In early April, BE-ST (Built Environment-Smarter Transition) reported further progress in its mission to accelerate the built environment's transition to zero carbon by 2045. The organisation is readying to conduct further research into the feasibility of commercialising homegrown wood fibre insulation for use in construction.
The below article from BE-ST highlights that - astonishingly - the UK is one of the largest net importers of forest products globally, second only to China. When considering that for every 1m³ of wood fibre insulation transported 100km, 1.1kg of CO2eq is emitted, a key path via which the built environment in the UK might become more environmentally friendly is made clear.
Following this path, BE-ST and their collaborators are conducting research into the optimisation of the combination of English-grown hardwood and softwood alongside suitable binders and additives to produce homegrown wood fibre insulation. In the absence of any pre-existing commercial manufacturers of homegrown wood fibre in the UK, the strong potential for this research to produce new and inventive technology is apparent.
Not only does this research bode well for the environment, but the UK economy also looks set to benefit. Revenues generated in relation to wood fibre insulation rose by 30% in Europe between 2020 and 2021, whilst a 2019 valuation of the insulation market in the UK in particular settled on a figure of £1.16bn! Where the commercialisation of new and inventive technologies proves attractive, robust intellectual property protection proves vital. In particular, when entering into a previously inactive sector - such as the manufacture of homegrown wood fibre insulation in the UK - robust intellectual property protection can prove vital to securing a dominant market share.
As a trainee patent attorney with Marks & Clerk, this undertaking by BE-ST and its collaborators is exciting for a number of reasons.
Primarily, the above emphasises the vital role that technological innovation will play in the realisation of a zero carbon future, particularly when applied to the development of the built environment. Also emphasised is the usefulness of economic incentives as drivers of environmentally-friendly change, and the capability of technological innovation to give rise to entirely new homegrown industries.
It is also exciting to note that the list of BE-ST's collaborators includes the University of Edinburgh - an existing client of Marks & Clerks'. As intellectual property experts, we are privileged to assist a number of organisations actively striving towards the realisation of the UK's zero carbon aims.
On a slightly more personal note, BE-ST's involvement in this research places Hamilton at the centre of the UK's zero carbon efforts - the town in which BE-ST's impressive Campus is located, and in which I was born and raised.
The UK has the renewable natural resources, internationally recognised expertise, and technical capabilities necessary to be at the forefront of a new approach to delivering a sustainable, resilient and manufactured built environment in response to the declared climate emergency and UN Sustainable Development Goals. To demonstrate this, project partners have collaborated for several years to develop novel and innovative ways to support the increased use of homegrown timber in construction.
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