The Business of Sustainability

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The Business of Sustainability Or 10 minutes on
a BSO View
Dr Andrew Toal Head of Business Services
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Business services

• Function to define and support implementation
  of the Economic and Social Strategy of the
  University, linked to Corporate Plan Aim to
  become recognised as a leading UK university for
  the quality and range of its work in economic and
  social engagement and productive partnerships
• Engagement build and sustain relationships with
  business (e.g. ProfitNet)
• Assets manage the universitys IP portfolio
  (support licence deals patenting etc.)
• Market the University knowledge, skills and
  capability to industry
• Contact manage a one stop shop for enquiries
  (the BSID business.services_at_brighton.ac.uk)
• Activity Manage a host of projects SEKE,
  ProfitNet, BeePurple
• Administer funds for commercial projects PoC,
  CAF, CommercialiSE, Commercial Fellows
• Development Support (BDMs) - Provide advice and
  support for commercial projects including
  business planning, bids, marketing

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Engaging with business on sustainability

• Why engage?
• The University has highly experienced academic
  expertise to offer
• The University has high level of interest and
  energy around the topic
• Businesses want to work with us on the issues
  that they are facing in meeting the
  sustainability challenge
• There are new sources of funds and potential for
  industrial collaboration to support work which
  would otherwise go un-funded
• How do we go about this?
• Conference shows that colleagues are already
  doing this
• Challenge is to determine how best to grow and
  manage
• How do we maximise the opportunities?
• Through taking a strategic approach by
  identifying markets, partnerships and
  collaborations to develop opportunities in which
  academics can and wish to engage

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Many areas of opportunity some we are already
involved with (to be covered in other talks)

• Sustainability of buildings legislative
  changes energy efficiency low carbon (design
  footprint)
• Renewable energy and energy efficiency
• Resource recovery and resource efficiency
• Sustainable development
• Earth, Environment, Biodiversity
• Funding Sources being Explored Interreg, FP7,
  DFID Dti Carbon Trust Seeda WRAP, Defra
  Natural England Landfill Tax, Local Authorities
  .
• Key Message BSO collaborates to support project
  development

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Examples of proof of concept collaboration with
business

• FIRS (Ferric Iron Remediation Stabilisation)
• electrokinetic technique for containing
  contaminants and preventing migration through
  geology
• 7 year license agreement with Churngold
• 2 year KTP programme
• Further innovations developed by the academics
• NanoClean
• Remediation technology for the treatment of
  contaminated water
• 12 month CommercialiSE funding to develop the
  concept
• Many other projects delivered /under development
  compost residue treatments, biofuels, book
  recycling, consultancy on business land use,
  sustainable packaging, innovative wooden building
  materials.

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Conclusions

• School based BDMs developing a strategic approach
  to working with academic colleagues and engaging
  business through identifying markets for
  research, innovation and consultancy.
• Requires an interdisciplinary approach that uses
  the skills and experience across schools and
  faculties
• Supported by area based and project BDMs
  (ProfitNet, BSID) which identify companies or
  public sector partners and promotes the
  capabilities of the university
• This contributes to an improved offering to
  business by the university and has benefits for
  academic colleagues

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• Additional Information available from
• www.brighton.ac.uk/business/
• Business.Services_at_Brighton.ac.uk
• x 3222

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