The Humber’s Net Zero Centre –Delivering green innovation and growth through collaboration

The economy is shifting towards a low-carbon future, and the green energy transition opens up a number of challenges and opportunities for business of all shapes and sizes.

Supporting the region’s ongoing drive for clean energy and sustainability is the University of Hull’s Aura Innovation Centre (AIC), a community that supports businesses of all sizes, helping them to accelerate low-carbon projects, drive green innovation and deliver clean business growth.

The Humber’s leading Net Zero centre, located off campus at Bridgehead Business Park in Hessle, officially opened in 2020 and is proving to be a real asset to the region – being a central knowledge-source, facilitator and catalyst to accelerate green innovation whether through partnerships between industry and academia for large-scale long-term research projects or for smaller scale research and innovation working with the region’s large cohort of SMEs that are the backbone of the economy.

A key success has been the work carried out through the Aura Innovation Centre (AIC) with small and medium size businesses (SMEs) to support them by innovating in the net zero space. The team identifies opportunities to innovate bringing together the business acumen of the companies and the expertise of the University’s academics. This symbiotic relationship supports finding innovative lowcarbon solutions to the challenges faced so as to build the region’s ability to meet net zero targets.

The £12m Aura Innovation Centre is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Regional Growth Fund Green Port Growth Programme and match funded by the University. The Centre provides a focal point for kick starting innovation through collaboration, by bringing together the region’s stakeholders to work together to build economic growth through green innovation. There is a particular emphasis in supporting the SMEs, particularly the smaller companies which account for 85% of all businesses in the Humber.

Sarah Clark, Head of Aura Operations, said: “The Aura Innovation Centre acts as the ‘front door’ to the University of Hull – giving businesses access to cutting-edge facilities and a space to innovate and collaborate with academic and industry experts, to drive clean business growth.

“SMEs of all sizes and across all sectors are critical to the net zero transition, particularly those in the Humber region, being the largest carbon emitting region in England outside of London. Our region is full of innovative businesses, some that are already on their net zero journey, however they are often constrained by time and cost to progress, or even get started. At the

Aura Innovation Centre, we want to make that net zero transition as easy as possible for businesses by providing pathways to innovation expertise in order to support the shift towards a low carbon economy.”

The Aura Innovation Centre has already supported more than 700 dynamic, high growth businesses to accelerate low carbon innovation projects utilising its world-class cutting edge innovation facility – InventX. InventX is the Centre’s innovation tech space and is equipped with everything a business needs to transform its ideas into reality –from cutting-edge 3D printers to advanced microscopy analysis capabilities. These technologies combined with the academic research powers of the University of Hull’s academic strength, create a unique and powerful support system for businesses on their innovation journey as well as contributing to the development of skills, new jobs and growth.

The University was successful in securing £35 million of European funding to support a great number of low carbon projects. Examples include enabling a local horticultural firm take ‘forever plastics’ out of our forests through the development and testing of a new 100% plant-based, biodegradable material to be used for tree guards. Other key projects include finding inventive ways to use discarded pea pods, creating energy-efficient lighting for vertical farms, and co-ordinating a collaborative research project aimed at tackling a crop menace in the farming sector. Further examples of the many companies working with the Aura Innovation Centre can be found on the website www.aurainnovation.co.uk.

Director of Aura, Louise Smith, said: “As the European funding ceased in 2023, we continue to provide support and technical enabling to the businesses we work with on a more commercial basis. Although times are financially challenging, we believe that every challenge creates an opportunity. At the Aura Innovation Centre we have created a fantastic community of skilled researchers, innovative businesses and industry to create a culture of positive action around meeting net zero targets in the region.”

The University’s work through the Aura Innovation Centre has been awarded further funding to enhance its already successful portfolio of business support through the Shared Prosperity fund from Hull City Council. The additional funding aims to further development and sustain the vibrant and thriving innovation ecosystem across the Humber by encouraging more businesses (particularly SMEs) to take new, innovative products and services to market.

Louise Smith continued: “The recently agreed devolution deals on both the north and south banks of the Humber will see enhanced powers and funding devolved to the regions to invest in local priorities including business support. We very much look forward to being a strong partner in the region to continue to build the region’s capacity to meet net zero – working particularly to grow our innovative businesses – large and small. The University of Hull is an anchor institution, soon to celebrate its centenary continuing to advance education, scholarship and knowledge for the benefit of the region and the country.”

As well as the work through the Aura Innovation Centre’s InventX space, the Centre also provides businesses with the opportunity to work alongside like-minded people in its flexible workspace AuraFleX, designed with collaboration in mind. AuraFleX gives businesses a low-cost flexible hot-desk space

If to work, meet and collaborate as well as access to high quality technology, conferencing and meeting spaces, and superfast Wi-Fi. Becoming a member of FleX gives organisations the opportunity to join the growing number of members building the region’s economic growth and net zero capacity through proactive collaboration.

The Centre has also become established as a prime, high-quality venue for hosting and delivering events and conferences. In particular being the key delivery partner of The Waterline Summit with Future Humber – and venue host for Humber Business Week.

By working with the Aura Innovation Centre, you will become part of a powerful community of innovative thinkers, scientists, inventors, researchers and problem solvers – all working together to benefit your business. These benefits include reducing your carbon emissions and carbon footprint, savings in energy costs, increased efficiency and improved productivity levels and access to new markets.