• EBRI at Aston University offers sustainability health checks to SMEs in West Midlands
• Adopting sustainability best practice through tailored support key to session on offer
• Businesses across all industrtial sectors encouraged to apply for the 30-minute session
More and more customers want to buy from suppliers with sustainability at the heart of their organisation. Research has shown that sustainability has real business benefits when integrated into a firm’s operations including improved brand image and competitive advantage, increased productivity and profits, as well as reduced costs and waste.
In order to help businesses in the West Midlands maximise their opportunities by adopting sustainability best practice, the Energy & Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University is offering one-to-one health checks to help small and medium-sized companies get to grips with their sustainability goals and to solve energy, waste and environmental challenges.
Entrepreneurs and business decision makers from all industrial sectors including engineers, manufacturers, consultants, brewers, horticulturists, lawyers, marketeers, estate managers, foresters and accountants can all benefit from an exclusive sustainability health check with EBRI through its European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) business support programme.
“Help is at hand”, says Tim Miller, EBRI’s Director of Engagement, “We are providing tailored support and guidance to help companies use innovation to get the best out of their resources, and to equip them with the knowledge to enter new green markets. Our new sustainability health checks can help business owners reuse, recycle or reduce their waste, enhance their energy systems, as well as meet customer and investor demands to demonstrate their organisation’s commitment to sustainability.”
He continues: “Not only can we support entrepreneurs looking to either develop new low carbon products and services or turn waste material into energy, we can also help business owners link into the ever expanding green industry supply chains, such as energy-from-waste, energy systems and bioproducts.”
During a 30 minute health check session, EBRI will discuss the particular sustainability challenge that the company is facing so that its team of experts can then devise a bespoke summary of their recommendations, research findings and other useful information to help the business. This will be provided a few days later at no cost to qualifying companies*.
EBRI’s ERDF programme has helped over 300 small and medium sized businesses to expand their horizons for their own benefit and that of the Midlands region, creating over 234 jobs and £29 million in regional impact (GVA). Its team of scientists and business experts has helped entrepreneurs investigate and develop new low carbon products and solutions from a whole range of different waste streams including; bicycle tyres, charcoal, car tyres, food waste, wood and wine corks.
To book a Sustainability Health Check, interested businesses can email bioenergy@aston.ac.uk or call 0121 204 3383. Further details about how EBRI helps businesses develop low carbon goods and services is available.
*Small and Medium-sized Enterprises located within the following West Midlands Local Enterprise (LEP) areas: Greater Birmingham and Solihull, Black Country, Coventry and Warwickshire, the Marches, and Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.
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- Notes to editors
About Aston University
Founded in 1895 and a University since 1966, Aston is a long established university led by its three main beneficiaries – students, business and the professions, and our region and society. Aston University is located in Birmingham and at the heart of a vibrant city and the campus houses all the university’s academic, social and accommodation facilities for our students. Professor Alec Cameron is the Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive.
EBRI: The Energy & Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University delivers world-class bioenergy, bioproducts and energy systems research. It acts as a focus for international activities on scientific and technological aspects of biomass conversion and utilisation of products for renewable power, heat, transport fuels, hydrogen and chemicals.
Innovative research and development of bioenergy technologies has taken place at Aston University for over 40 years. In 2008, the University’s bioenergy research capabilities were joined together to create EBRI to deliver world-class research and technology development in bioenergy and energy systems.
EBRI’s role in society reaches beyond energy and bioproduct research and technology development – EBRI are also experts in working with SMEs and businesses to ensure others are able to benefit from their innovations. Through an unbiased technical knowledge and insight, coupled with an understanding and appreciation of the bioenergy, energy-from-waste, bioproducts and business marketplaces, EBRI are enabled to work to create commercial opportunities that will benefit society and create growth and prosperity within the West Midlands region, UK, Europe and beyond. The team offers a range of services and testing, designed to meet the needs of business and industry. EBRI lead, and are part of, many prestigious research projects and welcome collaboration opportunities with academia and industry.
European Regional Development Fund
This project part funded by the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit the website.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Rebecca Hume, Press & PR Officer, on 07557 745416 or email r.hume@aston.ac.uk