The British Council, the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, has confirmed it will be presenting at UK AD & Biogas and World Biogas Expo 2017, the 1 global tradeshow for biogas.
Dr Shaun Holmes, Science Adviser for Global Projects at the British Council, will talk about funding opportunities available to those working in biogas in the show’s panel session on ‘Developing a biogas industry in your country: sharing success stories’ on 5 July.
Dr Holmes will highlight in particular the Council’s Institutional Links call, which provides grants for the development of research and innovation collaborations between the UK and partner countries. The call is funded through the BEIS-managed Newton Fund, which promotes economic development and welfare in partnering countries through science and innovation partnerships. £735m of funding will be delivered over the duration of the Fund, with partner countries providing matched resources.
The British Council has delivered funding for a number of biogas projects through the Institutional Links programme, including projects on sugar and yeast production in Colombia and small-scale AD in Thailand. The programme particularly welcomes projects in which academia and industry work together to maximise the impact of the funded research on the ground. Dr Holmes will be announcing details of the next round of funding, due to open in July, at the show.
The British Council’s Newton Fund work ties in perfectly with the main theme of UK AD & Biogas and World Biogas Expo, namely how biogas can help to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The show is being jointly organised by ADBA and the World Biogas Association (WBA), and will demonstrate how biogas can solve a range of global challenges including recycling wastes, producing renewable heat and power, restoring soils, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Looking ahead to the show, Dr Holmes said:
"We receive a high number of applications on biogas to our funding programmes, demonstrating that this is an area of considerable interest to both academia and industry in helping to solve global challenges."
"I’m looking forward to speaking at UK AD & Biogas and World Biogas Expo to share opportunities for promoting research and innovation in biogas worldwide."
WBA President David Newman said:
"The WBA and British Council share the goal of helping to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals through fostering partnerships between countries to promote research and innovation."
"Biogas can make a significant contribution to sustainable development worldwide and we’ll be exploring what governments and intergovernmental organisations can do to support this crucial industry at UK AD & Biogas and World Biogas Expo 2017."