WMES Birmingham News
West Midlands European Service assists the University of Wolverhampton to win €278,807 for a successful Fellowship
As a result of a successful Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship and funding of €278,807, the University of Wolverhampton will be hosting an experienced researcher from Egypt to identify how to make the process of self-compacting concrete production more environment friendly by using quarry waste fines.
This project will help the concrete industry by increasing the efficiency of available resource and developing ‘greener’ methods, for example, less CO2 emission due to the energy required to vibrate/compact the concrete. Other benefits include noise reduction due to concrete compaction during construction and thus contributing to a sustainable development.
The University of Wolverhampton will benefit from the knowledge brought by the very experienced Fellow. There is also the potential to develop an enterprise based on the result of the work, which will be based at the University and provide training and serve companies producing construction materials.
West Midlands European Service would like to congratulate Dr Jamal Khatib with this award and wish him and his Fellow Dr Negim success with this project and future proposals.
Rural Economy Growth Review
On 29 November 2011, the Government, announced, as part of the Growth Review, a strong package of new measures designed to stimulate sustainable growth in the rural economy and help rural business reach their full potential. The following measures were introduced:
1. £15 million to support a competition to fund 6 LEP led pilot Rural Growth Networks
2. £100 million from the Rural Development Programme for England funding to help rural businesses
3. £20 million Rural Community Broadband Funding to stimulate demand within rural communities
4. £25 million to support rural tourism
5. £15 million from the Rural Community Renewable Energy Fund to support green growth
Please see the Rural Economy Growth Review publication for more information.
Partners sought for FP7 Projects
The Enterprise Europen Network consists of over 600 Centres and includes all EU Member States as well as the pre-accession states, EEA countries and a number of countries in the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. Each centre has extensive knowledge of its region’s industrial and client base and with support from the European Union's Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) delivers a premier service to the region’s SMEs. The office for East and West Midlands, based in Coventry, has a number of FP7 partner requests seeking involvement from the region's universities, public sector organisations and SMEs.
For more information and contact details please view the EEN September Bulletin.
New arrivals to the WMES team
West Midlands European Service welcomes two new members, taking the team to a total of eight. Taking post early July, both Mandy Heard and Katherine Shepherd bring new experience in European funding programmes and project management.
Formerly at Newman University College in Birmingham Mandy worked for three and a half years as Business development Manager to identify, develop and manage external funding opportunities in the UK and European programmes including Daphne and Lifelong Learning. Mandy spearheaded University engagement in Knowledge Transfer and research, establishing for Newman a research profile at a European level.
Katherine re-joins the Service after a spell at Birmingham Chamber of Commerce managing two European sustainable energy projects, funded through INTERREG IVB. With a background in environment and climate change and five years for the West Midlands’s Marches Energy Agency as project manager and in funding, Katherine began as an adviser on Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) and LIFE+ on establishment of the then EU Connects in January 2009.
West Midlands European Service brings in €1.8 million for leading European Biomass Development
Four West Midlands organisations will receive EU funding of €1.8 million for developing local biomass across North West Europe. The INTERREG IVB North West Europe Programme has agreed funding for a project led by Aston University with Birmingham City Council, Birmingham City University and John Pointon & Sons Ltd as well as other European partners. This latest award follows on from an INTERREG IVB award given back in December 2010 for a biomass supply chain led by the University of Staffordshire with Stoke-on-Trent Council as as partner. Funds were also given for a project in developing energy from algae with Birmingham City University as a partner. These three projects combined bring in €3.2 million of EU funding to the West Midlands and reflect the weight and importance of support from West Midlands European Service to those organisations who have bid for biomass projects over the last 18 months. The awards also demonstrates the recognition of the West Midlands as a developing European centre of excellence for renewable energy.
For more information please contact us on the details below.
