Mid and East Antrim businesses learn more about opportunity to be part of decarbonisation cluster
Monday 29 April 2024
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council hosted the latest Industrial Decarbonisation for Northern Ireland (IDNI) workshop recently - with over 20 local businesses in attendance at the Ecos Hub, Ballymena.
Led by Invest NI, the event informed businesses and stakeholders on how IDNI - the Innovate UK funded initiative - is seeking to develop geographic clusters and groups of companies with similar energy challenges throughout Northern Ireland, to collectively tackle industrial decarbonisation by reducing energy consumption and bringing both environmental and economic improvements.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna said: “I was delighted to welcome a wide range of our local businesses to Ecos Hub to learn more about IDNI and the Northern Ireland-wide opportunity of becoming a leading industrial cluster for decarbonised manufacturing.
“Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, and a wide range of industry partners, have been investing and innovating in the green economy for several years and consequently the Borough is increasingly being recognised as a leading location for innovation - supporting the transition to net zero by leading on several key CleanTech and green energy projects.
“Businesses who sign up to the IDNI project will have access to a knowledge sharing platform, unlock efficiency gains and cost saving measures, and receive support including energy efficiency assessments and carbon reduction planning.
“We welcome the opportunity to work further with Invest Northern Ireland on what promises to be a game-changer in delivering energy efficiency for the manufacturing industry.”
The IDNI project has been developed to demystify and assist businesses manage increasing competitive pressures. Led by Invest NI and funded by Innovate UK, the project is a consortium of stakeholders including Manufacturing NI, MPANI, Ulster University, Queens University and all Councils throughout Northern Ireland.
The initiative further complements the current Mid and East Antrim Net Zero (MEANZ) Business project, which is delivering a programme of activities to support businesses and expediate Council’s journey to achieving net zero targets.
For further information and to sign-up for the MEANZ Business e-newsletter, email invest@midandeastantrim.gov.uk.