New Light: a closer look at energy and innovation

10 February 2009

A more consistent and innovation-focused government policy will benefit the transition towards a more sustainable use of energy

Smarter government policy characterised by innovation and consistency will bring sustainable energy management a step closer to everyday reality. And in recent years science has delivered the necessary resources for this in the form of interdisciplinary knowledge and methods. These are the conclusions made by Diederik van der Hoeven in his book Nieuw Licht [New Light], which describes the contribution that various projects from the NWO/SenterNovem Stimulation Programme have made to solving the energy issue. The book (in Dutch) is aimed at anybody who is professionally involved in energy issues and, in particular, energy transition. Copies of the book can be ordered free of charge from www.nwo.nl/nieuwlicht.

Besides providing a lucid account of the research results from all projects conducted over the past eight years, Nieuw Licht explores themes such as transition and innovation theory, the synthesis of knowledge from the natural sciences and the humanities, and the interaction between science and policy. This approach also makes the book attractive to anyone interested in innovation and the tackling of complex social issues, in which policy is dependent on scientific input.

The first copy of Nieuw Licht was presented on 30 January 2009 to Mark Frequin, Director-General Energy and Telecom at the Ministry of Economic Affairs. This took place during the conference 'The Power of Knowledge - lessons from eight years of energy research', organised by the NWO/SenterNovem Stimulation Programme Energy Research.

Latest energy research has an even stronger focus on transition

NWO Division for the Social Sciences and SenterNovem are already setting up a new joint programme about energy transition. This new programme focuses on fundamental research in the social and natural sciences with concrete applications for the Energy Innovation Agenda of the Dutch government. The programme is a tangible expression of the NWO theme Sustainable Earth and compliments the EOS programme of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, implemented by SenterNovem.

Order Nieuw Licht

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Further information about Nieuw Licht is available from: 

last modified on 4 March 2009