The Envision consortium of top UK environmental research & training institutions hosted business leaders and scientists to explore opportunities for “green growth” collaboration
More than 40 business leaders and environmental researchers met at an engagement forum, at Lancaster University, to discuss how they could work together to create a low carbon, sustainable and profitable UK economy.
Envision, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, is a doctoral training consortium which aims to equip the next generation of environmental scientists to work with business to deliver eco innovation and green growth. The global market for eco-industries has been estimated at roughly €1.15 trillion and is likely to nearly double by 2020.
During the Forum there were case study presentations from some of the 2500 businesses who have developed R&D solutions to support sustainable economic growth with the help of researchers from the Envision consortium.
The Forum was held in Lancaster Environment Centre’s new teaching laboratories and Professor Nick Ostle, Director of Envision, gave the business delegates symbolic lab keys. He called for the creation of ‘Envisionaries’, young researchers who understand the needs of business and can work closely with industry, helping to create jobs and encourage green growth.
“Our commitment to excellent research and training with our industry partners is critical. By sharing our expertise and facilities with small, medium and big business partners we can improve our joint impact and success”.
Discussions focused on the benefits of business and research collaboration. These included product innovation, increased profitability, access to global markets and ensuring that the knowledge created within universities and research institutes is accessible and relevant for businesses to apply in the real world. Key potential areas identified for collaboration were: food, waste, water and energy security.
Guest speakers included Professor Rob Lamb, from the JBA Group, and Dr Steve Fletcher, Head of Sustainability & Research Efficiency, at the UK Knowledge Transfer Network.
Dr Ruth Alcock, from Lancaster Environment Centre’s Enterprise and Business Partnerships team, believes that there are many opportunities for student and academics to collaborate with business.
“Although Envision’s main focus is on PhDs, there are many other ways businesses can get involved with research institutions: anything from undergraduate projects to internships or post doctoral collaboration.
“There was a lot of interest from all the delegates who attended the forum: we could do a research project with every single one of them, and I’m sure the five other Envision institutions felt the same.”
Feedback from delegates was very positive.
“I regarded it as very worthwhile, both from the interest shown by a number of visitors and from the additional knowledge I gained from the workshop,” said Ian Stephenson, Managing Director of Technology Consortia Limited
The Envision consortium is led by Lancaster University and includes: the universities of Nottingham and Bangor; the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology; the British Geological Survey and Rothamsted Research, the world’s oldest agricultural research centre.