Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation (ECCI) acknowledges business pioneers in inaugural Low Carbon Innovation Awards
Awards mark the conclusion of ECCI’s flagship four-year Low Carbon Innovation (LCI) project
ECCI’s Low Carbon Innovation (LCI) project, specially commended by the Scottish Government as a key contributor to the achievement of the 2020 Climate Change targets, was a key cornerstone in ECCI’s evolution, providing the core funding and staff to take ECCI from a good idea within a group of innovative, impact-focused academics, to the bustling hub of ideas and innovations it is today.
Over the four years ECCI’s team actively engaged with over 1400 Scottish enterprises, providing intensive support to over 200 Scottish enterprises and networks to help them develop over 200 new low carbon products and services. This in turn created £3million of sales and 25 new jobs.
Some of these enterprises were acknowledged and celebrated today as part of ECCI’s inaugural Low Carbon Innovation Awards, sponsored by Diageo and William Tracey Group. The awards recognise the contribution of enterprises in four categories:
- Most Innovative Product – Sunamp
(caption: Sunamp founder Andrew Bissell with award presented by Sean Smith, Edinburgh Napier University)
- Most Innovative Service – Scene Consulting
(caption: Scene Consulting Senior Researcher Anna Harnmeijer, presented by Jane Stewart, William Tracey Group, Strategic Development Director)
- Low Carbon Pioneer Award – Ben Twist, Creative Carbon Scotland
(caption Ben Twist, founder Creative Carbon Scotland, presented by Duncan Wall, Diageo, Environment Manager)
- Contribution to a Low Carbon Economy Group Award – Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group
(caption: 2020 Climate Group programme manager Victoria Barby, presented by Susan Deacon, University of Edinburgh)
Duncan Wall, Environment Manager for Diageo said: “We are very pleased to sponsor these awards and proud to have supported the ECCI through their work supporting SMEs in Scotland helping to transform the low carbon landscape. As a business we innovate on carbon reduction and welcome the opportunity to support others and share our experiences.”
Headlines & Key messages – ECCI’s flagship four-year Low Carbon Innovation (LCI) project
Supporting Scottish SME’s to develop low carbon products and services
Funded by ERDF, University of Edinburgh & Edinburgh Napier University
Partners: ERDF, Edinburgh Napier University, Heriot-Watt University
Duration: May 2011 – May 2015
Total Investment: £1,567,797
- LCI met or exceeded all the targets set by ERDF
- 1,400 engagements with SMEs or networks
- 0ver 200 SMEs supported
- 50 networks supported
- 51 in-depth projects supported
- 200 new products & services created – doubled target
Sales:
- £700k invested by ERDF
- Resulted in net sales of nearly £3million achieved by the companies supported at project close – a 4 to 1 ROI
- 2018 prediction = net sales nearly £15million – a 20 to 1 ROI
Jobs:
- 5 new jobs created
- 2018 prediction = 68 new jobs created
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Annabel Cooper
Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation
High School Yards Edinburgh EH1 1LT
t: +44 (0)1316509811
m: +44 (0)7713392007
www.edinburghcentre.org
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EdCentreCC
