Our mission and ambition

With and for the market, we develop knowledge and technology that enable a transition to a sustainable energy system. That is ECN’s new mission. New, sustainable technologies will eventually need to be rolled out by businesses to become widely applied. It is for this reason that the commercial potential of the findings, in addition to their contribution to a sustainable energy system, determines whether or not ECN will continue to work on them.

Revenue from successful market introductions will be invested in our programme.

Partners

Engaging in joint activities with partners is one of the results of ECN’s new mission. More than ever, these partners will be sought among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). After all, they are the engine behind sustainable energy development. Such a collaboration with large or medium-sized enterprises can take various shapes, depending on the development stage of the product or technology. In the pre-competitive stage, new ideas are screened for their applicability in close consultation with industry. Through contract research, ECN assists companies in further developing viable product ideas. ‘Ripe’ technologies are marketed by ECN, for example by means of licenses, by encouraging the foundation of spin-off companies or by offering consultancy services.

Ambitions

Based on the new mission, ECN formulated five ambitions. We aim to have realised them in 2016. By then, ECN will be:

• an international top player
• an entrepreneurial innovator
• an attractive partner for trade and industry
• the place to be for competent and motivated employees
• a financially healthy company