Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory

Creating a low carbon economy in the Liverpool City Region

PROJECT PART FUNDED BY

Contentspage 3

n About Usn How Does Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory Work?

page 4

n Business Benefits

page 5

n Case Studies q Product Design & Testing q Buildings

page 6

n Case Studies q Carbon Assessment q Process Control & Monitoring q Waste & Waste Water Management

page 7

n Case Study q Ongoing Student Projects

page 8

n ERDF Funding

Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory

About us

How does Low CarbonEco-Innovatory work?

Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory | 3

Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory (LCEI) creates innovative low carbon goods, processes and services, developed through collaborative partnerships between local companies in the Liverpool City Region and University researchers, students and academic staff.

Our aim is to work with local SMEs on an individual basis in order to identify opportunities for low carbon development which will ultimately bring about economic and environmental benefits for businesses and the community.

The essence of LCEI is to encourage research, innovation and knowledge transfer by offering direct access to HEI facilities at Liverpool John Moores University, University of Liverpool and Lancaster University. In this way LCEI will open up access to cutting-edge exploitable assets and expertise, giving local SMEs a significant competitive advantage.

Experts at Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory (LCEI) will develop the right low carbon strategy for each individual company by mapping its current practices and future exploitation activities. The nature of the project, including timescales, will dictate if the business will be allocated a research collaborator or student project.

A bespoke action plan will be developed between the business and the LCEI team. The aim is to use all available resources and technologies to develop an Action Plan which will assist to increase long term profitability and set the company on the right track to a low carbon future.

The Action Plan will be implemented with the help of the LCEI researchers, students or academic staff. They will assist with every step of the agreed Action Plan, implementing new technologies, new processes or wider research as well as applying for specialist funding / investment where necessary.

The results of any greenhouse gas reduction and business improvement made by the LCEI team will be monitored to determine success.

1st STEPROADMAPPING

2nd STEPACTIVITIES

3rd STEPIMPLEMENTATION

4th STEPMONITORING

Business BenefitsLow Carbon Eco-Innovatory seeks to build relationships with SMEs and deliver tangible benefits via collaborative approaches to encourage business to maintain a broader, long-term relationship with the city region’s research base.

The support offered by LCEI can result in a wide range of benefits to your company:

INCREASED PROFITABILITY

We assist businesses to increase profitability with the development of new and improved products; commercialisation of products and services; winning tenders; increasing economic activity and effective low carbon planning that identifies and reduces risk.

INCREASED KNOWLEDGE

We provide companies with an increased knowledge of low carbon issues, energy management and carbon finance and identify the resultant impact on their annual profit and loss.

INCREASED COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

We facilitate access to high value, commercially viable systems and toolkits that will lead to new products, processes and markets linked to the low carbon agenda.

ACCESS TO UNIVERSITY RESOURCES

LCEI is a partnership between Liverpool John Moores University, University of Liverpool and Lancaster University. The combined resources will provide expertise which can allow SMEs to progress their ideas through cutting edge R&D and innovation schemes.

INFORMATION SHARING

We provide information to SMEs on emerging global opportunities, markets and trends matched to companies’ expertise and University resources. We will also look to generate peer reviewed research papers in international journals, promoting the collaboration within the Liverpool City Region and demonstrating world-class research.

ACCESS TO SPECIALIST FUNDING

We can identify current and future funding opportunities for companies, including Innovate UK and EU Horizon 2020 programmes related to research for the benefit of SMEs.

of SMEs”

“Enhancing the

COMPETITIVENESS

Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory | 5

BUILDINGS

Rad Wraps offer a world first in radiator covers. Set up in 2012 after many years of design and development, Rad Wraps offer a radiator cover at a lower price than the average box covers and can be applied in seconds. It has an expanding group of customers based throughout the UK.

LJMU provided access to facilities to research and test the efficiency of the product, making comparison between the Rad Wraps product and the existing MDF covers and assessed the impact on heat transfer. Thermodynamic simulation was used to confirm the results from the lab test.

These tests have provided Rad Wraps with a report from the university to back up claims about the product being more efficient than the traditional MDF cover.

PRODUCT DESIGN & TESTING

Brimark Signs Ltd manufacture and supply all types of external and internal signage including banners, display to vehicle and window graphics.

Brimark Signs have expanded their business and moved to new premises. LJMU provide advice on suitable heating systems, lighting and other clean technologies for their new building in order to create a sustainable environment and reduce energy costs. The company identified the best way to achieve these targets and were able to select between different options based on the efficiency and budget.

LJMU carried out thermal simulation to test various types of heating systems, solar panels, LED lights and rainwater harvesting to help the business make the right decisions

Baltic Creative CIC was established to provide creative space that meets the varied needs of the creative and digital sector and is playing a major part in the regeneration of the Baltic Triangle. One of their key objectives is to promote a sustainable and environmentally responsible cluster. Support is available in tandem with studio accommodation to help new creative businesses to establish and develop themselves and to promote networks for collaboration.

LJMU carried out 3-D thermal modelling, providing advice and consultation on how to improve the thermal condition of the building and where to find suitable funding to help towards the cost. As a result of the support from LJMU, Baltic Creative invested in an intelligent heating and lighting control system.

6 | Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory

Minta offer expert technical advice and assistance at the design stage of high quality temperature measurement applications. Following over 10 years of knowledge and expertise built up in the aerospace sector, the business diversified into

medical sensors and established a sister operation, Minta Medical, in 1988. This area of the business has continued to develop state of the art devices for use in pain management and for highly accurate temperature measurement.

LJMU carried out a carbon and energy assessment for each

business, prioritising measures to reduce carbon. All of which was set out in an environmental policy and communicated to various stakeholders including Rolls Royce.

With the help of LJMU, both Minta Instrumentation and Minta Medical are now carbon neutral.

Matrix Polymers was founded in 1992 as a raw material supplier and has since developed into one of the leading polymer suppliers. They supply the raw material to the rotational moulding industry.

LJMU conducted a laboratory based feasibility study and investigation on using microwave sensors for polymers to detect size distribution and impurities in samples. An analysis and reporting on the outcomes was provided and feasibility of using microwave heating for

rotomoulding was also carried out.

The support has saved time and costs and it will also help them to improve their business relationship with their clients by supplying an accurate and high quality service.

Valley Field Environmental Services Limited offer a wide range of environmental products manufactured by Kingspan Environmental, a division of Kingspan Group PLC. Their technical team provides system checks and start-up support, ensuring installations are fully operational and working from day of completion.

LJMU provided assistance with technological development of a new product, App. Development and integration of technology with feasibility testing, modelling and simulation.

Valley Field has assessed the micro water turbine and demonstrated great potential to increase its power output. The company is currently developing a physical scaled down model to test the efficiency considering

the environmental impact of this new product. This will help the company to move forward with the technology and take it to market.

CARBON ASSESSMENT

PROCESS CONTROL & MONITORING

WASTE & WASTE WATER MANAGEMENT

Through recent development of Marlan’s radar platform for tracking inter- and subtidal morphology, the company has identified a business opportunity that reveals morphology over the area from coastal lowlands to coastal waters.

The project aims to explore the use of digital photography to determine coastal morphology above the high tide shoreline, and to track changes due to prevailing hydrodynamics (tides, waves, sea-level rise and storms). This will give Marlan a full spectrum of tools for monitoring coastal change and provide coastal stakeholders with critical information on when and where to intervene to prevent catastrophic flooding.

Halliday is one of the largest manufacturers of coffins and caskets in the UK, producing over 26,000 coffins and supplying timber products to over 110,000 funerals in the UK annually. As a business it has a very strong commitment to building robust environmental and ethical policies and procedures, such as environmentally sustainable sourcing of wood and investing in biomass boilers to use its wood waste.

The company now aims to take the quest for environmental sustainability into its manufacturing operations, to make it one of the most environmentally sustainable coffin manufacturers in the UK.

Knowsley Safari is one of the UKs premier visitor attractions consisting of an animal safari and house, theme park and restaurant. The safari recognises its impact on the environment and wishes to lead by example by eventually becoming the worlds’ first truly zero carbon safari. Considering the full life impact of its operations and processes.

They wish to achieve this aim whilst still operating as a commercial business, therefore any new plans or procedures must be economically viable. This research will create a framework that the safari can use to achieve this goal.

Urban Splash is a property developer that works with world class architects and designers to restore old buildings, build new homes and create sustainable communities. One of its most recent projects is called HoUSe; a series of new prefabricated houses with exceptional environmental qualities. This research will test the full environmental qualities of these developments and in particular focus on the creation of a new model and framework to assist in creating truly cost effective zero carbon developments.

Urban Splash wish to explore the options to create zero carbon developments that are economically viable. This research will create a new model and framework that Urban Splash can use to achieve this goal.

ONGOING STUDENT PROJECTS

Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory | 7

Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund. In most cases, no initial investment is needed from the companies that we work with. However, in some instances, such as Masters and PHD projects, there is a contribution required.

The project has the potential to bring significant economic benefits to the SMEs in the Liverpool City Region, supporting businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop low carbon technologies that will put the region at the forefront of new and expanding global markets.

The unique partnership between Liverpool John Moores University, University of Liverpool and Lancaster University provides niche and unique strengths in low carbon technologies and has a key role to play in the implementation of the low carbon agenda across the Liverpool City Region.

LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY1st Floor Peter Jost Enterprise Centre, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF

Telephone: 0151 231 2649 | Email: EcoInnovatory@ljmu.ac.ukWeb: www.ljmu.ac.uk/EcoInnovatory | Find us on Twitter @EcoInnovatory

ERDF Funding

“Strengthening RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT and INNOVATION”

Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory