Creating smarter, more efficient companies that foster a green, sustainable future

Building sustainability into startups from the ground up

Myriam Cronin is Head of GatewayUCC. 

The business and startup community is leading the charge in the ways in which we manufacture and produce goods and services in an effort to mitigate against the global challenge of climate change.

The industry is becoming more responsible for bringing about smarter, more efficient and energy-saving ways of doing things and contributing to the circular economy.

The Sprint Accelerator Programme at UCC reaches into the research centres such as APC Microbiome Institute, the Tyndall National Institute, and Infant and Insight, to identify early-stage companies and researchers working on cutting edge technologies and platforms.

It gives them the tools and assistance they need for the development of their businesses and introduces them to the networks that can help them to succeed.

Exceedence Finance is one project that came out of the university and is focused on the blue economy and supporting companies that want to invest in that area.

CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB

The company developed innovative financial modelling and analytics software tools for the renewable energy sector.

Exceedence Finance is built for the marine renewable energy industry, including wind, wave and tidal platforms, and was developed over four years through funding from Enterprise Ireland.

Other startups to emerge from UCC’s Sprint Programme include those that focus on sustainability with food security at the core.

They are developing compostable packaging or extending the shelf life of products while other startups are converting methane into electricity which feeds into the whole area of greenhouse gas emissions. The electricity can be fed into the grid and feeds into the circular economy.

“There is also a project that is working on converting seaweed into methane reduction technologies and of course we have consultants looking into the whole area of smart towns and cities — sustainability of food, energy; reduction of waste; impact on the environment; improving competitiveness in business; increasing security of supply and creating new business opportunities,” Gateway- UCC manager, Myriam Cronin told the Irish Examiner.

“We are looking at sustainability right across campus and at output for industry.” She says that businesses need “collaboration” from UCC’s research centre, the ESRI, and the Tyndall National Institute which is a European research centre in integrated ICT hardware and systems that works with industry and academia to transform research into products.

“We are looking at sustainability right across campus and at output for industry.”

Ms Cronin, who developed Sprint, said: “All of this feeds into the whole sustainability agenda: doing things in a smarter way, saving energy, reducing negative impact on the environment, increasing efficiencies and product yield.

“All of our research centres feed in, in some way, to the whole area of sustainable environment, sustainable economies, the global challenge of climate change and mitigating against that.”

Because the world is now aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, the transition to low carbon has become a defining force for business and Enterprise Ireland believes this means opportunities for companies to grow and compete on the world stage as the move to a green future accelerates.

Its new Climate Enterprise Action Fund supports companies to do what is necessary to deliver sustainable products, services and business models.

Part of the fund includes GreenStart which is a €5,000 grant that will help companies to improve environmental performance through greater resource efficiency; achieve competitive advantage; and greater market share through enhanced credentials and cost savings.

Projects vary in scope from implementing a structured environmental management and reporting system to understanding the carbon or environmental footprint of products or services.

Companies can apply for grant support towards the cost of hiring a Green consultant or trainer to undertake a short in-company assignment.

The GreenPlus project provides 50% of the cost of developing a comprehensive climate change and sustainability plan, and aligning to international standards and frameworks.

It’s aim is to deliver high-level environmental management capabilities, drive environmental efficiencies and achieve improved sustainability by establishing and embedding continuous improvement systems and behaviours.

The grant can also be accessed to cover part of the salary cost for up to 10 company green project team members over the project duration.

The goal of the project team members is to develop and implement environmental best practice within the company through learning and the subsequent training of their colleagues in environmental improvement tools and techniques.