Environment Secretary visits Lewes Depot to learn about University of Brighton’s green business network

Clean Growth UK is a national business-innovation network led by University of Brighton’s Green Growth Platform.

To date, the network has attracted 2,000 members from across the UK, helping them access university know-how and equipment for a diverse range of innovation and research and development needs.

Clean Growth UK has supported businesses to secure over £15m million in research and development funding to develop new green products and services.

Their support has helped create or safeguard over 700 new green jobs in diverse areas including zero-emission electric bikes, modelling for flood risks and dealing with waste.

The team also supports businesses to access funding opportunities.

The Depot arts cinema in Lewes is another beneficiary of input from the Green Growth Platform.

Zoë Osmond, Director for Clean Growth UK, said: “The UK leads the world in climate change legislation and targets and today we discussed the challenges our SMEs face when innovating and growing the clean-green businesses we need for a net zero, nature positive world.”

Three local companies who have benefited from Clean Growth UK’s support also met with the Environment Secretary to share their experience.

They were Medisort, which collects, processes and disposes of healthcare waste in the south-east; Zedify, which uses zero-emission electric cargo bikes to run a delivery network around cities in the UK; and Ambiental Environmental Assessment, which uses complex data and sophisticated computer modelling to predict flood risks.

Mr Eustice said: “As we look ahead to COP26, our green industrial revolution and our Plan for Jobs are helping create new green jobs across the whole country.

“It was brilliant to see this in action today at Clean Growth UK and hear how the organisation is both boosting the local economy and supporting the nation’s drive to become net zero by 2050.”