Environmental Technology Incubator
The quality of the academic partnership is complemented by the fact that LEC is home to the UK‘s only dedicated Environmental Technology Incubator, a 1500m2 facility to enable the incubation of new enterprises and collaboration with established businesses. Made possible by over £5.5 million in recent investment, this new facility, supported by a dedicated technology transfer team, focuses on key priority international environmental technology markets. Lord Sainsbury visited the facility as part of his work to review UK Government Science and Innovation Policies (December2006) and the facility forms the focus for the THES award for outstanding contribution of a UK University to Science and Innovation (for which Lancaster University has been shortlisted - embargoed until 25/9/08).
The facility currently houses over 20 companies since opening in 2007. These commercial partnerships are complemented by a wider network of partnerships within the UK, including industry-led research consortia collaborating on a significant (£1.5 million) Defra-LINK project on sustainable water use in agri-business, involving 12 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The applicant plays an important UK leadership role within this technology innovation area via management roles within the Technology Strategy Boards‘ (TSBs) Knowledge Transfer Network(KTN) for the Environment (as a member of both its Steering and Technology Advisory Groups); and regional and national environmental technology cluster development companies (e.g. via company directorship of Envirolink Northwest Ltd.).
