LowCVP Technology Challenge winners present eco-innovations to car industry leaders
Thu 10 December 2009
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(LowCVP media release) Six small businesses at the leading edge of low carbon innovation in the automotive sector had the undivided attention of senior executives from global car companies at a LowCVP event chaired by Richard Parry-Jones, co-chair of the new Automotive Council.
Axon Automotive, Brunel University, Controlled Power Technologies, EVO-Electric, Libralato and Oxy-Gen Combustion are today announced as the Winners of LowCVP’s Technology Challenge. Winning the Challenge provides these up-and-coming companies with the unique opportunity to pitch their ideas directly to industry leaders.
Demonstrating serious interest in sourcing low carbon car solutions were senior executives from Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, Tata Motors, General Motors, McLaren Automotive, Modec, Alexander Dennis, SMTC UK, Denso, GKN, Kautex-Unipart, Shell International and TRW.
“The Technology Challenge provides a unique opportunity for some of the best of the low carbon automotive technology companies to access potential partners and customers and to learn more about some very innovative technologies” says LowCVP’s Managing Director Greg Archer. “The strong support from major vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers is an indication of their commitment to finding solutions to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars and confidence in UK companies’ ability to deliver these solutions.”
The LowCVP challenged emerging businesses to help manufacturers achieve less than 80g/km of CO2 from their conventional, internal combustion passenger cars.
The event aims to provide an opportunity for collaboration between the developers of new technology and the mainstream automotive industry, in line with one of the recommendations of the New Automotive Innovation and Growth Team (NAIGT) and the activities of the new Automotive Council.
Richard Parry Jones said: “Greater collaboration and cooperation between Tier 1s and vehicle manufacturers and new technology companies will speed technical innovation and cut carbon emissions more quickly.”
“Bringing new technology to the attention of the automotive supply chain can be a tricky process for small companies like these Technology Challenge winners. Likewise, many larger companies can be inundated with ideas of little real substance.”
The six winning entrants** of the Technology Challenge were selected on a competitive basis from seventeen entries covering a variety of eco-innovations. Their selection by an expert panel was based on the merits and impacts of their technology for reducing vehicle CO2 emissions, alignment with the NAIGT technology roadmap, commercial viability and ease of integration.
“Invention is a good idea but if you want innovation you need to implement it” says Roy Williamson of the LowCVP. “This is what these winning product developers are doing - introducing near-term, strategically viable options to reduce carbon emissions from mainstream passenger cars”.
Concluding the event, Prof. Richard Parry-Jones declared the Technology challenge model a very promising approach to providing the opportunity for stronger collaboration between new and established industry players in bringing forward carbon reducing innovations for the sector.
He commented: "The challenge of climate change is very significant. However after hearing from today’s presenters and learning what innovative UK business are developing and introducing to reduce carbon from cars, I think we should have every confidence that, as has happened before, the ingenuity and capability of UK engineering will respond and deliver the solutions necessary".
For the full LowCVP press release and further information, please follow the associated links.
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