Supporting SMEs on their Net Zero Journey

Coventry City Council

Learn more about the programmes available in Coventry, Warwickshire and West Midlands which aim to support SMEs becoming greener.

This webinar will illuminate the backdrop against which SMEs are striving to deliver on their sustainability objectives, whilst demonstrating the support available to meet those objectives. Dr Jonathan Radcliffe, Reader in Energy Systems and Policy, University of Birmingham, will provide an overview of how energy technology innovation can impact SME energy performance, within a challenging and evolving policy landscape. The SME guest speaker will give their experience of working successfully with the University’s SME business support programmes to achieve sustainability.Through a range of case studies, attendees will learn how the University of Birmingham and the Green Business Programme are helping SMEs to reach their sustainability goals by innovating in energy technologies, materials and adopting advanced manufacturing techniques. Programme10:00	Introduction10:05	How are energy technologies enabling SMEs to meet the challenge laid down by national and local policy?Speaker: Dr Jonathan Radcliffe, Reader in Energy Systems and Policy, University of Birmingham 10.20	An SME’s PerspectiveHear from a business that has benefited from the University of Birmingham&#x27;s support in delivering their sustainability goals, identifying waste and cutting costs.Speaker: Shaun Sookoo, CEO, Winny’s Kitchen 10.30	Innovation, development and adoption of zero carbon energy technologies - ATETA Programme10.40	Transforming waste streams and alternative innovative materials - ARLI Programme10.50	Improving products and processes.Materials evaluation to support sustainable product and process development - AMCASH ProgrammeSolving manufacturing challenges and adopting advanced manufacturing techniques - AMTECAA Programme11.00	Breakout session:Intro – Poll, incl Questions for discussion11.05	Breakout session groups &amp; networking11.15	Breakout feedback11.20	Panel Q&amp;A11.25 Green Business Programme Overview11.30	CloseSpeakers bios: Michael SmallMike is Business Engagement Manager within AMCASH, based at the University of Birmingham’s School of Metallurgy and Materials. Focussed on materials, AMCASH delivers short-term support to enable West Midlands-based SMEs to improve, or create new, products and processes. AMCASH provides access to the University of Birmingham’s materials science expertise and state-of-art facilities.Mike joined the AMCASH team following ten years in the group marketing department of HVAC giant, BDR Thermea Group. Mike has held management positions in leading companies across a range of industries, including polymers and building products. His roles have involved both working for, and supporting, SMEs within UK- and EU-funded projects.Dr Jonathan RadcliffeDr Jonathan Radcliffe is a Reader in Energy Systems and Innovation at the University of Birmingham; and is a Fellow of the university&#x27;s Institute for Global Innovation, for which he leads the interdisciplinary &#x27;Resilient Cities&#x27; theme. His research focuses on policy and techno-economic analysis of energy systems, in particular analyzing the deployment and integration of energy technologies in the context of a wider socio-technical transition.Whilst a physicist by training, he has spent much of his career in government, involved in the use of evidence in policy-making. He is now investigator on several major research projects, covering local energy systems, industrial decarbonisation and heat pumps. Jonathan is a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for UKRI&#x27;s Energy Programme, and was Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee for the inquiry on Clean Growth Technologies. Dr Phil HamiltonPhil is a Business Engagement Manager for AMTECAA, based at the University of Birmingham’s School of Engineering, which supports regional manufacturing SMEs to better understand and take advantage of advanced manufacturing technologies including; Additive/Subtractive/Hybrid manufacturing, Surface Engineering and Robotics &amp; Automation in order to optimise or create new products, processes and services. He has held previous positions in Research &amp; Development, Technology Transfer and Business Development in both industry and academia.Jonathan RobertsAs Business Engagement Manager in the ARLI project (Civil Engineering), Jon manages the relationship with organisations, supporting their engagement in the exciting Alternative Raw materials with Low Impact (ARLI) project, driving the delivery of innovations in sustainability and research collaborations looking at Waste, Materials, Construction &amp; Infrastructure. Jon studied Environmental Sciences at the University of Southampton, before working globally as a Sustainability Consultant on a variety of international projects and then nationally on Circular Economy solutions within the Construction and Waste Management sectors. Shaun SookooShaun founded the company as “Winny’s Kitchen” in 2017. Three years later, Shaun took the company out of Winny’s kitchen and into its own premises in Birmingham – from where they extended the business and now deliver over 2000 meals a week to customers all over the UK.Shaun is not only the CEO and director of Winny’s Kitchen, he’s also an author and founding member of Little Black Truth – a platform to educate and inspire positive change.The ATETA project provided support to Winny’s Kitchen by completing an evaluation of packaging options for chilled food packaging. ATETA undertook a study to identify different packaging for chilled goods to help Winny’s Kitchen sustainability goals.Dr Lorelei GhermanLorelei is an ATETA Business Engagement Officer within the Birmingham Energy Institute, University of Birmingham. ATETA is offering free support to West-Midlands-based SMEs with low carbon and energy efficiency projects, looking to drive industrial decarbonisation towards UK Net Zero. Lorelei has worked in research and engineering for the past 12 years, with a focus on the manufacturing sector. She has experience of projects engaging academia and industry, having taken a special interest in bringing engineering innovation to SMEs. She is keen on supporting collaborations between businesses and the academic expertise within the Birmingham Energy Institute to drive energy and low carbon innovation. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorelei-gherman/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">View Lorelei&#x27;s LinkedIn profile.</a>PLEASE NOTE: The webinar link and joining instructions will be sent after registration.This event is partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is being delivered by Coventry City Council.If you have any additional needs and require assistance during this webinar, please inform the Green Business Programme Team at greenbusiness@coventry.gov.uk. 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Supporting SMEs on their Net Zero Journey

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Supporting SMEs on their Net Zero Journey

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