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Launched in June 2014, the University of Brighton’s Green Growth Platform is already over halfway to its target of working with 1000 businesses by 2018. The Platform delivers a menu of 1-2-1 business support, innovation and R&D support, events and skills development. Funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, services are all either free or heavily subsidised.

A 2015 report by the government’s Department of Business, Innovation and Skills shows that the low carbon and environmental economy has showed year on year growth over the period 2010 to 2013. Part of the Green Growth Platform’s mission statement is to help Sussex businesses capitalise on the opportunities in this sector. 

The Platform is helping businesses in areas such as marketing, procurement, sales strategies, research and development, business planning, training, recruitment and funding applications. To date the Platform’s work has contributed to the development of 40 local jobs and 13 new environmental products or services.

Next Level Thinking conference

Syed Ahmed, Director of Savortex, at Next Level Thinking

Last month, the Platform ran Next Level Thinking 2015, a conference focussed on green business growth. Attendees heard talks from green business entrepreneurs, including former Apprentice contestant Syed Ahmed. Syed shared insights into how he has grown his company Savortex, through developing and commercialising an energy efficient hand dryer that uses smart technology to monitor and report on electricity usage.

Delegates at the conference were also able to take advantage of business growth seminars on topics including sales strategies, innovation, smart technology, R&D tax credits, commercialisation and tendering.

One local business owner and attendee at the event said:

“Next Level Thinking was thought provoking and held in superb facilities. It gave me an opportunity to meet local business people that I would otherwise never see and to contemplate issues in a way that may not have occurred to me independently.”

If you are a green business and would like to take advantage of the Green Growth Platform’s services, contact greengrowthplatform@brighton.ac.uk