The project will establish and scale-up over 130 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) over the next three years within the low carbon and sustainable technology fields. This will enable these businesses to grow, innovate and establish lasting research partnerships with the University, generating economic growth in the region and delivering on the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

The bid was led by Research and Innovation Services (RIS), which brought together a number of internal and external partners.

Academics from across the University’s Departments of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Architecture & Civil Engineering, and the School of Management, are key partners on the project.

Project Lead and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies (CSCT), Professor Matthew Davidson, said: “Low carbon and sustainable technologies are a research strength of this University. Not only will this business acceleration hub enable us to collaborate more effectively and with additional businesses, but they will be businesses who are highly innovative with strong growth potential. Having this network available is an important asset for us.”

Director of RIS, Dr Jon Hunt, added: “This award, like the recently secured £5 million from the Connecting Capability Fund (CCF), aligns our enterprise activities with our research strengths - to grow our interactions with SMEs who are willing and able to join research collaborations.

“I would like to thank all of our academics who have supported this bid. This is an exciting project that adds to the connected research enterprise of our University.”

For more information please contact Dr Jon Hunt or Simon Bond.