Economic Forum: Mr. Voß, you have been the managing director of EWS for more than a year now. What distinguishes the energy service provider?

Marco Voß: Above all, a strong regional connection. It is a unique selling point and is deeply rooted in our philosophy.

Economic Forum: What exactly does that mean?

Marco Voß: EWS is a merger of HanseWerk and the cities of Bad Segeberg and Wahlstedt. This cooperation between the energy industry and a regional company, or the regional connection to the cities, is a main pillar that characterizes us and is the engine of our development. Thanks to this structure, we are able to generate local value and be there for the people locally, and on the other hand, use the know-how of HanseWerk. With EWS Netz GmbH, where the electricity and gas networks are, there is also a 100% subsidiary. EWS Netz is locally approachable for the people and takes care of the safe operation of the networks.

Economic Forum: What are the core tasks of ews as a regional energy service provider?

Marco Voß: Core businesses include the operation of the water network and water production, ensuring water supply for surrounding communities, as well as the distribution of electricity and gas. In addition, the increasingly important topic of e-mobility is part of our business; for example, we have set up charging stations for electric vehicles and are recording increasing sales figures, especially in this area. We also offer customer support for photovoltaic (PV) systems, advising and assisting with their use. Moreover, we are part of a project with the Segeberg district and have employed two long-term unemployed individuals from the job center who are being trained as energy consultants. This social project is a win-win situation for all participants.

Economic Forum: You joined ews in July 2022, thus during a remarkably challenging time. How have you experienced this period and what changes has it led to?

Marco Voß: A lot happened in 2022; the renewable energy levy was dropped, the war brought various legislative changes and crisis modes. Nevertheless, we saw this crisis as an opportunity and used it to rethink processes that had to work reliably. Despite difficult circumstances, we were able to launch municipal heat supply with the cities, which is an important strategic point in terms of reorientation. We have also set the course for the construction of a PV plant, as this is part of increasing regional value creation and is part of municipal heat planning.

Economic Forum: The successful crisis management speaks for the company. Where are the strengths of ews?

Marco Voß: We have come through the challenging time well because our employees have done excellent work. We have a very homogeneous team and maintain open communication. Everyone identifies with the company and its values, which is a key to success. As a regional company, we are also directly accessible to customers on-site.

Economic Forum: Are there any specific plans or visions for the near future?

Marco Voß: We will tackle the heat sector in the next three to five years and are in the midst of planning for this. A huge point is heat production, which is associated with high capital requirements. Complex financing is future issue number 1. We are also working on flexible tariffs for electricity and gas and are pushing automation in the core business. Last but not least, we want to expand regional perception, even though we already enjoy a very good reputation in the region. We have concrete plans, but we are aware that we cannot achieve certain things alone. Implementing municipal heat planning requires support from the federal government. The necessary capital requirements are immensely high, so affordable loans and funding opportunities must be created.