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Bio-Economy Hopes for the Yorkshire Coast

Wednesday, 9 March 2022 06:00

By Matthew Pells

Opportunities to create a bio-economy on the Yorkshire Coast are being explored at an event in Scarborough Today.

Bio Yorkshire and Anglo American are putting on a networking event for local firms interested in growing the area's green economy.

Professor Ian Graham from The University of York says seaweed farming off the Yorkshire Coast is a good example of how a new bio-economy could be created.

Professor Graham is Director of Bio Yorkshire which is a partnership between the University of York, Askham Bryan College and Fera Science. The project aims to harness scientific expertise to develop bio-based supplies of fuel, chemicals and materials. It will also work with the region’s farmers and agricultural industries to drive innovation while enabling more productive and sustainable crop production and land use.

Among the projects aims are:

  •     Create 4,000 highly skilled jobs
  •     Reduce CO2 emissions by 2.8 million tonnes per year for the UK
  •     Reducing UK waste to landfill by 1.2 million tonnes per year
  •     Generate £1.4bn to the UK economy

As part of the work, Professor Graham says there is an ambition for Scarborough to become home to a bio-economy hub.

It would be part of a drive to create a strong green economy in North Yorkshire and could see the creation of new solutions to reduce our reliance on petrochemicals.

Professor Ian Graham thinks the town would be a good location for a hub:

Professor Graham says the hub would enable small firms and start-up firms to be able to access the support thy need to make the transition in to the bio-economy.

Professor Graham explains what exactly the Bio Economy is and why it's important for long term sustainability.

Ian says that one of the main aims of the project is to find ways of replacing petrochemical products with more natural resources.

Today's event will see around 45 local firms meet up for a networking event. Professor Graham says it's an important part of kick starting a local bio-economy.

More information about the Bio Yorkshire project is available here https://www.york.ac.uk/bioyorkshire/

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