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Taking that ‘eco' marine business plan to next level

January 26th, 2018 10:05 PM

By Southern Star Team

Julie Crowley and Michelle Green of Cork County Council's Macroom E, partners of the European Circular Ocean Project.

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Do you have an idea to develop a new product from fishing nets or ropes? Are you a start-up or established company that would like advice on how to take your innovation to the next level? 

DO you have an idea to develop a new product from fishing nets or ropes? Are you a start-up or established company that would like advice on how to take your innovation to the next level? 

Then this initiative might be for you. 

Cork County Council Initiative Macroom E and Irish partners on the award winning European Circular Ocean project have announced free business advice for start-ups and small/medium-sized companies (SMEs) to support the development of eco-innovative products, technologies and services derived from waste fishing nets, ropes and components (FNRCs). 

Funded under the ERDF Interreg VB Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) Programme, the focus of the Circular Ocean project is to seek opportunities for recovery and reuse of waste fishing nets and rope, with a view to benefiting local economies.

Circular Ocean’s UK partners at The Centre for Sustainable Design are offering the opportunity to avail of free research and consultancy related to the development, funding, marketing and commercialisation of eco-innovative enterprises derived from waste FNRCs. 

Circular Ocean will provide support to eligible individuals and companies based in the NPA region, via email and 1:1 Skype consultations, in addition to a series of monthly open webinars covering topics including business models, research & development, marketing, branding and crowdfunding, based on solid examples related to FNRCs. Details of webinars are on the website www.circularocean.eu.

The Centre for Sustainable Design (CfSD) consultancy service is based on support provided to over 600 eco-innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with experience spanning over 25 years’ working
 on eco-innovation.

 Advice is industry focused, offering multi-disciplinary innovation skills and access to entrepreneurs, innovators and businesses across established regional, national and international networks. 

In addition to highlighting the environmental impacts of waste fishing nets, the Circular Ocean project is currently undertaking various streams of research into the potential applications of nets in areas such as wastewater treatment, 3D printing and as a reinforcement material in the construction sector.  

Partners involved in the Circular Ocean project include the Environmental Research Institute of the North Highland College UHI, Scotland; Cork County Council Iniative Macroom E, Ireland; The Centre for Sustainable Design, University for the Creative Arts, England; the Arctic Technology Centre, Greenland and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Norway.  

 

• For further information go to www.circularocean.eu or email [email protected]

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