Science City Hydrogen Energy project

Robert Hudson 22nd Jan 2010

Science Cities

“The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, has designate six 'Science Cities' to lead the development of deeper links between business and the science base and ensure that science, technology and innovation succeed in becoming the engine of economic growth”.

Times Higher Education Supplement

“The Science City designation was not just a badge, however. It also served as a catalyst, bringing together a range of partners from academia, business, the cultural sector and the public arena to focus afresh on how to support and stimulate science and innovation for sustainable economic and social benefit”.

Professor Eric Thomas on BBC Bristol website

Birmingham Science City

BIRMINGHAM SCIENCE CITY

Demonstrator projectsScience City Research Alliance (SCRA)

IT Infrastructure

Energy FuturesAdvanced MaterialsTranslational Medicine

Translational Medicine II

Translational Medicine I

Advanced Materials I

Advanced Materials II

Advanced Materials III

Hydrogen Energy

Energy Efficiency

Energy Research

Centre

Hydrogen Energy project 1

• Develop a strong partnership between the region’s two leading research Universities

• International recognition of the West Midlands as a centre of excellence in hydrogen energy research and innovation

• Growth in the volume of public and private sector H2 R&D and its commercialisation in the region, sustained by appropriately skilled individuals

• Development of strong partnerships with industry

Hydrogen Energy project 2

Progress and success 1

The Hydrogen Energy project

£6.5M

Squeezing H2 from biomass£0.19MEPSRC

Nano-NMR£0.18MEPSRC

UKSHEC£0.75MEPSRC

SCRATCH£1.5M

EPSRC

Zero emissions campus£1.35M

HFCCAT

Adaptive natural feedstock

processing£0.4M

EPSRC

UKSHEC II£0.77MEPSRC

UK-Japan H2 storage network

EPSRC£0.2M

Wealth from Waste£1.2M

EPSRC

Delivery of sustainable hydrogen

£0.6M EPSRC

H2 and Fuel Cell DTC£5.4M

EPSRC

Engineering Synthetic Reactions

EPSRC£0.12M

PLA-FoamFP7

£0.2M

Total Levered = £10.66M (Private = £679,000)

Progress and success 2

• Develop a strong partnership between the region’s two leading research Universities

• International recognition of the West Midlands as a centre of excellence in hydrogen energy research and innovation

• Growth in the volume of public and private sector H2 R&D and its commercialisation in the region, sustained by appropriately skilled individuals

• Development of strong partnerships with industry

Science CityHydrogen Energy

Business Engagement & Collaboration

Hydrogen Project:Business Engagement

Objective:To encourage and facilitate regional Industrial

engagement with the equipment and capabilities within the Hydrogen Project, with the objective of delivering commercial business advantage.

Opportunities from collaboration

• UNIVERSITY– Knowledge transfer– Business support– Outputs– Research Income– R&D Partners– New technical

challenges for R&D

• BUSINESS– New knowledge– Staff– Improved products – New products– Diversification– New solutions– Access to facilities– Increased turnover

and profitThere is mutual benefit in collaboration between Universities and Business

Hydrogen Energy Project: Key Areas

Sustainable Generation ofHydrogen and other products

Hydrogen Storage

Hydrogen Utilisation

Capabilities

• Knowledge• Facilities

– Laboratory– Pilot Plant

• Demonstration projectsKey differentiator is the expertise and

facilities to span research, pilot scale trials and demonstration projects

Mechanism to support collaboration

• Consultations• Testing• PhD CASE awards• KTP’s and mini KTP’s• Short term projects• Collaborative projects

Preliminary consultation and testing can often be provided at no or a minimal charge.

Examples of Collaboration

• CASE award with SME

• Participation in SCRATCH supply chain project

• DTC short projects

• Short term consultancy project

Programme