John Bustard, Awakin.com

Kyle Smyth, RM Greenkeepers

‘Supply Chain Opportunities in Renewable Energy’ Symposium – Draft Programme

Wednesday 18 January 2012

Venue: Lecture Theatre, South West College, Omagh Campus

This symposium will look at a range of supply chain opportunities within the renewable energy sector for small and micro-size businesses.  Invest NI will provide details on a number of large projects that are planned in the West of the province over the course of the next 2 years.  These projects will need local supplies from the engineering and construction sectors and the symposium will provide details of how small companies can capitalise on these opportunities within their local market.  Key examples of success will be provided by industry speakers from Powerscreen International, Harland & Wolff and representatives of a recently formed collaborative network – One Industrial.

South West College works closely with the South West Workforce Development Forum to supply skills and workforce training allied to the needs of local industry.  The Symposium will also address the skill development needs for businesses and will provide information on the innovation and mentoring support provided the College through its Carbon Zero and Innotech Centre activities.   

DRAFT PROGRAMME

09.30     Welcome – Michael McAlister, Deputy Director, Head of Curriculum & Business Development, South West College

09.40    Introduction – Marcus Isherwood, Chairman South West Workforce Development Forum

09.50    Dr Lorna Lawrence, Carbon Zero NI, SWC – Economic Engagement

10.05    Sam Knox, Invest NI – ‘Offshore Energy opportunities – How do I get involved?’

10.20     Andy Watson (TBC), Atlantic Marine Services, The Netherlands – ‘Getting in on the Off-shore Act’

10.35    Con O’Neill – Harland & Wolff – ‘Establishing a Supply Chain in the Renewable Energy Sector – A Local Case Study’

10.50    COFFEE BREAK

11.20     Trevor Kerr – Invest NI ‘Local Emerging Opportunities in Renewable Energy Sector’

11.35    Pat O’Neill – Founder of Powerscreen International – ‘Evolving to Meet New Market Opportunities ‘

11.50     Ali Nicol (TBC) – One Industrial – ‘Gaining Success in the Renewable Sector as part of an Industry-led Collaborative Network’

12.05     Dr Fergal Tuffy, Innotech Centre, SWC – ‘Innovation Support and Mentoring & Services for Businesses in the South West’

12.15     Concluding Remarks – Dr John Harrison, Carbon Zero NI, SWC

12.20    LIGHT LUNCH & NETWORKING

Please register by e-mail: nicola.quinn@swc.ac.uk or call 028 8225 5223 by Friday 13 January 2012

2011 International Green Awards Winners: Dr John Moore, Aaron Black, Mark McGuigan, presented with the award for Best Green Education & Sustainability Awareness Award by (L) sustainable finance expert Leo Johnson, Philippa Forrester (R)

The South West College Sustainability team have won international recognition for their education and industry engagement  activities at the International Green Awards  hosted in the prestigious Natural History Museum London.  The highly acclaimed International Awards ceremony is now in its sixth year and recognises the best in class examples of creativity in business, citizen and government initiatives leading to sustainable outcomes.

The awards are open for entries from across the world and this year attracted entries from Australia, USA, Canada, China, Denmark, Singapore, South Africa, India, Germany, Norway and Sweden. In a glittering ‘green carpet’ event hosted by Phillippa Forrester and Leo Johnson, South West College fought off international competition to claim the Gold Award in the Best Green Education and Sustainability Awareness category.  Speaking at the event, Phillippa Forrester said the judging panel “were highly impressed by the commitment shown by the college in the area of sustainable development”.

This award recognizes the wide range of work undertaken by the college from the construction and demonstration of the Renewable Energy Farm in 2004 to the recent launch of the colleges Foundation Degrees in Energy Environment and Sustainability and Wind Turbine Technology.  Playing a significant role in the judging panel’s decision was the wide range of industrial assistance undertaken through the college’s InnoTech Centre in the area of sustainability and renewable energy which has seen the development of wind turbines, biomass equipment, anaerobic digestion systems and hydro stations for local companies.  Also recognized was the wide range of training and mentoring activities delivered through the Carbon Zero NI programme to the local renewable energy industry.

Speaking after the event, Aaron Black from the SWC InnoTech Centre and Carbon Zero NI programmes said; “This is an incredible achievement for the college.  For a Further Education College from rural Northern Ireland to compete and win on an International stage alongside the likes of Samsung, Nissan, Unilever, P&G, Coca-Cola and De Beers is unheard of.  This award truly shows that the quality of the curriculum and industry assistance we have developed is of the highest International standard.  We are so pleased that our work has been recognised in this way”.

This award is now added to two Association of Collages Beacon Awards which recognise the colleges industry engagement and STEM activities making a successful hat-trick for the college on the National and International stage.

Having joined forces, the InnoTech Centre and University of Ulster have space to provide technical assistance to 14 businesses in the Dungannon & South Tyrone Borough Council area (who are not Invest NI client companies) through the Dungannon Innovation Promoters Programme.

Assistance to develop new products and services is available in a wide range of areas including and not limited to;

• Renewable Energy
• Engineering
• CAD
• Construction
• ICT
• Electronics
• Product Design
• Market Research
• Prototype production
• Legislation

If you are interested in benefiting from the programme or require further information please contact Aaron Black at the InnoTech Centre – 028 82255223 or aaron.black@swc.ac.uk.

to Download Application Form click here

Visit DETI Website

South West College’s InnoTech Centre is delighted to announce the competition of the SME Innovation Programme – Phase 1, funded by Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council.

Through the delivery of the SME Innovation Programme, the InnoTech Centre delivered support to enhance small businesses’ competitive advantage within the Borough making changes with a positive effect relating to product innovation, process development, and business improvement techniques. The programme focused on micro / small businesses that are either not yet Invest NI clients or are non-active Invest NI clients.

Dr Jill Cush, Research Lecturer within South West College’s InnoTech Centre says “We are delighted that 10 participating SMEs have benefited from innovation promotion and support, and are now investigating new markets, developing new projects, employers have been able to sustain jobs, and even create new employment opportunities within the Dungannon & South Tyrone Borough Council area.”

Participating companies are experiencing greater profitability & efficiency, and are now better able to compete in current and future marketplaces.

For further information on the future funding of the next phase of this programme or to express interest in participation, contact Chris Mc Queen on 028 8225 5223 or email chris.mcqueen@swc.ac.uk.

The SME Innovation Programme is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland.

Visit DETI Website

The South West College InnoTech Centre has received funding from the Design Council to deliver a free design course, including Solidworks training, called ‘Design4Business.’ The training aims to help businesses/entrepreneurs to bring their ideas from their head through to a 3D CAD design and then prototype development.

The course starts on Friday 18th November 2011 and will run for four Fridays 10am-5pm in the Skills Centre in Ennikillen.  If you are interested in registering for the course or for further information please contact the InnoTech Centre on 028 82255223.

South West College STEM Centre are delighted to announce the second year of the ‘Young Innovators Programme’.  The Centres involvement, through its associations with BEP and the Dungannon and South Tyrone District Council, is an initiative by the organisation to promote innovation, invention and enterprise within local students.  

Young Innovators is designed for Students aged 14 – 21 within the Cookstown and Dungannon and south Tyrone Borough Council Area.  This initiative is designed to challenge students to come up with unique and inspiring ideas for a new product or service within the following categories: Engineering, Food Science/Technology, ICT/Software, Construction and Green Energy.  Throughout the programme, successful students are provided with mentoring from STEM experts to help develop their project idea and on completion of the programme the students work will be acknowledged at an awards exhibition next year.

Schools across the Dungannon and South Tyrone District Council area are encouraged to get involved.  Shirley Lamont, STEM Centre Co-ordinator, South West College said; “This is a great way to get young students focused on extra curricular activity or combine these programmes to work towards a school project. The benefit to students of entering these programmes will increase their confidence and inspire and excite them to study these subjects further in life”.

For further information contact: Shirley Lamont Tel: 028 8772 0644 or Email: shirley.lamont@swc.ac.uk  www.stemcentreni.com

Details of the programme are as follows:-

• Identification and recruitment of a minimum of 18 retail/service businesses in the Dungannon town centre and Neighbourhood Renewal Area.
• Provision and delivery of collective networking seminars to include guest speakers and exposure to “Best Practice” examples.
• NVQ Level 2 Qualification in Marketing – Digital and Social Media
• Provision of individual one to one mentoring and coaching for the programme participants.

We are recruiting for this programme at present, please contact Esther Baird at Dungannon Enterprise Centre to see if you are eligible to attend. 

 The launch of the programme will take place on 19^th October 2011.

An informative and beneficial renewable energy seminar and tour was organised by The InnoTech Centre on Thursday 29^th September 2011. The event held in the Omagh Campus of the South West College gave hydro enthusiasts the chance to come and learn in depth about the subject, potential business opportunities and whether it was suitable for their site.

The event began with a number of seminars presented by Neil Freeburn (The InnoTech Centre) and Gerard Murphy (Hydro NI). These seminars covered topics such as hydro technology, site assessment, planning applications, environmental factors and economics. The group of attendees then continued onto a tour of a refurbished mill site near Plumbridge which is now producing electrical power for the national grid. This allowed attendees to see first-hand the physical set up of a hydro system and gave the chance to ask more technical questions.

Further information on hydro power and renewable technologies can be sought from The InnoTech Centre. Email – innotechcentre@swc.ac.uk or Tel. 028 8225 5223 or to find out more about InnoTech and upcoming events visit www.theinnotechcentre.com.