Anyone who has ever been to a trade fair knows the feeling: badges around your neck, endless halls, and stands that all start to look the same. You search for what is truly relevant, but quickly disappear into the crowd. E-world in Essen, Europe’s largest energy trade fair, is no exception.

Yet this year the experience was different for the Connectr delegation. Together with more than sixty entrepreneurs, innovators and partners, we travelled to Germany, with a clear plan. No chance encounters, but targeted meetings with the right people. The result? A day full of valuable conversations, new contacts and concrete next steps across the border.

From preparation to deeper exchange

In advance, all participants had planned their agendas. They knew exactly which parties were interesting, who they wanted to speak with, and where their opportunities lay. Connectr brought the puzzle pieces together, from start-ups to corporates, from investors to knowledge partners.

The day began at the stand of BRYCK, the German innovation hub with which we worked closely that day. From there, a tightly scheduled program followed, including one-on-one meetings, exhibition visits and inspiration sessions such as The Flash, where ideas were further developed at high speed.

In between, countless spontaneous encounters took place with parties such as RWE, Uniper and E.ON. The pace was high, but the energy remained tangible.

Why Essen?

That Connectr is taking this step across the border from Arnhem makes perfect sense, says Jeroen Herremans:

“If we really want to turn the energy transition into an economy, we have to look across borders. For us, Europe begins in North Rhine-Westphalia, a region where industry, energy and innovation come together. That’s where you immediately see whether solutions are ready for scale.”

The collaboration with BRYCK made this immediately tangible. Their stand functioned as a meeting place for startups, corporates and investors. Dutch innovators were given a stage there, as well as access to a network that quickly reveals whether their solution also works outside the Netherlands.

From currywurst to concrete results

Between meetings there was, of course, also time for typical trade-fair moments—a quick bite (from currywurst to vegan), a short break, and then straight on to the next meeting.

Melvin van Melzen of BAT3 put it well:

“For a start-up at this stage, this is ideal. I was able to practice my pitch, received valuable feedback, and got to know BRYCK’s accelerator program. A program like that, which really accelerates you in a short time, is something you hardly encounter in the Netherlands.”

That sense of acceleration was also felt beyond the Connectr delegation. Bas Kil of Ore Energy was at the Dutch pavilion and took part in the activities with BRYCK. For him, personal contact made the difference:

“With a large German energy company, where contact had so far mainly been via email and Teams, we were finally able to speak face to face here. That immediately made it concrete: we agreed to sit down together again in two weeks and take it further. That simply goes much faster than endless emailing.”

For Carlijn Viering of Sira Incentives, the value also lay mainly in deliberately establishing new connections:

“For us, the greatest value was in purposefully exploring collaborations with Dutch and German partners. The Dutch pavilion offered an interesting glimpse, but it was mainly about where we can truly build something together. Connectr set that up very well.”

By the end of the day, the program felt like much more than a series of meetings. The conversations in Essen fit seamlessly with what Connectr is working on with the community: accelerating innovation together, from first application to broader deployment, in the Netherlands and beyond.

Join and look beyond the border

The trip to E-world showed what is possible when entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers collaborate across borders. Would you like to join next time? Become part of the Connectr community and discover new opportunities for your innovation.