Industry News

ScotGov: Finance Secretary, John Swinney has announced funding to increase the energy & low carbon support available to Scottish companies.  The Scottish Government has awarded £3.4m of European Regional Development Funding to 6 projects from leading Scottish universities & colleges.
 
The projects will help up to 1,000 SMEs across Scotland to develop low carbon technologies, products & services and are expected to support 270 jobs. The projects are run by 6 different universities & colleges who will collaborate through the Energy and Low Carbon Business Support project to share experiences and prevent duplication of work.
Press release & links
 
DECC: A world-leading gear engineering & manufacturing company has been confirmed as the first successful bidder to a major Government scheme to support manufacturers developing next generation offshore wind technologyDavid Brown Gear Systems (David Brown), whose UK facility is in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, has been awarded a £1.2m grant to help develop its 7MW offshore wind turbine gearbox.
 
It is the first company to be awarded funding under DECC and the Technology Strategy Board’s Offshore Wind Component Technologies Innovation scheme which is worth around £5m.  

Launched in November 2011, the scheme aims to help innovators with novel ideas to reduce the cost of offshore wind energy.
Press release & links
 
TfLTransport for London (TfL) and London boroughs recently published a list of 10 contractors they are considering for 4 new area-based highways contracts that could save tens of millions of pounds through better working practices.   The contracts awarded by the end of 2012.

The new contracts will cover both road maintenance and the construction of new schemes, and for the first time, they will have the potential to apply to all roads in London.  Each of the 4 contracts will cover a specific London area and will run for 8 years.
Press release & links
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