further: from organising to realising.

PVB Limburg is on course. The cooperation is firmly anchored and the movement is underway. Now it is a matter of maintaining that movement, accelerating it and converting it into lasting impact for entrepreneurs, municipalities and the Limburg economy.

Discover more about PVB Limburg via shiftlimburg.nl/programme/pvblimburg or email directly to pvblimburg@liof.nl.