Maastricht entrepreneurial initiative 'Local Heroes' bears fruit

Maastricht is increasingly positioning itself nationally and internationally as a city where every space is given to sustainable business. "Large and small parties from abroad who visit Maastricht, for example for a scientific congress, increasingly want to know how 'green' the city is," says center manager Astrid Verberne. "At the Maastricht Convention Bureau, the institution that has to get foreign congress organizers to come to Maastricht, they get questions about it every week."

Greening is not just something that concerns larger companies. In order to also give smaller entrepreneurs the opportunity to contribute to Maastricht's green image, the 'Local Heroes' program was created in 2023. Entrepreneurs who demonstrate, through large or small measures, that they consider sustainable entrepreneurship important are given the opportunity to join and present themselves as 'Local Heroes'. To get there, they must initially simply sign up by completing a questionnaire on the website www.lokaleheldenmaastricht.nl

Certification

Yves Mullenders, owner of café de Poshoorn in the Maastricht district of Wyck, was honored as the hundredth Local Hero in his own establishment last week. As proof of his efforts he received - in addition to a cream cake baked by another Local Hero - a Local Hero sign that he can hang on his door as a seal of approval.

Local Heroes, which supports entrepreneurs in finding and shaping sustainable solutions, is supported by several organizations, including Centrummanagement Maastricht, Rabobank, the Lozo Gelden Foundation, the Inspiratiehuis for entrepreneurs, Maastricht Bereikbaar and NieuweStroom, which helps entrepreneurs with favorable energy prices. "The municipality of Maastricht is also enthusiastic about the project and is considering making a financial contribution," said co-initiator Joyce Verheijden of the Inspiration House for Entrepreneurs.

More publicity needed

According to Verheijden, the project is now firmly on the rise, but both the organization and the entrepreneurs would all benefit from more publicity. "It speaks for itself, entrepreneurs in the city tip each other off. We too regularly get the advice to check out certain places. So we literally go and visit entrepreneurs in Maastricht and we visit many different companies. But we can definitely still grow, if there are any tips or ideas, they are most welcome."

From the municipality, there is increasing interest in the Local Heroes initiative. "This applies not only to convention organizers, but also to visitors to the city. More and more people want to know what impact their visits or purchases have on the environment. The municipality is also aware of this and is therefore positive about the project. This year we are looking at whether - apart from financial support - we can achieve more intensive cooperation."

Remove your fear

Entrepreneurs are gradually becoming more enthusiastic, Verheijden said. "You notice in everything that the diffidence is gone to talk about sustainability as an entrepreneur. But we also see how difficult it is to find the right subsidies or to make the right choices. For example, what are you going to invest in? Is it worth thinking about local purchasing? About joint waste disposal, or how you deal with your staff. That depth alone is pure profit. Of course it is our ambition to create more connections, to learn from each other, but also to take on things together. Why should you always have to invent the wheel yourself, if it has already been invented by someone in the network?"

All entrepreneurs in Maastricht can register for the project. That includes entrepreneurs at Maastricht Airport. According to Joyce Verheijden, this is a special project that has not yet been rolled out in this way anywhere in the Netherlands. However, there is now plenty of interest from other places in Limburg. "Among others, Heerlen, Roerdalen and Valkenburg are interested in setting up their own Local Heroes community. We are certainly open to sharing our approach and ideas with other municipalities. The bigger the inkblot, the better. Perhaps the province, central government, business associations, advocacy groups and or other networks can then play a role in it as well."

Source: limburger.nl