Environmental Sustainability KTN

Competition for disruptive solutions for energy, digital, healthcare, & sustainability problems

The Technology Strategy Board has allocated up to £600k in funding for disruptive solutions – something that creates a new or unexpected market opportunity by applying a different set of values – across its core, challenge-led areas of energy, digital, healthcare, and sustainability – but you’ll have to be quick! The deadline for first stage (video) submissions is noon on Thursday 16 September.

This competition is only open to micro, small and medium-sized companies to stimulate their development of new ideas that could provide solutions to major challenges presented in these areas.

Through a rapid competition process the Board is seeking proposals for three-month projects, worth up to £25k. However, the Board also wants to find out what you would do if you received up to £100k for a project lasting up to six months. In each of the four areas (energy, digital, healthcare, & sustainability) three proposals will be funded. The best proposal in each area will receive up to £100k. The other two will receive up to £25k in project funding.

About the Competition

The competition is being run in three stages:

1) an initial video pitch which is open to all – your £25k proposal.

2) a written submission for those that are selected from stage one – what would you do with up to up to £100k?

3) a live pitch for £100k at Innovate 10 on 12 October in London for the three best proposals in each area.

Two-minute video proposals must be submitted via www.innovate10.co.uk/launch-pad/about by noon on 16^th September.

Scope of the Sustainability Competition

The Technology Strategy Board is looking for solutions that will explore innovative ways to dramatically reduce the whole-life environmental impact of delivering products and services. More information on related strategies and activities in this area can be found here.

Video proposals may be for any area of the economy and should tackle a recognised sustainability issue such as:

• resource efficiency
• carbon emissions
• energy use
• water use
• end-of-life disposal.

They should also consider the whole life-cycle, and demonstrate how the whole-life environmental impact is reduced. The Board is interested in any innovative approach to the specific challenge you identify. Possible approaches to consider include:

• converting a product into a service so that more value comes from the intangible part of the product
• improving the durability of a product so that the financial and environmental costs of replacement and disposal are reduced
• designing a product for reuse, remanufacture and recycling to reduce the amount of virgin raw material used, and the impact on disposal at end of life
• reducing the mass of materials required to deliver the service to the user
• reducing the energy required to deliver the service to the user
• improving human and environmental safety by reducing the use of toxic materials and avoiding emissions
• conserving depleting resources and using renewables or recycled materials where possible.

ES KTN secures funding for Technology Mission to Israel

Through the Science and Innovation Network (SIN) and UK Embassy staff in Israel the ESKTN has secured funding to take eight to ten industrialists to the Eilat-Eilot International Renewable Energy Conference 2011 in Israel (February 21^st to 25^th 2011).  The funding will cover most of the accommodation costs (5 days, 4 nights), conference fees and a £100 subsidy to the flight cost.

Our objective from a mission would be to provide participants from the UK with an opportunity to see, first hand, innovation that is taking place within the renewable energy sector in Israel and the broader international field. It should also provide delegates with the chance to present or discuss their innovations (or innovation needs) with a diverse international community. The expected outcome would be the identification and facilitation of future productive partnerships which lead to the development and/or uptake of innovation.   

A wider objective will be to gain an insight of how the renewable energy agenda is being taken forward and to identify innovations, opportunities, good practice etc. which could be brought back and disseminated within the UK. This would potentially generate additional outputs following the mission, such as further partnerships, and informing of national policies etc., by working in conjunction with the SIN and other key contacts identified.

Mission members will be expected to present a paper at the conference on a topic of their choice relating to the Renewable energy debate (to be agreed with the conference organisers) and commit to contribute to a Mission report and one day dissemination event in the UK upon return. Places are strictly limited and will be assessed by a panel in early December.

To express an interest in being a delegate, please respond by commenting on our _connect web announcement of this exciting opportunity. Details of the application procedure will then be forwarded to you early in October.