Silke de Boer is kwartiermaker at COOP Centraal, a network organisation that connects young people with energy cooperatives. In this role she is building a network where different generations, perspectives and areas of expertise come together to shape the energy transition locally and collectively.
Silke focuses on creating opportunities for young people to actively contribute to societal energy projects. She brings together students, young professionals, energy cooperatives, educational institutions and other organisations to explore what new forms of collaboration are possible.
This is not just about making connections. It is about building an environment in which young people can genuinely take responsibility, gain real experience and bring their ideas into practice — not on the sidelines, but as drivers of change.
The port of the future runs on clean energy — but who decides how it gets there, and who gets to be part of that decision? This challenge session puts that question directly in the hands of young professionals.
Working in small groups, participants take on the role of stakeholders in a fictional port ecosystem: energy suppliers, cooperative members, industrial companies and local communities. Together they must find a viable path to powering the port on renewables — within real constraints of grid capacity, cost, timeline and political will.
Silke and Lieke bring the perspective of the young generation and the cooperative movement: what does it take to build structures that don't just work for today's decision-makers, but genuinely include the people who will live with the outcome for decades?
Tickets give you full-day access to all sessions, workshops and networking.
Lieke Schneijdenberg
Rhea Creutzburg