WIREDGOV

Finance Secretary John Swinney yesterday announced funding to increase the energy and low carbon support available to Scottish companies.

The Scottish Government has awarded £3.4 million of European Regional Development Funding to six projects from leading Scottish universities and colleges.

The projects will help up to 1,000 small and medium sized businesses across Scotland to develop low carbon technologies, products and services and are expected to support 270 jobs.

The projects are run by six different universities and colleges who will collaborate through the Energy and Low Carbon Business Support project to share experiences and prevent duplication of work.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said:

"I am delighted to launch these six projects, which promise to deliver jobs and growth for our economy, helping small and medium sized businesses develop low carbon technologies.

"These projects are strong on their own, but by working together they promise to deliver even greater impact.

"Collectively they form a comprehensive, coherent and integrated work programme that will increase the extent of quality of knowledge exchange with industry."

Professor Jim McDonald, Chair of the Energy Technology Partnership (ETP) and Principal of the University of Strathclyde, said:

"I am delighted with this significant investment and very pleased that the ETP is a part of this exciting new collaborative partnership to deliver energy and low carbon support to Scottish business. Today’s news reflects Scotland’s world-class reputation for energy research and development, and will further accelerate our progress towards Scotland’s low carbon economy."

The six projects are:

• ETP Knowledge Exchange Network, University of Strathclyde Technology transfer and business development support to SMEs across all ETP’s thematic areas; carbon capture and storage; marine energy; wind energy; grid and power networks; oil & gas diversification; solar energy; bio-energy; energy utilisation in buildings; and energy conversion and storage. This project also includes investment in the Scottish Energy Laboratory, a network of test and demonstration facilities across all key energy sectors. 
• COINS - Collaborative Innovative Networks, Adam Smith College The project will assist SMEs improve their business performance by facilitating and supporting several collaborative innovation networks over three years. These COINS will be made up of organisations which have an interest in developing low carbon products, services and processes through collaboration that add value to the local economy.
• LoCal-Net, University of Abertay, Dundee Facilitating and stimulating R&D and innovation in low carbon technologies, products and services in key sectors including Food & Drink, Agriculture, Forestry, Construction and Rural Industries. LoCal-Net will assist SMEs in reducing barriers to innovation and accessing scientific and technological expertise in order to seek out, acquire and deploy commercially viable low carbon solutions in their products, processes and other activities.
• RenewNet, University of Edinburgh. RenewNet is an industrially focused project that provides power engineering expertise to accelerate technology. RenewNet gives companies direct access to the science base that is flexible, responsive and driven by the company.
• National Biofuel Resource Centre, Napier University. This project will support Scottish businesses to identify access and apply biofuel as a real solution to minimising their waste disposal costs while introducing new revenue streams through bio-fuel production.
• Energy Technology Centre: Accelerated Renewables Development, Energy Technology Centre, East Kilbride A project building on the successful establishment and operation of the Energy Technology Centre (ETC) in East Kilbride. It will focus on providing specialist offshore wind and marine component/ sub-system test and demonstration services, while also addressing challenges within other renewable energy technologies.

Related information

• Energy Technology Partnership