News
28 June final deadline for NI entries to €280,000 Business Competition
The countdown is on: Conor Sweeney, Project Manager for InterTradeIreland and last year’s winner, Dr Andrew Woods, CEO of Queen’s Spin-out Catagen, are urging new and early stage businesses across Northern Ireland to submit their entries to the Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition before the deadline on 28 June 2013. Due to the new and simplified entry process this year, the first stage requires companies to complete a short online application form and then upload a visual representation of their business. The competition has a prize fund of €280,000 and aims to help firms become investor-ready. For more information or to enter, visit www.intertradeireland.com/seedcorn.
CASE an opportunity for local entrepeneurs
A recent Department of Education and Learning (DEL) report indicated that Northern Ireland is out performing the rest of the UK in exploiting links between universities and industry. Yet there is still very compelling evidence of a gap between University Research and genuine exploitation of those research outputs by local companies in the form of patents and spin outs. The Invest NI Competence Centre programme has been established to address the challenges of industry / university interfaces in the research arena over a number of specific sectors identified by MATRIX (government science advisory panel) as forerunners in the drive for innovation.
The Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE) has been set up under the Invest NI competence centre programme with an industry driven research agenda across four main themes : turbines, grid integration and storage, energy efficiency and energy from biomass. With 40% renewable energy targets in Northern Ireland by 2020 equating to the connection of around 1440MW of distributed renewable energy technology to a constrained grid, significant opportunities abound for Northern Ireland's entrepreneurs. CASE has just launched the first call for collaborative projects in sustainable energy and will draw upon a £5m research fund from Invest NI, as well as other leveraged funding through Europe.
The late 2012 announcement of the Crown Estates leases for 200MW of tidal energy has led to the first CASE research project, led by local industry, funded by INI and conducted by QUB. Testing of 1/10th scale tidal devices will soon commence in Strangford Lough. This world leading project and the subsequent building-out of the full scale tidal energy sites on the North Coast will open up significant avenues for a potential new marine energy supply chain. NI companies are ideally placed to exploit these opportunities now!
Special Advisor – Policy: ReNEW Project
Salary: c.£43,500 (fixed term until end of June 2015)
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland
ReNEW (Resource Innovation Network for European Waste) is an exciting EU-Funded (INTERREG IVB) project involving ten partners from across NW Europe. The project aims to build a trans-national, cross-sector innovation network to transform the waste sector of North West Europe through innovation in the recovery of valuable resources. It will stimulate the collaboration of researchers and SMEs, together with public bodies, in North West Europe working to develop resource recovery processes that can meet future market needs, conserve resources and strengthen the economic competitiveness of NW Europe. WRAP is recruiting a Special Advisor to the ReNEW project in the area of policy development and policy communication, supporting the Northern Ireland government and other project partners and stakeholders. Overall project management is by QUESTOR Centre, an industry-led environmental cluster based in Queen’s University Belfast. This post is funded by the Northern Ireland Department of Environment and INTERREG until June 2015.
The post is available as a full-time, fixed-term position or as a secondment opportunity and will be based in Belfast, with occasional travel to Europe to meet with project partners and EU Commission staff. The post will require regular interaction with European partners and stakeholders, including industry, small companies and entrepreneurs. The Department wishes to facilitate its own and its partners’ policy development in resource efficiency and the circular economy and the development of its policy framework to maximise the potential for the project to support future economic growth in Northern Ireland.
The Special Advisor will be able to demonstrate:
- a relevant science/technical degree with experience in a technical field, such as chemistry, engineering or biotechnology
- experience in the area of policy development, either for government or industry.
- knowledge of municipal or industrial waste management and/or the chemical and biotechnology industry sector (desirable).
Policy advice and development is the key output for this post and experience and judgement in determining the best outcome from the research findings is essential to the success of the project. This is particularly relevant in enabling the development of commercial technologies that can recover valuable materials from wastes that can enter supply markets for new manufacture and generate economic opportunities in NW Europe.
We offer a contributory pension scheme, free life assurance, 25 days holiday and a discretionary performance related payment.
For further details and to apply, please download and complete an application form (electronic applications preferred) via our website http://www.wrap.org.uk/job-vacancies and send it to Jacqui.blaker@wrap.org.uk No agencies or CVs thank you.
WRAP welcomes applications from all suitably qualified applicants, regardless of religion, age, gender, disability or race.
Closing date for applications: 12:00 midday Monday 3rd June. Interviews: June 2013.
Dublin City University played host to the ATWARM Conference and May 2013 Questor Meeting
140 delegrates from industry and research institutions contributed to a lively debate at the QUESTOR meeting and ATWARM international conference, ‘Water: the greatest global challenge’ (14-16th May 2013) which was held in the Helix at DCU last week. This also incorporated the most recent QUESTOR meeting and the Industrial Advisory Board met on Wednesday just before an international brokerage meeting run by the Europe Enterprise Network.
The event was a great success – all thanks to the speakers and delegates who made it an event well worth attending. Interesting talks highlighted water challenges and opportunities in Ireland, Europe, Africa, China and Brazil. Technical talks across the 3 day conference presented research outputs and innovations for nutrient removal & recovery, removal of metals, remediation of contaminated groundwater & surface water, water monitoring and the water-energy nexus.
A particular highlight of the event was the address by Alex Attwood MLA – who endorsed the work of QUESTOR and the research being undertaken by the ATWARM consortium.
Conference presentations from the keynote industrial and academic speakers, as well as all research presentations are available at www.atwarm.com
Case Study: QUESTOR and TE Laboratories
The ATWARM project (coordinated by QUESTOR) features in an Intertrade Ireland case study, which discusses the benefits of North-South collaboration in European research. Link here: http://www.intertradeireland.com/fp7support/fp7_case_studies/. The video was shown last week (16th May) at the Collaborate to Innovate event at Croke Park on 16th May, which coincided with QUESTOR's own international meeting in Dublin.
ReNEW project website launched
The ReNEW project website has been launched and can be found at www.renew-network.eu
Resource innovation Network for European Waste represents a network of organisations whose aim is to deliver innovations for the waste supply chain - promoting recovery of valuable materials from waste a €4.88 million project, funded at a rate of 50% (€2.44 million) by the Interreg IVB North West Europe scheme.
Minister for the Environment Addresses 'Water: the greatest global challenge'
Alex Attwood MLA, Minister for the Environment Northern Ireland, addressed delegates of 'Water: the greatest global challenge' on Wednesday 15th May 2013.
"This event demonstrates where we need to go in cross boundary research particularly on the critical issues facing our nations including water quality and management. Within Europe and the Island we need to cooperate and integrate our efforts on economic, environment and social issues. That need is acute in Ireland. That is why I acknowledge the great work of Questor out of Belfast working with its Irish and European partners to develop research on water management and technologies. This is where we need to go-all island, all islands all Europe cooperation. This research programme is funded through FP7. This makes the widerpoint. Dublin is miles ahead of Belfast on accessing European funds generally and FP7 in particular. As we approach 2014 and the start of Horizon 2020 the successor programme to FP7, we in Belfast must stretch our ambitions in the image of what has been achieved in Dublin."
Prof Michael Bongards, Cologne University of Applied Sciences Dr Elaine Groom, QUESTOR QUB + ReNEW coordinator
Delegates at the ReNEW workshops in :metabolon
ReNEW Technology Foresight Workshop update
TheReNEW Technology Foresight workshop was hosted by Cologne University of Applied Sciences on 23-24th April 2013. The event was a great success, featuring presentations of processes for recovering organic materials from the waste stream (Dr Ludo Diels, VITON.V., Juan Carlos Cabrera Pino, Materia Nova); and discussions of process needs for recovery of inorganics (metals, minerals) from waste (Frans Beckers,Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency and Patrick Van den Bossche, Agoria Belgium Industrial Federation).
ReNEW technical experts provided insight to the technologies they aim to demonstrate during the project. Stakeholders will be invited to visit these demonstration facilities over the coming months.
Delegates also had the opportunity to discuss innovation needs, gaps and facilities – innovation challenges facing the waste supply chain.
Show how research benefits business via WaterR2B.net
WaterR2B.net is a pilot site where case studies describing how real-world problems have been solved through research. Visit http://www.wskep.net/news.php?id=248 for more details.Register now for “Water – the greatest global challenge”
14th–16th May 2013, at the Helix, Dublin City University
This conference will look at the future global concerns for the water sector and has attracted a number of high profile speakers, both from industry, academia and government bodies. An EEN Brokerage Event will feature on the second day of the conference –providing an opportunity to arrange 1-1 business meetings. Prior registration is required at http://www.b2match.eu/atwarm2013 (before1st May 2013)
Speakers at the conference include:
John Tierney, CEO Irish Water
Robert Schröder, European Commission DG Environment
Joe Higgins, Veolia
Martin Curley, Vice President of Intel Corporation
Richard Elelman, Netwerc H2O
Denis Gray, North Carolina State University, National Science Foundation, USA
Mark Oelmann, Economics Institute, Ruhr University West, Germany
Theresa Kearney, Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Alice Wemaere, Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland)
Jane Watkins, Beta Technology, UK
Jennifer Brennan, Marie Curie National Contact Point, Ireland
Marcelo Morgado, ABES - Brazilian Association of Sanitation Engineering
Haiyan Pei, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, China
Peter Wolfmeyer, Zenit GmbH, Germany
Gerald Jones, Corinium Innovation Ltd, UK
To register for this conference and for furtherinformation please visit www.dcu.ie/atwarm.
Less than two weeks to the ReNEW Technology Foresight Workshops
ReNEW - Resource innovation network for European waste
A few places are still available at the forthcoming workshops near Cologne, Germany 23-24th April. Registration is FREE for the workshops, which will cover the status and needs of technological innovations for recovery of resources from organic and inorganic waste streams, and requirements for innovation facilities, best practice and support for the waste sector. Click here for further information and registration details.
QUESTOR at Queen’s University Belfast, in association with partners in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Germany, recently launched the €4.8M ReNEW project (http://www.renew-network.eu) with 50% funding through Interreg IVb NWE.
ReNEW focuses on the development of a network that will deliver innovations for recovery of valuable materials from waste.
Throughout the project we will engage with stakeholders from all partner regions, who are active in the waste supply chain.
Stakeholder benefits will include access to:
• Expertise and innovations from participating regions
• Knowledge of best practice from other regions
• Networking and events with stakeholders across Europe
More information is provided in the attached flyer.
Become a stakeholder on the ReNEW project by contacting
Dr Elaine Groom(ReNEW Coordinator): e.groom@qub.ac.uk
Patricia McCrory(ReNEW Communications): p.mccrory@qub.ac.uk
Renewable firms to benefit from QUESTOR and South West College partnership
QUESTOR and South West College have confirmed details of a collaboration that will enable local firms to improve competition in the high growth renewable energy sector.
The environmental research and innovation partnership is an agreement between the college’s InnoTech Centre and The QUESTOR Centre at Queen’s and will focus on Energy from Biomass with potential for expansion in other sectors. It is a result of ongoing collaboration co-ordinated through the DEL Connected Programme.
The partnership propose the installation of new shared facilities, including the up-grading of existing laboratories at QUESTOR and further capitalisation of a full Scale Anaerobic Digestion Demonstration Facility located near Omagh, with the development of a dedicated test facility at the College’s Skills Centre in Enniskillen.
By pooling their resources, both organisations will provide high quality technical services in a wider range ofdisciplines to support local companies and accelerate commercial exploitation of new ideas and processes.
Malachy McAleer, South West College Director said the collaboration would be a catalyst to accelerate economic development: “Innovation is critical for the continued growth of the renewable sector. Northern Irish companies in the clean and green sector require dedicated R&D support if we are to achieve ambitious targets for renewable energy and develop ideas into products, profit and jobs.
This unique collaborative partnership brings together the expertise and recourses of two centres of R&D excellence with the Higher and Further Educations sectors with distinct areas of economic development expertise. The combined knowledge of both can provide a coherent service capable of meeting industry needs and bridging a known technology transfer gap.”
Dr Wilson McGarel, Director of QUESTOR said smart collaboration will help build and sustain competitiveness in a lucrative sector: “The primary purpose of the proposed collaboration between the QUESTOR Centre and the InnoTech Centre is to bridge a technology transfer gap in Northern Ireland by providing focus, joint facilities and resources that can enhance and sustain the competitiveness of existing and emerging businesses in the renewable energy sector.”
“Northern Ireland is a small region and can only afford to invest shrewdly in support of key niche areas where companies can act quickly and compete globally if innovation is coordinated. Energy from Biomass is one of the key niche areas where smart investment can lead to significant growth, wealth creation and increased employment.”
CASE presenting and exhibiting at SustainEx2013
SustainEX in association with Invest NI are bringing to you, what is set to be one of the most comprehensive exhibitions. Encouraging better resource efficiency through effective use of energy, environmental and waste management technologies aimed at the small to medium business sector.
QUESTOR - Mid-west Steel Ltd FUSION completion
QUESTOR have successfully completed a 12 month FUSION partnership with Mid-West Steel Ltd, based near Silvermines in County Tipperary.
Simon Murray from QUESTOR worked with the company on the project, which investigated the gasification of waste vehicle tyres. Work included the optimisation of the process conditions to ensure maximum value of the gasification products. The company hopes to use the outputs of the project to help secure funding for a €4 million investment, which will see them construct a full scale plant, capable of processing 20 tonnes of waste tyres per day.
For more details on the FUSION scheme, and how companies can get involved, contact the QUESTOR Centre, or visit http://www.intertradeireland.com/fusion.
In the photo Leon Agnew (FUSION Consultant) presents Tom Creagh of Mid-West Steel with a certificate marking the successful completion of the project. Also pictured is Alan Creagh and Anthony O’Riordan, also of Mid-West Steel.
Conference notice: Water - the greatest global challenge, 14-16th May 2013 at The Helix, DCU
A networking event to discuss future collaborative innovations for our shared environment.
The conference will highlight innovations in water quality management that have been developed and demonstrated by a team of research fellows under the FP7 Marie Curie project, ATWARM.
It will also include a Brokerage Event to manage dedicated business contacts on Wednesday 15th May from 2pm to 5pm.
To view the schedule and register for the event, please visit www.atwarm.com/conference
Use of apps could save waste industry millions
Waste management companies could save thousands of pounds if they invest in mobile phones that can hold their data instead of relying on paper, an expert has claimed.
