Last updated at 16:21, Monday, 02 November 2009

THE National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL), whose management team is made up of secondees from Serco, Battelle and the University of Manchester, is well positioned to support Britain’s Energy Coast™ through its expertise in nuclear science and technology.

GREETINGS: Barrow and Furness MP John Hutton, left, with Peter Bleasdale, the managing director of the National Nuclear Laboratory at the launch SUBMITTED

NNL is “reaching back” to access the experience and tools developed by the parent companies in technology-based economic development.

Specific NNL activities that are under way include:

l Creating a technology incubator at the Workington Laboratory, which will provide access to entrepreneurs to test, evaluate and demonstrate their technologies and move them toward commercial-scale deployment.

l Networking with other energy/technology/ business incubators in West Cumbria, NW England and the UK to enhance the resources available to technology businesses and expand the expertise focused on energy needs.

l Providing technical support to both start-up and established technology businesses with a focus on energy supply and management.

l Identifying opportunities to exploit / commercialise intellectual property from the NNL and the wider nuclear industry for the benefit of the UK energy sector.

At present, the team responsible for this area of development in NNL are visiting the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington State, USA, to exchange ideas and best practices.

Over time, NNL expect to become an increasingly important resource for technology based economic development in Cumbria in support of the Energy Coast masterplan.

First published at 13:12, Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk