INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Green Technology
Swansea receives
UK govt. funding for its
energy tech breakthrough
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Industrial Strategy, will develop supply
chains in the UK and give certainty to
leading researchers and students, helping
attract more investment and jobs to the
local area.
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark, said: “This
centre has the potential to transform how
buildings use energy, turning them from
energy consumers into power stations.
“This £36 million investment in clean energy
innovation shows the UK continues to lead
the way in cutting emissions while growing
our economy.
“We are putting our world-leading science
and innovation sector at the heart of our
modern Industrial Strategy and have set
the ambitious target for investment in
research and development to reach 2.4%
of GDP by 2027.”
M
ore than £36 million of UK
government funding will be
provided to Swansea to support
cutting-edge building materials which
generate electricity, the Chancellor has
announced during a visit to Wales. The
green technology uses light and heat to
make energy and has the potential to power
homes, workplaces, schools and hospitals.
These materials could replace conventional
walls, roofs and windows, generating
electricity which is stored and released by
a smart operating system. Excess electricity
could also be sold back to the national grid.
The announcement supports the
government’s mission to at least halve the
energy use of new buildings by 2030: making
buildings more energy efficient by embracing
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INTELLIGENTCIO
smart technologies will cut household energy
bills, reduce the demand for energy and boost
the UK’s economic growth while meeting
targets for carbon reduction.
On a visit to Swansea University, Chancellor
of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said:
“Swansea University and the innovative
companies working with it are world-leaders
in clean energy. The UK government is
backing the industries of the future that will
deliver jobs and opportunities across Wales.
This £36 million new funding will support
exciting green technology that could cut
energy bills, reduce carbon emissions and
create better homes and workspaces.”
The funding, through the ‘Transforming
Construction’ challenge of the government’s
Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns,
said: “The UK government is committed to
leading the world in delivering clean energy
technology and this additional investment
at Swansea University shows that we are
prepared to support innovation in this
critical area.
“The cutting-edge research being developed
at this institution is being translated into
practical inventions and techniques that
can improve our lives. It truly is science with
a purpose.
“The funding announcement, on top of
the £68 million commitment to Swansea
University since 2010, will ensure that
Wales and one of its most forward-thinking
universities will play a key role in keeping the
UK at the vanguard of innovation for years
to come.” n
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