Low Carbon Innovation

A cornerstone of our evolution, LCI bridged the gap between university know-how and dynamic Scottish enterprises. It did this by matching expertise to new ideas, new people, new markets and new finance. It was commended by the Scottish Government as a key contributor to achieving the 2020 climate change targets. And it bagged ECCI a Guardian Sustainable Business Award in 2016 for its innovative and collaborative approach.

What LCI achieved at a glance:

• Actively engaged with more than 1,400 Scottish enterprises
• Provided intensive support to more than 200 enterprises
• Helped create more than 200 new products/services
• Created £3 million worth of turnover and 25 new jobs
• Met or exceeded all the targets set by ERDF
• Supported 51 in-depth projects
• Supported 50 networks
• £700,000 invested by ERDF
• Net sales worth nearly £15 million by 2018
• 68 new jobs created by 2018

The team at ECCI delivered support in many ways during the course of the project. We mentored businesses and gave expert advice on how to make low carbon products/services profitable. We also helped companies find finance, international links and academic support with partner universities.

The positive impact of LCI continues to spread rings on the water today, through various ongoing activities and partnerships.

So far, so good

Total carbon impact to date, from work completed or in progress:

41,000 tonnes CO2e p.a.* That’s the equivalent to taking over 17,000 cars off our roads.

But there’s more to come

Total additional carbon impact potential from work in the pipeline:

350,000 tonnes CO2e p.a.* The equivalent to taking over 150,000 cars off our roads; a whopping 6.7% of Scotland’s total car fleet.

The ‘values’ of these impacts are roughly £740,000 and £6.3m p.a. respectively.

*Independent carbon impact assessment: methodology, data gathering and analysis led by Jim Hart.

“ECCI’s ties to the knowledge and expertise of our academic base, coupled with a commercial outlook and the steady growth of our ever-growing low carbon community has helped to transform the low carbon innovation landscape.” ECCI Executive Director, Andy Kerr

LCI: still doing good

The Low Carbon Innovation project laid the foundation for our Deutsche Post DHL Innovation Suite. It offers a dynamic, shared working space for public, private and third sector organisations.

We even expanded abroad as a result of the success of the LCI programme, opening HKCCI in 2015.

Full LCI impact report

Want to read more about the LCI project? Download the full report below.