Three new tenants move into NRP Innovation Centre after ministerial visit
Following the official opening of NRP Innovation Centre at the Norwich Research Park (NRP) by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Dr Vince Cable, three new tenants have moved into the expanding facilities.
The three new businesses all work in the area of developing a low carbon economy.
The InCrops Enterprise Hub is a European funded, not for profit company, developing the commercial potential of innovative crops, working within the theme of low carbon economic growth, stimulating the economy in the area of green innovation and green technology development.
The Low Carbon Innovation Fund makes early-stage equity investments into small and medium sized enterprises within the East of England that are developing new and innovative products or processes in a low carbon, environmentally sensitive manner.
The Low Carbon Innovation Centre is a carbon consultancy and draws on the latest research from the School of Environmental Sciences based at the University of East Anglia. They work with a range of clients including large corporate companies, local and national government and academic institutions and communities to help them measure and reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint.
Laura Chellis of the Low Carbon Innovation Centre said: “This is an ideal location for us, with space to expand whilst remaining close to the University of East Anglia and in the heart of an innovative scientific community. It will enhance our accessibility to the business community too.”
When the Secretary of State officially opened the facilities, Dr Cable praised the Norwich Research Park for its “world-beating” and “ambitious” work and met a number of businesses based on the Norwich Research Park and at the NRP Innovation Centre, demonstrating the world class science that is produced on the NRP.
These included Plant BioSciences Ltd, who have developed a model of the human stomach for the testing of pharmaceuticals and GasPlas AS, who have developed ground-breaking cold plasma technology that uses microwaves to crack biomethane into hydrogen and carbon black. GasPlas CEO, Philip Risby, said: “There is an abundance of methane rich natural gas, including biogases, which we currently burn for energy. However, this creates carbon dioxide. Our cold plasma technology extracts the hydrogen, a clean fuel and a valuable natural resource, generates heat and also produces dry high value carbon by-product, eliminating all CO2 emissions. This technology is scalable, economical and, with zero emissions, very environmentally sound.”
Philip Risby, CEO of GasPas (2nd left) demonstrates their technology to Dr Cable, with John Irving and Alan Giles (right) of the NRP.
John Irving, project co-ordinator at the NRP Innovation Centre, said: “It was excellent timing that these three exciting, innovative businesses should be moving in just as the Secretary of State officially opened the building. We are able to offer an excellent scientific environment, world class facilities and access to a unique range of expertise, all within a one kilometre radius of the building, which is a very compelling proposition. We expect a number of new tenants to be moving in over the course of the next few months, and are already ahead of our first year target.”