ACE’s sister organisation, the Environmental Industries Commission (EIC), and the University of Lancaster will work together to move ideas from worlds of academia to business, finding opportunities to maximise impact of new innovations.
The Lancaster University based Centre for Global Eco Innovation is an award-winning programme which delivers high quality business-led research, through enabling enterprises to access the expertise, resources and global contacts of Lancaster University and its national and international partners. The centre develops a range of multidisciplinary solutions based on collaboration between universities, researchers and the business community. The two partners are planning a series of joint workshops, case studies and position papers over the next 24 months.
Dr Andy Pickard, Lancaster University said: “We have a strong track record of working with businesses on innovations from new energy technologies to improving food security. This could mean finding new ways of using existing resources more efficiently or reducing waste and carbon emissions. This partnership also enables us to work closely with business to inform government policy. It will help develop new relationships with industry and commerce to address global challenges, ultimately benefiting both the environment and the economy. The two will have to go hand-in-hand is we are find ways to keep temperature increases below 1.5 degrees”
EIC Director, Matthew Farrow said: “The UK has some world-class strengths in environmental technology and services and we need to build on these to deliver the clean growth and exports we all want to see post-Brexit. Innovation is central to doing this – how can we solve environmental challenges such as air pollution or plastic waste faster and more efficiently? To succeed we need business, policymakers and universities working together and by partnering with Lancaster University with its eco-innovation strengths we believe we can help make this happen.”
Launching during the Green GB week, the partnership was welcomed by Claire Perry, Minister for Energy and Clean Growth: “The UK has led the world in cutting emissions whilst growing our economy - with clean growth driving incredible innovation and creating hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs. Ten years on from the Climate Change Act, the first ever Green GB week is a time to build on our successes and explain the huge opportunities for business and young people of a cleaner economy. I’m delighted to see how many more businesses and organisations such as Lancaster University are seizing this multi-billion pound opportunity to energise their communities to tackle the very serious threat of climate change.”
Find out more about the newly announced partnership at the EIC website.
