Innovation See all Client services

We can help you achieve your clean technology goals.

Low carbon innovation can lead to extraordinary rewards. We are the partner of choice for companies and governments that seek to create value from the clean technology revolution.

Our experience

We work internationally, collaborating with organisations such as General Electric and the UK Government, on their clean technology innovation activities.

Carbon Trust has catalysed more than £123million of private-sector co-investment into pre-commercial technologies through focused programmes that de-risk their commercialisation. Examples of our impact to date include:

  • Deployment of a novel foundation in consortium with eight UK Offshore Wind developers to deliver a 10% reduction in the cost of delivered energy for offshore wind
  • Securing a $5million partnership with General Electric to identify, assess and nurture start-up businesses across Europe
  • Identifying opportunities for up to 29% reduction in energy bills through process innovation across a range of sectors, from dairy to metal-forming

We have assessed more than 3,500 low carbon start-ups to find the most promising technologies and ideas.

How we can help 

We support our clients along every stage of bringing clean technologies to market:

Prioritising innovation areas

We work with governments, investors and corporates to understand their goals, available resource, economic drivers and market structures to determine which technologies are most likely to succeed and yield returns.

Examples include:

  • Supporting the UK Government to prioritise which low carbon technologies to invest in to achieve emissions reduction targets and economic growth through the Technology Innovation Needs Assessment process
  • Demonstrating cost-reduction opportunities for the offshore wind sector through focused R&D in specific technology systems (Foundations, Access, Electrical Connections, and Wake Effects)

Designing innovation initiatives

In co-operation with our clients, Carbon Trust lays out potential activities in the sector and defines specific objectives and timescales. We then select the most suitable approach, from consortia to competitions, to overcome barriers holding back the technologies in question. We structure tailored programmes to tackle the barriers, de-risk innovation and catalyse investment.

Throughout the process, we identify potential project partners and funding sources to enhance the likelihood of success.

Delivering innovation outcomes

We understand how to deliver innovation through a broad range of activities. We have expertise in negotiating, contracting and setting up necessary structures, running targeted global competitions to source the best innovations and convening consortia of major industrial players to share research and development costs.

We advise on creating commercial vehicles to best incentivise teams, and provide incubation support to de-risk potential start-up investments. 

The Carbon Trust's intellectual capability in assessing our technology and what they know is out there made us feel very confident that what we were doing would be different and worth taking forward.
Amanda LyneVice President, Marketing and Administration, ACAL Energy

Interested in knowing more about a specific innovation programme?

If you are interested in knowing more about a specific innovation programme then simply click on the respective link below.

Offshore Wind Accelerator 
Marine Renewables Proving Fund
Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund
 Marine Farm Accelerator
 Polymer Fuel Cells Challenge
 Industrial Energy Efficiency Accelerator

Low Carbon Innovation Consultation offered by the National Audit Office

The National Audit Office (NAO) is offering organisations and individuals an opportunity to express their views on the UK’s public sector funding for low carbon innovation. The consultation is to inform a briefing which the NAO is preparing for the Energy and Climate Change Committee. This consultation is available online on the NAO website and is specifically about innovation in low carbon technologies and not about the government’s broader energy policies.

All information regarding the consultation is held by the NAO and if you have any queries please email innovation_consultation@nao.gsi.gov.uk

Respond to the consultation here.

Get in touch

If you are interested in any of the services above then get in touch - fill in our contact form or give us a call on +44 (0)20 7832 4807.