Companies eager to engage in Eco-Innovation
After only 3 months following the launch of the Eco-Innovation Programme by Dragon’s Den guru Richard Farleigh, there are already over 50 companies engaged with the project.
The Eco-Innovation Programme helps SME’s exploit the market opportunities created by climate change and the drive towards more sustainable consumption and productions. As such the programme aims to go well beyond the ‘greening’ of existing businesses.
Some of the projects already underway include carbon tracking, reduction and optimising techniques, rainwater harvesting systems, solar energy technologies, environmentally friendly cleaning products, sustainable timber supplies and waste-water treatment technologies.
The companies seeking assistance cover a range of sizes from small start ups of 1 or 2 employees to established SME’s with over 100 employees and multi-million pound turnover.
C-Tech Innovation Ltd, our delivery partners, work with companies at an early stage to look at ways to capture new market opportunities through either redeveloping existing products or through entirely new products suitable for the business. Once these ideas have been appraised, a detail action plan is developed, in many cases this first cohort of 50 companies have received placements of a Graduate consultant from the Lancaster Environment Centre which enables them to receive 5 weeks of dedicated consultancy looking to develop the project concept and action plan to the point of delivery.
Jackie Seddon, Project Manager of the Eco-Innovation Programme explains “the initial success of the project has been fantastic, we’re working with some really exciting companies and already the value of the programme is being felt across the board”.
“We are really excited about the prospect of developing a legacy for the region of a new cross-sectoral cluster of companies identifying eco-innovation as being at the heart of their business success.”
The project has been developed and is managed by Lancaster University and is delivered in partnership with C-Tech Innovation Ltd and other regional partners including ENWORKS, Enviorlink NorthWest, other regional cluster development organisations, and the UK’s knowledge network for environmental sustainability (sponsored by the Technology Strategy Board).
For more details on how the Eco-Innovation Programme can help your business visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/northwest/eco-innovation
