South West College’s wins Research with Impact Prize at Green Gown Awards

The Green Gown Awards UK and Ireland’s virtual Awards Ceremony celebrated the inspirational work of 90 Finalists across 14 categories. Awards inspire and empower young people to visualise a better, sustainable future

Renewable Engine, a €6.1M EU INTERREG VA funded cross-border Research and Innovation programme, led by South West College has been announced as the winner of the Research with Impact prize at the 2021 Green Gown Awards.

Since the programme’s launch in January 2017, Renewable Engine, a cross border research and innovation project has facilitated direct knowledge transfer, technology development and innovation in 10 industrial enterprises, ranging from micro-SMEs to large multinationals, creating new jobs in green industries and sustainable initiatives.

The awards’ judging panel in their critique described Renewable Engine as ‘a really impressive project that is an exemplar for how a college group can work with businesses on sustainability projects that benefit companies, students and society.’

Adding to their thoughts the panel reflected that the submission from South West College ‘really demonstrates what smaller institutions can achieve.’

Celebrating the award announcement, Dr Jill Cush, Deputy Chief Executive of South West College said:

‘This is tremendous recognition of the hard-work of our staff, students and partners on the Renewable Engine project and on the impact they have made not only locally but internationally. The Green Gown awards recognise the very best institutions and initiatives which are making a real difference to our climate and environment, our understanding of the world around us and how we can make a difference.

Winning this award and to be included in such a prestigious group of academic institutions is beyond words, we thank the judging panel for their critique and I once again extend my appreciation to all those who have worked tirelessly to made this award possible.’

We need to ensure that we inspire and empower our young people to visualise a better future and to do all that we can to ensure that every career becomes a sustainable career. We need to turn feelings of anger and anxiety into hope and action. Education has a pivotal role to play.

Iain Patton
CEO, EAUC (award organisers)

This is a decisive decade for our very own future and this year's Green Gown Award winners reflect the urgency and innovation identified at COP26. Inspired by our winners, highly commended and all of our finalists means that we have no time to delay to replicate and scale their work in our own institution.’

Renewable Engine is supported by the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), with match funding provided by the Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland) and Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Republic of Ireland).