University launches £3m business growth fund in Crawley

A £3m plan by the University of Brighton to boost green growth was launched at a business-focused event at the Arora Hotel in Crawley.

The university’s Green Growth Platform is a five-year project funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s (HEFCE) Catalyst Fund which aims to drive growth in the environmental sectors across Sussex.

Over 130 business owners from across the region attended the launch to hear about the range of services the Green Growth Platform will offer to environmental sector businesses operating in Sussex or those wishing to reduce their environmental impact. The services include one-to-one business coaching, support for innovation and research-and-development, product and service development, tailored training, internships and graduate recruitment, funding support and networking events.

The University of Brighton has for many years worked in partnership with businesses to combine academic expertise and research with business applications.

Peter Adlington, Managing Director of Plastipack, said of his work with the university: “Working with the University of Brighton has been a very positive experience. Each of the projects I have undertaken with the university has resulted in a significant technical development in my product range that has enabled me to leapfrog competitors. Without the innovation that has come about through our collaboration my business wouldn’t be where it is today, and I wouldn’t have stayed ahead of overseas competitors.”

Local businesses operating in environmental sectors, or those wishing to reduce their environmental impact, are invited to join by visiting www.greengrowthplatform.co.uk  

For more information on the Green Growth Platform, contact Robb Cunningham, Project and Communications Manager on greengrowthplatform@brighton.ac.uk.