Interview with Anton

In this article we convey the main conclusions of the interview with the student Anton which took place at the TPM faculty on December 9th. It is written from the ‘I’ perspective to allow easy reading, but it is no literal transcription of the dialogue. Below the interview, we reflect on the lessons learned from this interview for our project.

Interview answers

What is your connection to Texel?

When I was 2 years old, my parents moved to Texel, because of my father’s new job at NIOZ. I left the island when I was 18, because I went to study at a university on the mainland. Most of my friends have also left, due to studying somewhere else. In the future, I might go back to Texel, but not necessarily, because the location is not central and companies operate within relative isolation.

Are Texelaars aware of the sustainable ambitions of the municipality of Texel?

I have heard through my parents that the municipality aims for being self-sustaining regarding energy and food. My parents heard about this through local newspapers or from other people. Self-sustaining Texel regarding food sounds impossible. The municipality appears to talk about it, rather than taking action. I am not aware of a specific plan or ideas that are to be carried out. I know only one person (the father of a friend of mine) who is working or has worked on sustainable plans in the municipality.

Do you believe the municipality will reach their goal?

I think that self-sustaining for water is no realistic goal, because 20 years ago Texel stopped taking their drinking water from Texel. Instead, they installed a pipeline to get water from the mainland.

Regarding energy, I experience resistance against wind mills. However, some other experiments are taking place, but usually they are expensive and therefore quitted before being fully implemented. Texel Energie promotes solar panels and buys energy, but I have little trust that they are efficient and they contribute to the goals of the municipality. I have not heard about the Smart Lighting Project on Texel.

In short, I have little trust in Texel reaching their sustainable ambitions, because you should have a plan by now on how to realize it. There have been some small initiatives (eg. subsidy for solar panels), but not on a structural basis.

Do Texelaars take action when they don’t agree with something?

Yes, small villages have an unofficial ‘dorpsraad’ (local council) in which they discuss local topics. When relevant they use their connections with the municipality to discuss their ideas and conclusions. I expect the municipality to take this input relatively serious.

What has changed in the last 15 years?

Previously, Texel politics experienced a lot of nepotism (vriendjespolitiek). This has reduced in the last decade, amongst others because the major is now chosen by the national minister.

Do you know anyone who is involved in innovation?

Primary schools have teaching modules about nature and sustainability, also they have good connections with ecomare. The secondary school is less connected with knowledge institutes, this is an opportunity and is not difficult, because people already know each other.

How do you think we could involve citizens in innovation?

Use unofficial communication and events, because then people feel they participate freely. Texelaars are not afraid to give their critical opinion, even when the municipality is represented.

What type of event would be suitable for involving citizens?

It would be nice to have the ability to discuss the plans from the municipality in an early stage. I expect many people to be willing to actively contribute to this. It is not helpful to have a coffee meeting every week, I would rather organise a meeting as soon as a relevant topic is available. It can be communicated directly (not avoiding the word ‘discussion’ for example).

Imagine we plan a discussion on reducing energy use. Why would people come or not come?

People would go, because they have ideas about the topic and they have the feeling that they can contribute and change something. People would not go, because they are not interested in the topic or they think their input will not be used. Therefore, it would be nice of the results of the input from the previous session is presented before organising the next session. This creates trust and will enhance people to talk about it positively. I expect the amount of attending people to grow quickly, under this constraint.

What are the benefits for citizens to join such discussions with the municipality?

Benefits are twofold. Citizens want to contribute to the community and make their village and island a better place. Also, they like having personal benefits, such as cost reductions (solar panels), esthetics (windmills are not appreciated) and business opportunities.

What do Texelaars think of external entrepreneurs or external innovators?

External stakeholders might experience opposition. I think it becomes much more easy as soon as the external stakeholder collaborates with a Texelaar.

Are you aware of plans for an innovative bay in Nieuweschild?

No.

Lessons learned

The main lesson learned from Anton is that Texelaars are indeed willing to actively be involved in the community regarding innovation ambitions, policy and implementation. However, there is a strong requirement: the municipality needs to listen to their input.