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Tribunal Euregional network · Maastricht

Title II

Six issues on which the Euregio must now decide

Is your business waiting for a connection or for skilled workers? Is your policy coming to a standstill at the border? Is your research looking for a practical application? The Wennink report identifies these bottlenecks, but stops at the border. Tribunal distils them down to six key issues for the Euregio around Maastricht, Aachen and Liège, each with one key question for the next session.

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Art. I. The starting point

A starting point, not a code of law

The Wennink report sets out what the Netherlands must do. It says little about how this will be achieved in a region that shares three countries and three systems. That is where we begin.

In December 2025, the Wennink report, De route naar toekomstige welvaart, was published. More than thirty consortia and over a thousand experts submitted 51 concrete proposals. The crux of the matter, in short, is this: the Netherlands knows what needs to be done, but is too slow to decide and deliver.

The report looks at the country as a whole. The border region is barely mentioned: South Limburg is referred to only in connection with the Einstein Telescope. It says nothing about cross-border labour, grid capacity in Limburg or the knowledge institutions of the Euregio. Anyone governing across the border or conducting research here must make that connection themselves.

Neutral ground. Tribunal does not speak on behalf of any sector or company and does not lobby. A Ruling sets out steps for those at the table, not a position. Anyone who joins the table therefore commits to no particular position.

A national agenda without a regional forum remains a dead letter. The report itself warns that inaction is also a choice. What the Euregio does not decide for itself will be decided elsewhere. For a company, this means waiting for the grid, for skilled workers or for a regulatory framework. And research from the region remains on the back burner.

That is why we treat the report as a starting point, not as a code of law. We have distilled it down to six dossiers, each with one key question for the next Session. In the documents, the registry elaborates on that key question, breaking it down into three key questions for the table. Each Ruling adds to the dossier. Would you like to see what a Ruling achieves? Read the five cases for Maastricht: the case, the questions and an example Ruling with steps, an owner and a deadline.

Deciding faster must not come at the expense of the sources. We keep two things strictly separate. We reproduce the content of the report in our own words, citing the source. Anything we add ourselves appears under We take it further. The same applies at the table. You decide for yourself what you share. The framework belongs to the table; your own work remains yours.

This is how a dossier develops

  1. I

    Starting point

    The Wennink report and current sources, each with a source citation.

  2. II

    Case

    A rapporteur presents one specific problem from the dossier.

  3. III

    Session

    One five-minute presentation. This is followed by rounds of questions: situation, problem, implications, outcome. The Session lasts approximately 100 minutes.

  4. IV

    Ruling

    The framework drawn up by the table, setting out the steps, names and who will follow up with whom.

  5. V

    Registry

    Records the Ruling in the dossier. The next Session begins from there.

The six dossiers

  1. I

    Energy and climate

    A full electricity grid and making your production greener.

  2. II

    Education and talent

    Training talent and retaining it in the region, on both sides of the border.

  3. III

    Consultation and cooperation

    The best of the consultation model, but with a decision.

  4. IV

    Digitalisation and AI

    Using AI responsibly in SMEs, not just talking about it.

  5. V

    Security and resilience

    What brings your business to a standstill, and who in the region steps in to cover for you.

  6. VI

    Life sciences

    Bringing research to patients faster, through secure collaboration.

Which dossier affects your business, your policy or your research? Mention it in your application, along with your most pressing key question. Send me the documents: as soon as the first Session is confirmed, you will be the first to receive the agenda, the case and three key questions. Free of charge, with no newsletter. Call me back: an organiser will ring you at a time of your choosing, with no sales pitch. You will hear from us within five working days.

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Dossier I

Energy and climate

Your production requires more power and must become cleaner. The grid in South Limburg is not keeping pace.

Why now

On 7 January 2026, TenneT released an additional 130 megawatts of transmission capacity in Limburg. According to Enexis, it will still be a long time before everyone on the waiting list is accommodated, particularly in South Limburg. In August 2026, Enexis reported seven new congestion points in the province. Major upgrades to the high-voltage grid are planned between 2028 and 2034.

A business cannot wait until 2034. According to the Wennink report, network tariffs are expected to rise every year, and smarter consumption outside peak hours is the quickest way to make a difference. Those who do not control when they consume electricity will pay the peak rate. And neighbours on the same grid will have to wait longer.

Key question for the next Session

What proportion of your electricity demand can be shifted to off-peak hours? And what benefits does this bring in terms of network tariffs and grid capacity for your neighbours?

Starting point

What the Wennink report says

In 2022, fewer than 700 businesses and organisations were waiting for a connection. Three years later, the figure had risen to around 14,000. At the same time, the existing grid is utilised by an average of only 30 per cent. And electricity in the Netherlands is 20 to 50 per cent more expensive than in neighbouring countries. According to the report, smarter and more flexible off-peak consumption is the quickest way to make a difference.

Energy and climate technology is also one of the four domains of the report: to be climate neutral by 2050, industry, transport and buildings must all become sustainable at the same time. The proposals in this domain, from green chemistry and batteries to water technology, are together worth more than 26 billion euros.

Based on the Wennink report, De route naar toekomstige welvaart, December 2025, sections 3.3 and 4.4.

We take it further

What Tribunal adds

The report provides calculations for the country as a whole. We calculate for the region, on both sides of the border. In Limburg, Chemelot is a chemical cluster where the innovation the report is counting on comes together. Seated around the table are the technical manager responsible for production, the controller and the facilities manager. An energy adviser, the neighbours on the industrial estate and a policy-maker from the local council or provincial authority are also part of the discussion.

The Ruling specifies one measure per participant for this quarter and one new connection. For example: who talks to whom about a shared contract with the grid operator.

See the five cases for Maastricht

Do you manage your company’s energy consumption or sustainability, or the energy policy of a local or regional authority? Ask us to send you the documents as soon as this dossier is on the agenda: the case and three key questions. Free of charge, with no newsletter. Would you prefer a brief chat first? Select ‘Call me back’, with no sales pitch.

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File II

Education and talent

Where do your graduates go after they’ve qualified? The region trains thousands of students whilst, at the same time, struggling in vain to find skilled workers. These two streams intersect far too little.

Why now

In the first half of 2025, there were an average of 10,900 job vacancies in South Limburg. That was almost three times as many as the number of short-term jobseekers. The shortages are mainly in healthcare, education, ICT, construction and engineering.

The labour market does not stop at the border. In South Limburg, 6.2 per cent of employees are cross-border commuters. In 2025, Maastricht University had over 22,900 students, 61 per cent of whom were from abroad.

If a student cannot find a job here, they will take their talent with them. Panteia carried out a calculation on behalf of Maastricht University and Zuyd University of Applied Sciences. If the international influx were to stop, it is estimated that this would cost the region around 4,500 jobs. Today’s shortage thus becomes tomorrow’s exodus.

Key question for the next session

What skills shortage can employers in South Limburg jointly resolve within twelve months, working with a single training provider and across the border?

Starting point

What the Wennink report says

The quality of education is declining, whilst expenditure has risen. Proportionally, Germany trains almost twice as many technical talents as the Netherlands. The influx of knowledge workers from outside the EU has fallen by 39 per cent since 2022. The report calls for a National Talent Agenda and for regional productivity centres to help SMEs apply technology.

See the Wennink Report, ‘The Path to Future Prosperity’, December 2025, para. 3.2.

We add

What Tribunal adds

The report makes no mention of the border region. We bring together employers, training providers, young tech companies and researchers from both sides of the border around one table. We do this from Maastricht, and researchers from Aachen and Liège are equally welcome. The local authority or provincial government responsible for labour market policy should also be at that table. Not to lament shortages, but to design a single pathway.

The Report identifies who is offering work placements, which start-up is running a trial with which employer, who is offering which training programmes, and who is investigating how a qualification is recognised across the border. Research into education and the labour market thus finds practical application, rather than merely being published.

Are you looking for skilled workers, training them, or developing policy for them? Request the documents. If this dossier is on the agenda, you’ll be the first to know which parties will be at the table and what issues are on the table. Only then will you decide whether to join the discussion. Would you prefer a brief chat first? Select ‘Call me back’, with no sales pitch.

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File III

Consultation and cooperation

You bring parties together, across sectors and borders. All too often, the decision that should follow fails to materialise.

Why now

Consultation is deeply rooted in Dutch history. The Wassenaar Agreement of 24 November 1982 is still regarded as a textbook example of the ‘polder model’.

But consultation can also become a way of avoiding decision-making. This criticism was already voiced in 1984 in ESB: opinions remained divided and served to postpone decisions. Today, cooperation is also at a standstill on the grid. There are 696 local energy co-operatives, but in 2025 not a single new co-operative wind project came on stream, partly due to grid congestion.

Key question for the next session

Which decision regarding the grid or generation on your industrial estate or in your local authority has been stalled for over a year? And can the parties at the table take it upon themselves to resolve it, for example through a co-operative?

Starting point

What the Wennink report says

The Netherlands has a strong tradition of collaboration, but this gets bogged down in processes and accountability. Where parties feel a shared sense of urgency and look beyond their own interests, things do move quickly. The report therefore calls for a permanent round table comprising businesses, knowledge institutions, start-up entrepreneurs and former senior civil servants. Members serve for a limited term, and the forum meets twice a year.

See the Wennink Report, ‘The Path to Future Prosperity’, December 2025, para. 5.4.

We go on to write

What Tribunal adds

The report seeks a top-down solution: the Prime Minister, a commissioner, a single ministry. We add the other side of the equation: bottom-up consultation leading to a decision. The report mentions the tradition of collaboration, but not the consultative model, cooperation or the dismantling of religious and ideological divisions. That elaboration is ours.

Everyone speaks, but within a set time limit. The rapporteur makes a single five-minute presentation. This is followed by a question-and-answer session, in rounds with targeted questions. A Session ends with a Ruling, never with a follow-up consultation. Anyone wishing to set up a co-operative leaves the Session with the names of potential partners and an initial meeting.

Read why the breaking down of religious and ideological barriers is a cornerstone of Tribunal

Are you working on cross-border collaboration and still awaiting a decision? Tribunal is neutral ground, not a lobby. Request the documents and find out who’s taking part first. If this case is on the agenda, you’ll be the first to receive the case file and the three key questions. Would you prefer a brief chat first? Select ‘Call me back’, with no sales pitch.

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The Wennink Report

A starting point, not a legal code. We’ll continue writing.

Every case begins with the report and develops with every decision reached at the table.

Then the connections: who speaks to whom, with names included. This is how the decision reaches the city.

File IV

Digitalisation and AI

There is a great deal of discussion and literature on AI. However, it is still rarely used in SMEs.

Why now?

For most businesses in the Euregio, the question is not whether they will start manufacturing chips. The question is which process they will make smarter this month, and who will help them do so. At the same time, dependence is growing. According to the Wennink report, more than two-thirds of businesses say they would grind to a halt within a day if telecoms or IT systems failed.

AI and data centres require power. This means this dossier shares a bottleneck with the Energy dossier. Those who do not plan now will soon face the same overloaded grid.

Key question for the next session

Which process in your organisation currently takes up the most hours? And what needs to be in place in six months’ time to deploy AI in that process responsibly?

Starting point

What the Wennink report says

Around 70 per cent of global growth over the coming decade will be directly or indirectly driven by digital technology. Productivity in the AI sector is growing more than four times as fast as in the rest of the economy. Network capacity, digital talent and, above all, funding will determine whether the Netherlands can keep up. Large data centres are not permitted in 340 of the 342 local authorities.

See the Wennink report, ‘The Path to Future Prosperity’, December 2025, para. 4.2.

We go on to write

What Tribunal adds

The report envisages large-scale investments. We start with a single process in a single company. Seated around the table are the entrepreneur facing the problem, a researcher who understands the technology, and someone who knows what is permitted with data.

The Ruling sets out which trial the company will carry out over six months, who will be observing it and what will be measured. The report advocates regional productivity centres for SMEs. A ‘Zitting’ aims to be the smallest form of this: one company, one process, one trial. For the researcher at the table, this represents practical application, involving a measurement.

Do you have a process that takes too many hours, or technology looking for its first application? Request the documents – free of charge and with no obligation. If this dossier is on the agenda, you’ll be the first to receive the case study and the three key questions. Would you prefer a brief chat first? Select ‘Call me back’, with no sales pitch.

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File V

Security and resilience

Resilience is not just a matter of defence. The question is how long your business can keep running if something fails.

Why now?

Resilience is closer than it seems. The Wennink report highlights that drones brought European airports to a standstill, including Eindhoven Airport. Defence spending within the alliance is rising rapidly.

For an ordinary business, it’s all about continuity. If a supplier, the grid or the IT systems fail, production comes to a standstill. In a border region, there’s one additional question: how many of your critical suppliers are located on the other side of the border?

Key question for the next session

Which three suppliers or systems would need to fail tomorrow to bring your business to a standstill, and who in the region could step in to cover for them?

Starting point

What the Wennink report says

The Dutch defence industry must transition from being a supplier to a manufacturer of its own systems, where knowledge and value are greatest. On detection systems alone – including anti-drone systems – the Dutch government is expected to spend 11 billion euros between 2025 and 2030. Of the NATO standard of 5 per cent, 3.5 per cent goes directly to defence and 1.5 per cent to security-related expenditure. The report proposes using part of this to make innovation ecosystems resilient. The main bottleneck is a government that does not assume a clear role as a lead purchaser.

See the Wennink report, ‘The Path to Future Prosperity’, December 2025, paragraphs 4.3 and 3.4.

We go on to write

What Tribunal adds

A budget for resilient ecosystems will not automatically find its way to the border region. Anyone wishing to attract it must present a coherent narrative demonstrating what the region has to offer and what it needs. This is where a ‘Session’ begins: with the supply chain of a single company.

Seated around the table are the entrepreneur, a specialist in ICT or energy, and an administrator who collaborates across the border. The Ruling specifies an alternative and a contact for each critical link: who calls whom if things go wrong. And who identifies which existing scheme – whether from the EU, central government or the province – can support the next step.

Do you know which three links could bring your business or your region to a standstill? Request the documents – free of charge and with no obligation. If this dossier is on the agenda, you’ll be the first to receive the case study and the three key questions. Would you prefer a brief chat first? Select ‘Call me back’, with no sales pitch.

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File VI

Life sciences

Has your research been published, but not yet reached patients? The knowledge is there. The journey from idea to patient takes too long.

Why now

The healthcare sector needs technology. According to the Wennink report, there is a real possibility that by 2060, one in three people working in healthcare will be needed. Without new treatments and smarter care, this will be unsustainable.

The bottleneck is rarely in the lab. It lies in regulatory approval, reimbursement and data sharing. Every month of delay costs a company patent time and a patient access to treatment. In the Euregio, there is an additional layer: research and patient data cross three national borders.

Key question for the next session

Which step between the idea and the patient takes the longest for you, and which stakeholder at the table can halve the time taken for that step?

Starting point

What the Wennink report says

The US regulator, the FDA, approves new medicines 3.4 times faster than the European EMA. In the Netherlands, medical-ethical review and reimbursement processes take a long time. There is no central, secure structure for anonymised health data, and a strict interpretation of the GDPR is hindering data sharing. The proposals submitted represent 37.9 billion euros in investment potential.

See the Wennink report, ‘The Path to Future Prosperity’, December 2025, para. 4.5.

We go on to write

What Tribunal adds

The report identifies a national problem of speed. We see the same problem at the interface, where three systems converge. Seated around the table are the researcher, the entrepreneur, a healthcare administrator and a legal expert on data and privacy.

You decide for yourself what you share in the documents and at the table. The framework is provided by the table; your research and your data remain yours. The Ruling identifies the slowest step, the party that can speed it up, and the first meeting to address this. In this way, research moves out of the journal and closer to the patient.

Read how Tribunal handles intellectual property

Is your research ready, but has the process stalled? Request the documents. If this case is on the agenda, you’ll be the first to receive the case study and the three key questions. You can read through them first and won’t share anything until you decide to do so. Would you prefer a brief chat first? Select ‘Call me back’, with no sales pitch.

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Final provision

Six cases. One table. Perhaps your case.

Are you an entrepreneur, a researcher or a director? Bring in a problem from your business, a question that’s stalling your policy, or research seeking a practical application. Any of these could become the case study for the next Session. Request the documents by email, or ask for a call back.

The first Session: [date of first Session to follow], [venue to follow].

There’s no obligation. Read up on it first, then decide. Seats at the table are by invitation only.

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