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Accelerate your project like an entrepreneur
PowerLab is a special format for TenneT employees to accelerate their projects. We offer you the perfect setting to work like an entrepreneur and bring your projects to life with testing, coaching, fast decision-making, and real customer feedback. Join and accelerate your existing project or new idea in an innovative environment.
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Become an
entrepreneur
within TenneT
YOUR BENEFITS WITH POWERLAB
Join the fast lane to accelerate your project
As an expert in your field, you experience the daily challenges and see improvement opportunities first-hand. But sometimes, you may lack resources or the right framework to turn them into reality. That’s why we launched PowerLab.
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Get the budget your project needs
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Have dedicated time to work on your project
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Benefit from faster decision-making
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Work like an entrepreneur within the company
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Meet innovative, like-minded colleagues
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Get leadership attention
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Broaden your network within TenneT and beyond
WHAT TO EXPECT
We guide you through every step
of your entrepreneurial journey
Ideate
Feb 15th - March 25th
Choose the project, challenge or idea you want to accelerate and submit it on your own or as a team.
Activities: Coaching in problem identification, networking with experts
Events:
– Ideation workshop for management, March 2nd
– Ideation workshop open for everyone, March 16th
Explore
April - June
Prove that your project is relevant for TenneT. Attend the ‘PowerCamp’, a series of workshops and pitch your project to a jury to get the resources you need going forward.
Activities: Desk research, customer interviews, stakeholder mapping
Support: Business model coaching, networking and developing a startup mentality
Events:
– Power Camp: Apr 25th – May 2nd
– Ecosystem Analysis WS: May 9th
– Solution & Business model WS: May 25th
– Develop roadmap WS: Jun 8th
– Pitch Perfect training: Jun 21st
– Pitch day: Jun 30th
Develop
July-October
Develop a prototype of your solution and test it with potential customers. Get feedback on your solution and improve it in an iterative way. Prove that you can solve the challenge with your project.
Activities: Testing, Prototyping, Experiments
Support: Venture architect coaching, Technical experts, Networking
Iterate/Establish
Project specific
Launch or grow your project. Test all aspects of your business model in a small-scale pilot. Start growing your project.
Activities: User testing, Business model validation, Implementation
Support: Venture architect coaching, Technical experts
BE PART OF THE INNOVATIVE CROWD
Wondering if you can apply?
All TenneT employees can participate
Projects
You are already working on a project or idea that needs acceleration.
Challenges
You found a challenge you want to solve and need support to develop it into a project.
Ideas
You came up with an idea that you want to bring to life.
Shape
the energy
transition
Not sure if your project or idea fits the format?
Simply reach out to us via the contact form below.
JOIN OUR PROGRAM
We are looking for projects and ideas that will enable TenneT to
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Provide a great and safe place to work for up to 10,000 employees and (sub) contractors
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Secure healthy asset base where customers can be connected within a set number of months
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Achieve 99,99% of the supply security
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Realize at least 5 significant energy system innovations
JOIN OUR PROGRAM
Get inspired by our first edition projects and participants
Read More
Smart Joint
Reducing repair costs up to 70-90%. The modular smart joint enables the repair of HVAC submarine cables up to a voltage level of 155 kV regardless of the cable manufacturer or type. Joint is the logical next step from already existing components.
Read More
Offshore Subsea Converter
The hybrid offshore subsea converter is an invention-based asset design for offshore wind energy integration. It is improving the state-of-the-art technology towards a simple, modular, and scalable solution. Unlike the platform of today, most on the technical inventory can be exchanged and maintained at land.
Read More
Brain Connectors
Enabling our new people to do their job 30% faster and more comfortably. We identify the knowledge that new colleagues really need and impart it at the time it’s really needed. We also aim to make knowledge accessible and more independent from single experts.
Read More
Accelerate the circular economy
Reuse of (materials of) high voltage transformers to accelerate the circular economy within TenneT. With this solution we aim to stabilize the material prices and have better and faster availability of the transformers.
Previous
Next
PowerLab really helped our team
to make great progress with our project
Hi, I’m Annelie. Together with my colleagues Jakob and Christian we wanted to improve the knowledge access for new employees. PowerLab showed us how to work like true entrepreneurs, which helped us to save time and generate valuable learnings with mostly just one day per week on this topic. In four months we managed to:
Test and validate if other people in the company face the challenge we’ve identified
Estimate the value that can be created if we improve the current way of knowledge sharing
Consolidate our idea into a project plan
Outline and connect with our potential stakeholders in different departments
Get sponsorship and approval for the project
To work like an entrepreneur means to
make fast and informed decisions
based on the real user feedback and
learnings from testing and prototyping.
It will help us to make sure we further support projects with the high success potential and generate learnings from the ones that can’t go forward early on. The PowerLab is definitely the place to learn this type of entrepreneurial working and help our talents develop and grow.
Dr. Florian Dotzler
Head of Supply Chain Management Large Projects Onshore
REACH OUT TO US
Still have questions?
We’ve got you covered!
Who is eligible to apply?
PowerLab is a company-wide initiative open for applications from all TenneT employees with an entrepreneurial mindset, no matter which division they are working for.
Do I need to have a team to apply?
A team (of up to four members) is preferred, but not mandatory. This is because typically a team is required to complete all the tasks to turn an idea or concept into a proof of concept, minimum viable product, or pilot. In case you believe you need more than four team members, please explain your case. Applications by individuals are also fine, however we encourage you to start looking for additional team members to join you on your intrapreneurial journey going forward.
What do I need to bring to the table?
- A challenge that you want to solve, an idea that you want to bring to life, or a project that you are already working on.
- Time to work on your idea (in case your manager does not support you with the necessary time please let us know in your application so we can align with him or her)
- And most important: the passion to work in a start-up like environment to bring your idea to life and motivation to learn new methods and approaches
With what kind of projects, ideas or challenges can I apply?
For the PowerLab we are looking for projects, ideas and challenges along the core of TenneT. These can be technical ideas, but also process or optimization ideas. Generally they should help our company reach it’s main objectives:
- Provide a great and safe place to work for up to 10,000 employees and (sub) contractors
- Secure healthy asset base where customers can be connected within a set number of months
- Achieve 99,99% of the supply security
- Realize at least 5 significant energy system innovations
If you have any doubts or questions if your idea is a match for the program – please reach out to us via the contact form.
In what language can I submit my application?
The language for the application is English. In case you can only apply in another language or need language assistance, please contact the PowerLab team at powerlab@tennet.eu
How do teams get selected?
Once the application phase has ended and all applications are handed in, a committee of cross-divisional experts together with the PowerLab core team will evaluate all ideas and jointly decide which ideas will be shortlisted. The shortlisted teams are then notified and invited to the first phase of PowerLab.
What happens with my current position?
Your current position will not be affected by participating in the first phase of the PowerLab program. There will be no changes to your salary and other benefits, your contract stays untouched whilst you are participating in PowerLab. In case you (and your team) are selected to the PowerLab program a 20% time commitment is necessary, these arrangements would be aligned with your manager.
Where can I get additional information about PowerLab?
Download the PowerLab pitchdeck for more information here. Feel free to share it with your colleagues, as well as the link to this webpage. In case some of your questions are still not covered, reach out to us via the contact form.
Hi, I’m Alex from TenneT PowerLab. Your question is still not answered? Fill in the form or call me directly at +31 (0)6 2577 4802.
