Sustainability

The world is changing at an ever greater pace. Industry and innovators are responding, working together to create the products, services and businesses of the future. Innovate UK Business Connect is here to help.

We make the full range of diverse connections required to shape a more positive future: technology, design, supply chains, business models, behaviour change, systems change. We are committed to driving innovation that is sustainable – responsible, resilient and even regenerative.

Innovate UK Business Connect helps drive innovation that can reduce industry’s environmental footprint and improve resource efficiency, and also create benefits such as competitive advantage and enhanced value-add for the customer. By making the right connections – for instance to cutting edge knowledge & research, the best solution providers, and testing facilities.

We help innovators navigate the journey to market fruition. We make connections to the multitude of skills and assets required to bring any product or service to market. And of course the funding and finance that might be required.

Innovate UK Business Connect works extensively with stakeholders – from national and regional government to national and regional government, Catapults, clusters, trade associations, learned institutions, expert consultancies, think tanks and charities. We connect seemingly disparate stakeholders to shape a better innovation landscape, and multiply the impact that any one of these organisations could have alone. To help drive positive change.

To explore this topic further take a look at the Horizons tool.

Our current focus in this area

At Innovate UK Business Connect, we are helping to empower organisations in their journey to Net Zero.

As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, we are changing the demand profile on many materials. But at the same time, as the world population rises, resulting in an ever increasing demand for energy and products which puts increasing pressure on materials (and their supply chains), we are also generating more and more ‘waste’.

The Decarbonising Ports & Harbours Innovation Network’s overarching objective is to raise the profile of the critical part ports and harbours need to play in Maritime transport’s transition to net zero by 2050 and accelerate this transition by giving clear direction.

Governments across the globe are working and deploying plans to reduce carbon and particulate emissions to improve the environment for generations to come.

Connecting the UK’s growing Chemicals community with industrial collaborators, research-base expertise, investment opportunities and funders.

Innovate UK Business Connect supports the offshore wind industry as a major contributor to the ORE Catapult innovation hub funded by BEIS, as well as supporting the companies who are making applications for funding for offshore renewables.

The Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging activity at Innovate UK Business Connect is proactively driving engagement and collaboration as part of the core programme of the UKRI ISCF Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge (SSPP).

Innovate UK Business Connect supports the SuperSolar Network Plus with the Head of Infrastructure acting as Chair to the Network Industrial Advisory Group. Through this group, and programmes such as Energy Catalyst as described above, we are actively brokering B2B and B2A linkages.

Liquid fuels will be a requirement for long-haul air travel in the longer term and a requirement for short haul whilst new technologies such as electric and electric/hybrid are developed. Aviation contributes around 2-3% to global CO2 emissions; through the International Civil Aviation Organization, the industry is committed to carbon neutral growth from 2021.

The world is changing at an ever greater pace, and manufacturers are responding – improving the products they make and the way they make them. This enables reduced environmental footprint and improved resource efficiency, but also creates benefits such as competitive advantage and a closer alignment with the customer’s needs.

Related Opportunities

Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) Phase 3: Spring 2024

Opens: 29/01/2024 Closes: 19/04/2024

Grant funding for feasibility and engineering studies, and for the deployment of industrial energy efficiency and deep decarbonisation projects.

More Information

Horizon Europe: Clean and competitive solutions for all transport modes

Opens: 07/12/2023 Closes: 18/04/2024

Research and innovation across all transport modes sought, for the EU to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and reduce air pollution by 2050

More Information

Global Cement and Concrete Association: Innovandi Open Challenge 2024

Opens: 19/02/2024 Closes: 15/04/2024

GCCA are looking for start-ups working on Carbon Capture Use and Storage for low carbon concrete.

More Information

Call for Innovation – Spring Accelerator 3

Opens: 07/03/2024 Closes: 09/04/2024

The Spring Accelerator aims to identify innovative solutions that help address a significant need in the UK and Ireland water sector.

More Information

Net Zero Catalyst Fund

Opens: 07/03/2024 Closes: 20/03/2024

Innovation Exchange are looking for SMEs with Net Zero technical innovation challenges, and offering up to £25k funding per challenge partnership.

More Information

Made Smarter accelerator: sustainability through innovation

Opens: 21/02/2024 Closes: 01/04/2024

Enabling UK manufacturers to fast forward their adoption of digital solutions: solve challenges from BAE, HS2 and Creagh Concrete and win up to £175,000.

More Information

Related Events and Recordings

Tue
19
Mar
2024

Industrial Energy Transformation Fund Phase 3 Spring 2024 Competition Clinics

10.00 - 11.00 | Online

Register for this event
Thu
23
Nov
2023

Procurement Net Zero: Meet the Advisor

10.00 - 11.30 | Online

Watch now
See all events

Our Experts

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For general enquiries regarding our Sustainability sector contact us now

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