Innovation to drive low-carbon economy

Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said that technology and innovation will have a crucial part to play in building Britain's low-carbon economy over the coming years.

As part of the Low Carbon Industrial Summit, the Technology Strategy Board led a discussion with business leaders on the opportunities for technology and innovation provided by a low-carbon economy, how business can take advantage of those opportunities; the barriers to overcome; and how the UK government can best provide support.

Iain Gray said: 'We face major challenges in moving to a low-carbon economy, and innovation is one of the key factors that can create new solutions to these challenges while at the same time creating huge business opportunities.

'The Technology Strategy Board, working with many partners, is already investing heavily in helping business to find innovative technology solutions to meet these new market challenges, particularly in the areas of energy generation and supply, low-carbon vehicles and low-impact buildings.

'The summit is an important part of the focussed debate, which must take place across all sectors of the economy to develop low-carbon products, businesses and markets in the coming years,' he added.

As part of its activities, the Technology Strategy Board runs innovation platforms to bring government, business and research together to focus on areas such as low-carbon vehicles and low-impact buildings.

In recent months, the Technology Strategy Board has announced competitions for funding to develop ultra-efficient systems for low-carbon vehicles, to provide up to 100 electric vehicle demonstrators around the UK, to retrofit existing houses to improve their environmental performance, and to research and develop carbon abatement technologies.

Back to top