Lancaster University is looking to match businesses and top academic researchers during a series of three day-long events, the first of which is on eco-innovation.
The ‘Collaborative Impact’ events aim to match industry ideas to academic research to forge partnerships that lead to novel products and services.
Held between April 8-10, the events are themed to cover eco-innovation and energy, ICT and cyber-security, and quantum related technologies.
Ideas generated during the events could receive £5,000 seed funding through the Impact Acceleration Account (IAA). More substantial funding of up to £25,000 - matched by the business partner – could also be available to develop Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) research into viable commercial propositions.
Funding allocated through the IAA is designed to help translate EPSRC-funded academic research into wider societal and economic benefit.
Dr Ruth Alcock, Head of Enterprise & Business Partnerships, Lancaster Environment Centre, explained, “This process will support new co-designed ideas for products and services with positive environmental benefits and build on the success of our existing Centre for Global Eco-Innovation.”
For businesses and researchers without existing collaborative partners but ideas for development, a matching service is available by completing a simple expression of interest.
Lancaster University has expertise in eco-innovation and energy includes biogas and biomass gasification, carbon management, clean coal, energy and behavioural change, energy demand management and modelling, energy policy and economics, fuel cells, nuclear energy, photovoltaics and photocatalysis, transport and transport usage, and wet renewables.
Lancaster University is also a partner in the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation, the only centre of its kind in Europe. The centre unites the expertise of Lancaster University, the University of Liverpool and commercialisation company Inventya Limited, and is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
The events will take place at Lancaster University on the following dates:
- Eco-Innovation/Energy – 8th April 2014
- ICT/Cyber Security – 9th April 2014
- Quantum and Related Technologies - 10th April 2014
The Impact Acceleration Account is set to run until October 2015.
Businesses and academics can register now at www.lancaster.ac.uk/sci-tech/business/iaa/3rd_call_details.php, email Dr Mark Rushforth email m.rushforth@lancaster.ac.uk or call 07964921891.
More information about the fund is available at http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/sci-tech/business/iaa/3rd_call_details
Businesses interested in taking part in the Collaborative Impact events can email m.rushforth@lancaster.ac.uk or call 07964921891.