Eco-I North West

Drawing on regional research and development capabilities, ECO I NW provided support to low carbon business innovation across Cumbria and aimed to facilitate a transition to a low carbon economy across all business sectors.

The project was not led by specific carbon reduction technologies and instead, was driven by the needs of the resourceful and innovative businesses we worked with. We have worked across the county with diverse sectors, hospitality to retail, events to charities, as they transition towards a sustainable future. As such, ECO I NW facilitated a collaborative approach to problem-solving, involving practical and academic input and guidance.

This collaborative approach is at the heart of ECO I NW. The project operated across multiple Local Enterprise Partnership areas in the North West of England.

The ECO-I North West project was conducted in partnership with other higher education institutions, the universities of Lancaster, Central Lancashire, Liverpool John Moores, Liverpool and Manchester Metropolitan.

81 Cumbrian SMEs attended our workshops & events aimed at meeting businesses’ innovation needs. The programme focused on each aspect of the carbon innovation journey with businesses provided valuable opportunities to hear from expert speakers, network with other Cumbrian business, and share best practice.

One innovative PhD researcher PhD research student Jack Brennand who, thanks to Eco-I NW, intensive studies, and our SME partner Barker & Bland Ltd, has achieved a UK first. With a research aim to understand the impact of sediment structural properties on peatland ecology,

Hydrology, biogeochemical processes, and the resulting carbon sequestration/storage. Jack used a medical 3D X-ray CT scanner to investigate the internal structure of peat and delve into its effectiveness in absorbing greenhouse gases. The overall findings of Jack’s research have national and potentially international significance, through increasing the carbon efficiency of peatland restoration.