FEATURE
Inspiration – Business Durham ’ s state-of-the-art NETPark is home to SEEDS Capital , just one of more than 20 companies to have benefitted from the Durham Future Innovation Building ( DFIB ) programme .
Driving innovation in County Durham
A s the business support service of Durham County Council , Business Durham has a proven track record of helping free-thinking companies grow , thrive and bring innovation to market .
With the rapidly changing world , it has never been more important to help businesses navigate the challenges they face and Business Durham is committed to supporting businesses throughout County Durham to succeed .
In 2021 , it launched the Durham Future Innovation Building ( DFIB ) programme to support innovation in the construction , health and electech ( electronics , electrical and embedded software ) sectors across the county .
Since its inception , the programme has provided support to over 20 companies to bring their innovative product , process or service for the future to market .
One of the businesses to have benefited from the DFIB programme is County Durham based deep technology company SEEDS ( Sustainable Energy Efficient Designed Structures ) Capital .
The company specialises in the research and development of advanced organic nano-materials to greatly improve the performance of battery and solar technologies .
Founded by chief executive Jason Chehal in 2012 , SEEDS Capital has developed sustainable nano-materials to efficiently capture and store solar energy for 24-hour energy coverage for use in a wide range of applications .
Jason says : “ We applied to Business Durham ’ s DFIB programme to help us connect with companies who could benefit from our energy harvesting inks .
Leader – Jason Chehal founded SEEDS Capital in 2012 .
“ As well as attending the workshops and masterclasses , we were awarded two grants , one to support research and development and the other to put towards a salary , which were both incredibly beneficial .
“ The DFIB programme has laid the foundation for building a stronger relationship with Business Durham , helping us to create a local supply chain centred around the cutting-edge technology we are developing to boost the attractiveness of County Durham as a region for advanced technology manufacturing .”
Sarah Slaven , Business Durham ’ s managing director , says : “ Business Durham has a proven track record of helping innovative companies grow and thrive , and bringing innovation to market .
“ We ’ re delighted to have helped more than 20 companies , including SEEDS Capital .
“ The DFIB programme is just one of the ways we are supporting companies during this rapidly-changing time ."
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