Member Article

Universities combine to help small firms off the launchpad

Ten North West companies have gained almost £1m in funding thanks to a project pioneered by the University of Liverpool and Lancaster University.

The Centre for Global Eco-Innovation (CGE) is a virtual centre part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

The Centre unites the expertise, resources and global contacts of the two universities and Inventya Limited to create new products and services which deliver positive environmental impacts.

CGE supports North West small firms in commercialising eco-innovative products or services and has helped 10 manufacturing businesses apply for a total of £973,131 Technology Strategy Board (TSB) Materials and Manufacturing Launchpad funding.

The competition centred around high tech manufacturing SMEs based at Sci-Tech Daresbury, the science and innovation campus and the Runcorn Heath Business and Technical Park.

The winning firms now have six months to court other investors to gain matching funding to enable them to conduct research and devlopment projects.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .