NEWS
High FIVe – the delivery team ( from left ) Charlie Phelines ( Blue Cube ), Sarah Connolly ( FIVe ), Peter Allan ( Durham University ), Lucy Smith ( FIVe ) and David Farrant ( Blue Cube ).
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Teesside incubator and accelerator that helps the foundation industries ( FIs ) to decarbonise has helped its first start-up and brought together leading industry voices for a key event .
Foundation Industries Ventures ( FIVe ) launched in January to support start-ups and spinouts working in the energyintensive cement , metals , chemicals , paper , ceramics and glass industries to develop innovative new materials , processes and technology to help reach net zero .
And Cardiff ’ s BlueCube became the first start-up to benefit from tailored training last month supported by Innovate UK at FIVe ’ s incubator in The Materials Processing Institute ( MPI ).
Led by ecologist Dr Ruth Callaway , BlueCube uses high-performance concrete ( UHPC ) to transform sea walls and defences into thriving habitats for marine life .
In partnership with its sister company Cubex Industries , it manufactures textured ( bio receptive ) UHPC tiles that become home to barnacles , algae , moss , crabs and other sea life to increase biodiversity . With successful eco-engineering projects across the UK including in the Mumbles and Porthcawl in Wales and Dublin Harbour , the company wanted strategic support to help it grow .
Over three days they worked with FIVe ’ s strategic business development partner Peter Allen , an associate professor and innovation fellow at Durham University Business School who works with businesses including Boeing and the chemicals and process industries .
Charles-Phelines , BlueCube ’ s technical director , said : “ It was brilliant to take time out of the office to focus and to think . Peter made us think strategically and ‘ out of the box ’ and following management tools and models helped us better understand our business through critical thinking .
106 | Tees Business
Fuelling startups and spinouts for a sustainable tomorrow
“ We were able to evaluate BlueCube and the successes and mistakes we ’ d made and what we need to do in the future . He helped us understand our customers and routes to market and unearthed the processes we need to go through to get there .
“ Getting this training is like getting help from our friends . FIVe is a key network that has links and partnerships with all the right people to help those in the sustainability space .
“ They foster a great environment for entrepreneurs and innovators to come together and learn from each other . Peter gave us the tools to understand our business and we know a lot more than we did before the sprint , which will help us grow our business .”
FIVe co-founder Lucy Smith said : “ Our team has worked in the FIs for many years and we felt the need to shake things up . That ’ s why we established FIVe and set about creating vibrant , collaborative environments for start-ups and spinouts . “ By providing flexible office and lab space , essential support services including finance , IP , legal , HR , networks and tailored support like BlueCube received , we hope to meet the needs of the companies now and in the future .”
The need for stronger networks and collaboration identified through a number of FIVe workshops into regulatory barriers facing the FIs has led to the launch of FIVengage .
The first network to unite innovators , industry , investors and universities to tackle industry-specific and FI-wide challenges , saw leading industry voices join the first FIVengage workshop in London ’ s Royal Dock ’ s Centre for Sustainability .
Run in partnership with award-winning venture partner for start-ups and venture capitalists Sensicon Ventures , the unique event included pioneering cement spinouts Cambridge Electric Cement and Biozeroc talking about their early-stage journeys , the barriers they face and how they secured seed funding .
Sarah Connolly , FIVe co-founder , said : “ It was a great event with plenty of lively discussions around the regulatory barriers stifling innovation .
“ The purpose of FIVengage is to bring people together in an inclusive , supportive community , so we were overwhelmed by the positive response of attendees keen to have opportunities like this to network and meet others working in innovation and sustainability .
“ We plan to grow the network to deliver regulatory science research , training and networking , so we become the trusted network influencing policy .”
Find out more at fiventures . org