Green Procurement and Eco-Innovation

Rod GilchristOpportunity Peterborough

Peterborough:• Population of 180,000• 6,000 businesses in Greater Peterborough• Home to the UK’s Environment Capital

Eco-InnovationEco-Innovation is defined as eco-innovative products, techniques, services or processes which aim at the prevention or the reduction of environmental impacts or which contribute to the optimal use of resources.

Source: European Commission (2011)

Eco-Innovation Drivers• Resource efficiency (to save money or other reasons)

• Policy decisions (e.g. Carbon Reduction Commitment)

• Internal decisions (e.g. Environmental Management Systems)

• Need/Want to improve or protect the natural environment

• Improve health and wellbeing

• Avoid fines for pollution

• Increasingly profitable area for businesses

The UK Opportunity• £107 billion• 55,000 companies• 880,000 employees• 5% year-on-year growth to 2017• Strong track record in innovation activities• 5th biggest innovator in EU• 8th for eco-innovation in EU• 4 of world’s top 6 Universities

EnviroCluster Peterborough• 350 environment sector businesses

– Engineering and precision manufacturing; specialised in energy generation, water and waste management, environmental services

• World-class Universities• Wide support infrastructure• £590m annual turnover• 5,800 employees

What is a cluster?A business cluster is a geographical concentration of interconnected businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions in a particular field.

Clusters increase innovation and economic activity. Companies become more competitive nationally and globally.

The Innovation Engine

InnovationNetwork

Incubation

Tools &Brokerage

Demonstrator

Challenge Loop

Innovation Loop

Commercialisation Loop

Innovation Pool

Challenge Pool

Supply Chain,Entrepreneurs

& Students

End-Users

InnovationNetwork

Incubation

Demonstrator

Tools &Brokerage

InnovationNetwork

Incubation

Demonstrator

The Innovation Engine

InnovationNetwork

Incubation

Tools &Brokerage

Demonstrator

Challenge Loop

Innovation Loop

Commercialisation Loop

Innovation Pool

Challenge Pool

Supply Chain,Entrepreneurs

& Students

End-Users

InnovationNetwork

Incubation

Demonstrator

Tools &Brokerage

InnovationNetwork

Incubation

Demonstrator

Aim: To help nurture the development of new start-ups and solutions to the point of commercialisation.• Idea generation (scouting, R&D training, student

networking)• UCP, PRC, Young Lives etc.

• Pre-incubation (due-diligence)• Selection (business planning, selection committee,

IP)• Incubation (facilities, financing, tutoring/coaching,

monitoring)• Exit (sell/buy, movement to ‘landing hub’)Aim: Solutions are tested and demonstrated in a live environment to prove solutions work and to show investors.• Manage test-bed environment• Broker relationships with end-users

A collaborative network that creates novel solutions to global challenges through open innovation, incubation and engagement with end-users, entrepreneurs and the supply chain. The solutions will create economic, social and environmental benefits:• Solve challenges• Develop new products, processes & services• Create new start-ups and business activity• Smarter procurement• Jobs created/safeguarded• Inward investment• Awareness raising of companies

To ensure that challenges are accurately matched to solutions providers, “innovation tags” need to be used.

A library and showcase of challenges

A library and showcase of innovations

Aim: To foster collaboration between entrepreneurs, supply chain companies and end users to generate new solutions and broker relationships.• Creation of focus/special interest groups• Collaboration events• Innovation portal where new ideas and challenges

can be submitted• Members are notified when challenges matching

their ‘innovation tags’ are found

Aim: To link end-users with innovative solutions.• Manage flow of ideas back to end-users and

challenge originator• Provide commercialisation support to businesses• Deliver consultancy services to end-users• B2B matchmaking• Sustainability toolkits ensuring sustainable

procurement

City Metabolism

Ski

lls

Aim: Engagement with end-users to identify market-driven / end-user driven innovation.• Consultancy with end-users• Toolkits to be used by end-users• Events with end-users

Living Data

Skills

Living Data

Tools &Brokerage

The Hive

SmarterEnvironments

ChallengePool

InnovationNetwork

InnovationPool Demonstrator

Incubation

InnovationEngine

(facilitation, tools,brokerage)

Businesses, Universities, Innovators, Students, Citizens

Public Bodies, End-Users

Demonstrator

Incubation

InnovationPool Demonstrator

Incubation

InnovationPool Demonstrator

Incubation

InnovationNetwork

InnovationPool Demonstrator

Incubation

ChallengePool

InnovationNetwork

InnovationPool Demonstrator

Incubation

SmarterEnvironments

ChallengePool

InnovationNetwork

InnovationPool Demonstrator

Incubator

EnviroCluster Retrofit Project• £170,000 pilot project funded by Technology Strategy Board.• Installed technologies hope to demonstrate an 87% cut in energy use.• Comprehensive retrofit achieved with tenant in-situ.

Examples• 2012 Olympics and Legacy

• Green Procurement in London• www.greenprocurement.co.uk

Rod Gilchrist

Opportunity Peterborough, Stuart House, Ground Floor, Zone 5, St John’s Street Peterborough PE1 5DD Tel 00 44 1733 317417rod.gilchrist@opportunitypeterborough.co.uk