Richard Woods from DIY KYOTO on the panel with Lord Drayson and MP John Denham
£10 MILLION COMPETITION FOR COMPANIES TO MAKE BUILDINGS GREENER
Prime Minister announces low carbon challenge at Expo showcasing industries building the Britain of the future
A competition for companies to improve the green credentials of buildings across the UK was announced yesterday at an Expo underlining the vital role of science and innovation to the economy.
The Prime Minister announced the national challenge ‘Retrofit for the Future’ in a speech to business leaders and young entrepreneurs -including DIY Kyoto's Richard Woods - at the event.
Richard Woods is one of three founders of the Independent design collective DIY KYOTO and their wattson 01, a multi- award-winning home energy monitor that has been described as “the closest we’ve come yet to an iPod of smart meters – something cool and desirable.” wattson 01 offers a more affordable way to monitor energy levels within private households and small businesses, whilst retaining its high-end design aesthetic. I was been designed to encourage and assist people in doing their bit for the environment and think about the amount of energy they consume on an every day basis. The idea is, if you can see how much electricity you’re using, it’ll help you use less.
Run by the Technology Strategy Board, the competition will encourage companies to bid for a share of £10m in government funding to develop innovative solutions to improve the environmental sustainability of existing buildings, dramatically increase performance and reduce costs. The competition will consider what works and could be used effectively to ‘retrofit’ buildings including homes to create a minimum of 50 new prototype technologies. Those that are successful could then be adopted by the Government through public procurement to help meet climate change goals.
The Prime Minister joined Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills John Denham and Science and Innovation Minister Lord Drayson at yesterday evening’s Expo Building the Britain of the Future which showcased the science and innovations behind industries that will be key to the UK’s future economic success and creating the jobs of the future.
It focused on six key strategic sectors - clean technology; advanced manufacturing; healthcare and biotech; high value-added services including Information and Communication Technologies (ICT); creative industries; and education.
Lord Drayson said:
• “Low carbon technology is just one of the areas in which Britain will need to succeed if we are to emerge from the downturn stronger, build a new economy and create the jobs of the future.
• “Today’s challenge to companies across the UK underlines the opportunities that exist in responding to global challenges like climate change. And by showcasing the key industries that will build a greener, healthier Britain for the digital age, we underline just how important science and innovation are to the economy and future job creation.”
This Expo builds on the launch of the Science [So What? So Everything!] campaign yesterday which aims to promote the role of science in people’s everyday lives including its vital role in the economy and the creation of new jobs.
The Expo included a speech by the Prime Minister before a panel discussion with John Denham and Lord Drayson, entrepreneurs Jon Hilton of Flybrid Systems and Richard Woods of DIY Kyoto, and young scientist Holly Batchelor.
Secretary of State John Denham said:
• “Our ability as a nation to innovate and build links between good science and business will help ensure we will emerge stronger when the upturn comes.
• “We need to seize the opportunities that future discoveries will inevitably bring by working together to continue our investment in talent, research and innovation.
• “Driving up the number of people who have the skills in science, technology, engineering and maths required by emerging and growth industries will help ensure the UK remains strong in an increasingly competitive global economy and win the jobs of tomorrow.”
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