Businesses, academics and public agencies in the West Midlands gathered today to find out how they can benefit from a new €120 million Europe-wide climate change programme.
Climate - Knowledge Innovation Communities (KIC) is a unique programme which brings together five of Europe’s top universities (including Imperial College and ETH Zurich), 10 leading companies (including CISCO and Shell), and six major European regions including the West Midlands.
Advantage West Midlands played a leading role in preparing the Climate-KIC bid and co-ordinated the involvement of the six regions taking part in the programme - the West Midlands, Central Hungary, Emilia Romagna in Italy, Hessen in Germany, Lower Silesia in Poland and Valencia in Spain.
A launch event for the programme, which is set to run for the next seven years, was held at the Priory Rooms in Birmingham today and speakers included Bert van der Zwaan, Interim CEO of the Climate-KIC programme; Sir Roy McNulty, Chairman, Advantage West Midlands, and Judith Petts, Pro Vice Chancellor of Birmingham University.
At the core of Climate-KIC will be four new major research and innovation programmes on the themes of climate science, low carbon cities, zero carbon production systems and integrated water management.
These programmes will offer organisations the opportunity to submit proposals for ideas that integrate education, research, business and regions to deliver climate change innovation, positioning the Climate-KIC and, in turn, the West Midlands, as a hub for expertise, business and solutions for the Climate Change challenge.
Delegates at the event heard about the new Pioneers in Practice programme, which is aimed at creating a new generation of practitioners equipped with the high level skills needed for the development of a low carbon economy and society.
Alongside this the Climate-KIC team in the West Midlands aims to use the programme to advance training capacity and new skills, create new companies and spin-outs and help develop markets for existing low carbon companies.
Advantage West Midlands is leading a regional partnership to deliver various elements of the Climate-KIC programme which involves Birmingham and Coventry City Councils, Aston, Birmingham and Warwick Universities, the Midlands Energy Consortium, QinetiQ, Arup, NISP, Birmingham Science City and others.
The Climate-KIC programme is the latest in a number of projects for the West Midlands which aim to significantly contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gases in the West Midlands. The region has set itself a target of a 25% reduction by 2015 and a 30% by 2020.
Last month, Lord Mandelson announced the creation of a Low Carbon Area for Advanced Automotive Engineering in the Midlands.
A £29 million Low Carbon Vehicle Technology Project was also announced - a £19 million joint programme involving Advantage West Midlands and the European Regional Development Fund, and a further £10 million from the industry partners involved.
Advantage West Midlands is also investing £67 million in Birmingham Science City - an initiative focused on improving collaboration between universities and businesses in the areas of energy and advanced materials.
Sir Roy McNulty, Chairman at Advantage West Midlands, said: “Our regional role on Climate-KIC is recognition of the energy and resources the region and Advantage West Midlands have invested in climate change issues and the low carbon agenda over a number of years.”
Bert van der Zwaan, Interim CEO of the Climate-KIC programme, said: “A key strength of Climate-KIC is that we, together with all our European partners, are capable of developing solutions which can be integrated along the entire innovation chain.”
Judith Petts, Pro Vice Chancellor of Birmingham University, said: “This is exciting news for the city and West Midlands and will allow the University of Birmingham to work with other partners across the region and Europe in supporting the delivery of the Climate-KIC. The University will be able to contribute from its excellent research base to innovation in low carbon technologies across Europe.”