Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) alumnus Lukas Bertels is the winner of the Hermes Kring London Thesis Award 2021. His master's thesis on the energy transition and the consequences of the removal of subsidies on solar panels was received with great enthusiasm by the jury. The combination of qualitative information gathered from 'business insiders', quantitative market analyses, and trends was specifically appreciated by the jury. Lukas received the award from Dick van den Broek and Hugo Ruys, of the Hermes Kring London Fund.
The Hermes Circle London Fund
The Hermes Kring London Fund is a fund of the Erasmus Trust Fund, the official fund of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The annual Hermes Kring London Thesis Prize is awarded to outstanding theses that address the relationship between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands by exploring economic, financial and legal issues. The Hermes Kring London consists of former members of the Rotterdamsche Studenten Corps (RSC) based in the United Kingdom.
Energy transition without subsidy
Subsidies play a key role in the energy transition currently, but in the long term these subsidies are not sustainable. Lukas has done research on how subsidies on solar panels in the Netherlands can be reduced. He made a comparison with the United Kingdom and Spain, which have already significantly reduced their subsidies. The main lesson he draws from this research is that the transition must be done in a proper way. Yet there are also differences between the countries. Lukas explains: "For example, the higher electricity price in the UK provides more room for corporate deals to emerge, where there is currently less negotiating room for Dutch solar developers to tap into such solutions."
Impact on career
Lukas is now pursuing a second master's degree at Bocconi University in Milan. He wrote the thesis as part of his internship at Solarfields during his master's program in Global Business and Sustainability at RSM. His thesis supervisors Dr Taslim Alade and Professor Lucas Meijs nominated Lukas for the Hermes Circle London Thesis Award.
During his studies, Lukas gave masterclasses at secondary schools on the energy transition. "I wanted to bring the energy transition and the theme of sustainability to the attention of young people. Thanks to this prize, the theme also gets a lot of visibility. That can only benefit the world." After his studies, he hopes to work for a company specializing in sustainability.
- More information
The Erasmus Trust Fund is the official support fund of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Would you also like a named fund or more information about our funds? Then contact the secretariat of the Erasmus Trust Fund at 010 411 05 96 or send an email to secretariaat@trustfonds.nl.
If you want more information about this press release please contact communications manager Dunya Ressang of the Erasmus Trust Fund at d.ressang@trustfonds.nl.