UK scientists set to lead global eco-innovation centre

The £9.8m Centre for Global Eco-Innovation (CGE), led by Lancaster University in partnership with Liverpool University, is to receive £4.9m of funds from the European Regional Development Fund’s North West operational programme to provide research and development expertise to hundreds of the region’s companies that are working to find solutions to environmental problems.

The virtual centre, split between facilities at both universities, was developed in partnership with Inventya at the Daresbury Science and Innovation campus. According to a statement, it will provide more than 285 regional companies with expert help to develop new, greener products and services resulting in significant savings in terms of greenhouse-gas emissions, water, waste and energy.

Working with businesses across a range of sectors, including chemicals, environmental technologies, digital and high-value manufacturing, the centre aims to deliver a significant number of new jobs to the region making a measurable contribution to the region’s economic recovery.

More than 50 graduates will be recruited between the two universities, who will work on a range of research and development projects in partnership with business. The graduates will use these collaborations as the basis of a PhD programme of study.