Fylde firms urged to join University in energy project

The award-winning Centre for Global Eco-Innovation, at Lancaster University, returns with more than 50 long-term projects involving three-year PhD, or one-year Master degree, high-calibre graduate researchers working full-time on projects bespoke to the needs of their host business. Individual projects can be worth up to £100,000 in value.

In addition, more than 80 short-term student dissertation or placement projects are also available with researchers working on a project for up to six months.

The projects on offer are part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and therefore offer significant value to participating companies.

Dr Andy Pickard, manager of the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation, said: “On offer is £7.1m worth of research opportunities for regional businesses, enabling them to develop their business and make the transition to a lower carbon economy.

“Small and medium sized businesses may have a low carbon research idea that will help to grow the company, but which they don’t have the capacity to undertake the work themselves. The Centre’s funded research projects give them the chance to pursue these opportunities, helping spark economic growth and job creation.” he added.

Researchers will be supervised jointly by leading academics from UK top-ten ranked Lancaster University and a representative from their host SME. Depending on the needs of the projects, graduate researchers could have expertise from a wide range of science and technology disciplines including engineering, environmental science, computing, chemistry and physics, or alternatively design or management skills.