NEWS
Mission – Hallam Wheatley and Dr Lucy Smith lead the FIVe team tasked with helping foundation industries cut carbon emissions and reach net zero .
HIGH FIVe !
PICTURE : CHRIS BOOTH
Work underway to drive foundation industries ’ net zero targets
Teesside has become home to the UK ’ s first incubator and accelerator driving innovation and decarbonisation across the foundation industries ( FIs ) of cement , metals , paper , chemicals , ceramics and glass .
Not-for-profit Foundation Industries Ventures ( FIVe ) supports start-ups and spinouts , developing new and innovative materials , processes and technologies that will help the FIs cut carbon emissions and reach net zero .
Based among the business community at Middlesbrough ’ s Materials Processing Institute ( MPI ), FIVe is offering flexible office , lab and event space as well as access to a network of tailored support , including finance , IP , legal , HR and health and safety training .
FIVe is the brainchild of members of UK Research and Innovation ’ s ( UKRI ) Future Leaders Group , set up to change the status quo of these traditional sectors and drive change and innovation .
Hallam Wheatley grew up in Saltburn and started his career at Wilton as an apprentice laboratory technician with Lotte Chemical ( now Alpek ) before moving to SABIC , where he spent nine years working across manufacturing , R & D and technical marketing . Now he is helping lead the team , along with Dr Lucy Smith .
Hallam , who is now collaboration lead for research and technology member organisation Glass Futures , said : “ Growing up in Teesside , the FIs have been all around me . Whether it was the history of British Steel or my first job at Wilton , I saw the importance these industries played , not just for the North-East but for the whole world .
“ They ’ re absolutely vital for everyday life – anything from having a cuppa in the morning to making a phone call or travelling to work – yet they collectively contribute 10 per cent of the UK ’ s carbon emissions . As we strive towards net zero , business as usual is no longer an option .
“ For these industries to have a future they need innovation , and to embrace change and the ideas of the next generation and workforce . By providing a vibrant , collaborative environment we ’ re hoping to support world-changing ideas that will enable these vital sectors to have a sustainable future .”
Launched in January , FIVe is currently sifting through applications from organisations vying to become the first case study and gain access to the incubator and specialist support .
Dr Lucy Smith , head of transformation at the Materials Processing Institute and co-chair of the Critical Minerals Association ’ s circular economy committee , said : “ I ’ ve worked in the FIs for my whole career and love it , but to achieve net zero and delivery on the UN ’ s sustainable development goals , we need to change the way we manage innovation . We can ’ t do things as we ’ ve always done them .
“ FIVe is our answer to unblocking some of the challenges faced by start-ups and spinouts by de-risking their journey and helping them prove their ideas from labscale development to commercialisation . “ We ’ ll also bridge the gap between incubator and accelerator , helping SMEs to transition and grow , supporting them with investment , expertise and the links and networks needed to propel them to success .”
And by operating as a not-for-profit organisation , FIVe will work with innovators on equitable terms , with the success of one start-up supporting the future community of case studies .
To find out more about FIVe visit LinkedIn and fiventures . org .
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