MEET OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
No single organisation can deliver the energy transition on its own. On Thursday 19 November, ERC’s second main event of 2026, Going Further Together, looks at how partnerships unlock progress at every stage, from early-stage innovation to projects already being delivered or in operation.
Hosted by Shell and EBN at Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, this is a day for combining strengths, sharing risks and rethinking systems with partners from across the energy value chain.
More on our keynote speakers
Staf Depla
Staf opens with a reflection on where the energy transition stands. Grid congestion, slower-than-expected progress and the need for closer coordination between different parties all show that we can’t do this alone. Staf will also talk about resilience, innovation, investments and competitiveness in this context, and looks at the role partnerships have played throughout his career: as alderman in Eindhoven, where he worked on Brainport, as chair for the Mining Council (Mijnraad) for more than 6 years and today as chair for the Council for Energy.
Tijmen Keesmaat
In his keynote, Tijmen shows how bringing together diverse partners makes integrated solutions possible, with impact that reaches beyond a single outcome to the energy, water and nature systems at once. Using Delta21 as his example, he explains what it takes to deliver a complex system solution through collaboration: the role of partnerships, the governance needed to keep many stakeholders aligned, and the shared ambition that holds it all together. As Project Director for Delta21 and co-founder and former director of Green Trust, Tijmen brings extensive experience in renewable energy development and in collaboration between businesses, governments and energy cooperatives.
Register here for this event
Hosted by Shell and EBN at Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, this is a day for combining strengths, sharing risks and rethinking systems with partners from across the energy value chain.
More on our keynote speakers
Staf Depla
Staf opens with a reflection on where the energy transition stands. Grid congestion, slower-than-expected progress and the need for closer coordination between different parties all show that we can’t do this alone. Staf will also talk about resilience, innovation, investments and competitiveness in this context, and looks at the role partnerships have played throughout his career: as alderman in Eindhoven, where he worked on Brainport, as chair for the Mining Council (Mijnraad) for more than 6 years and today as chair for the Council for Energy.
Tijmen Keesmaat
In his keynote, Tijmen shows how bringing together diverse partners makes integrated solutions possible, with impact that reaches beyond a single outcome to the energy, water and nature systems at once. Using Delta21 as his example, he explains what it takes to deliver a complex system solution through collaboration: the role of partnerships, the governance needed to keep many stakeholders aligned, and the shared ambition that holds it all together. As Project Director for Delta21 and co-founder and former director of Green Trust, Tijmen brings extensive experience in renewable energy development and in collaboration between businesses, governments and energy cooperatives.
Register here for this event
