The West Midlands has ensured it will become a major hub for low carbon jobs, businesses and markets, after being selected as a test bed for eco innovations in a new €750 million (£652 million) European research and skills programme. The new Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (Climate-KIC) aims to prepare Europe for a new low carbon society by finding new ways to produce, distribute and consume goods, as well as meet the continents requirements for energy, food and water. Launched last month by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), the programme is made up of a consortium that includes five of Europe’s top universities, including Imperial College. Companies, such as CISCO, Shell and Thales, are also part of the pan-European consortium.
The West Midlands is one of six European regions to have now been selected as a ‘Knowledge and Innovation Community’, which will test, develop and facilitate the innovations pioneered by Climate-KIC.
Commenting on thesuccessful bid today, West Midlands Minister, Ian Austin, said: “This is really welcome news for the West Midlands. This announcement offers the region a unique opportunity to create low carbon jobs that will help us build our way out of the current recession.”
Regional development agency Advantage West Midlands coordinated the ambitious bid, which will see €120 million (£104 million) of European Union backing, with the rest of partners contributing five times that amount. The money will be spent over the next four years and Climate-KIC is expected to last over the next seven to 15 years.
At the core of Climate-KIC will be four major new research and innovation programmes on the themes of climate science, low carbon cities, zero-carbon production systems and integrated water management. These programmes will offer advanced training capacity and new skills, create new companies and spin-outs and help develop markets for existing low carbon companies. Climate-KIC will use the range of projects being developed by the West Midlands and other regions, for example on electric urban mobility, as its test-bed to pilot new innovations in developing the low carbon economy.
Describing the successful regions as “innovation hotspots”, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, said they would “attract the brightest talents from Europe and beyond. They should develop into the ‘places to be’ for those students, researchers, and entrepreneurs who want to work together in areas of high relevance for our common future.”
Advantage West Midlands is leading a regional partnership to deliver various elements of the Climate-KIC programme, including Birmingham and Coventry City Councils, Aston, Birmingham and Warwick Universities, the Midlands Energy Consortium, Qinetiq, Arup, NISP and others.
Speaking on successful Climate KIC bid, Mick Laverty, chief executive at Advantage West Midlands, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Imperial College on Europe’s trail-blazer on climate change alongside our regional partners from academia, local government and business. This success is testament to our growing reputation for promoting innovation and excellence in the emerging lowcarbon and green technologies and helping the region become a centre of excellence.”
Source: Green Business News
