Sustainability

The world is changing at an ever greater pace. Industry and innovators are responding, working together to create the products, services and businesses of the future. Innovate UK Business Connect is here to help.

We make the full range of diverse connections required to shape a more positive future: technology, design, supply chains, business models, behaviour change, systems change. We are committed to driving innovation that is sustainable – responsible, resilient and even regenerative.

Innovate UK Business Connect helps drive innovation that can reduce industry’s environmental footprint and improve resource efficiency, and also create benefits such as competitive advantage and enhanced value-add for the customer. By making the right connections – for instance to cutting edge knowledge & research, the best solution providers, and testing facilities.

We help innovators navigate the journey to market fruition. We make connections to the multitude of skills and assets required to bring any product or service to market. And of course the funding and finance that might be required.

Innovate UK Business Connect works extensively with stakeholders – from national and regional government to national and regional government, Catapults, clusters, trade associations, learned institutions, expert consultancies, think tanks and charities. We connect seemingly disparate stakeholders to shape a better innovation landscape, and multiply the impact that any one of these organisations could have alone. To help drive positive change.

To explore this topic further take a look at the Horizons tool.

Our current focus in this area

At Innovate UK Business Connect, we are helping to empower organisations in their journey to Net Zero.

As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, we are changing the demand profile on many materials. But at the same time, as the world population rises, resulting in an ever increasing demand for energy and products which puts increasing pressure on materials (and their supply chains), we are also generating more and more ‘waste’.

The Decarbonising Ports & Harbours Innovation Network’s overarching objective is to raise the profile of the critical part ports and harbours need to play in Maritime transport’s transition to net zero by 2050 and accelerate this transition by giving clear direction.

Governments across the globe are working and deploying plans to reduce carbon and particulate emissions to improve the environment for generations to come.

Related Opportunities

Farming Futures R&D Fund: low emissions farming

Opens: 05/05/2025   Closes: 25/06/2025

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £12.5 million for industrial research projects from the Farming Futures R&D Fund.

More Information

Innovation Exchange challenge: Efficient Grease Removal for Safer Offshore Wind Operations

Opens: 17/03/2025   Closes: 12/05/2025

Seeking solutions for the wind energy industry’s operational challenge to remove used grease effectively from mechanical components.

More Information

European Space Agency: Maritime Decarbonisation - Green Fuels

Opens: 21/03/2025   Closes: 16/05/2025

ESA seeks to develop new space-based services that support the decarbonisation of the maritime sector, with a focus on green fuels and green propulsion systems.

More Information

Related Events and Recordings

Thu
26
Jun
2025

Net Zero Living Annual Event 2025

10.00 - 16.00 | Edinburgh

Register for this event
Wed
26
Mar
2025

Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge - Celebration Event

09.30 - 17.00 GMT | London

Recording coming soon
See all events

Our Experts

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