A major new research centre, focusing on the specialist field of sustainable development, is to be established in Forres, creating around 20 new high quality jobs in its first year.

The Sustainable Development Research Centre (SDRC) will be a joint venture between UHI, through North Highland College, Peterhead based Stoneyhill Waste Management Ltd and Aberdeen based BMT Cordah, operating as a partnership between academic researchers and environmental practitioners.

The not for profit research body will undertake original academic research in collaboration with commercial partners and sponsors into issues concerned with designing sustainability models and performance indicators for industry.  It will aim to achieve international status as an academic research institute within three years, by which time it will be self-sustaining.

Moray Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise (MBSE), part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) network, is to contribute £144,000 toward the cost of setting up the centre, which will be the first confirmed tenant of the recently announced innovation centre due to open at The Enterprise Park next year. 

MBSE chief executive, Douglas Yule, said:  "It's great news that a brand new academic research centre, with such far reaching ambitions, is to be created in Forres.  As well as creating a number of high quality jobs this will bring national and even international recognition for Forres and the wider Moray area as a credible centre for research and development in the new and emerging academic field of sustainable development.  It will also get the incubation centre off to an excellent start and will help attract other innovative research and development activities to the area in the years ahead."

He added "With SDRC already on site in temporary accommodation, The Enterprise Park is already showing its world class credentials."

The centre's director, Dr Steve Tinsley, said  "The centre will establish strong international links with both commercial and academic partners to develop a 'toolkit' of environmental models and performance indicators to aid further understanding of the concept of sustainable development. The development of such collaboration will offer the prospect of developing greater knowledge and understanding, identification of new technologies and the encouragement of new business opportunities. Being located near to the incubator centre is a sound strategy.   

He added: "We are delighted to be here at the Enterprise Park in Forres and over the next three years we expect to pump around £2 million of wages into the local economy. The natural environment and physical improvements made to The Enterprise Park made this a very attractive location for us."

The centre will work on the development of an integrated research programme that draws together many of the threads of sustainable research and seek to apply them to industry, starting with the oil and gas and electronics industries.

The collaborators in SDRC include recognised commercial and research partners experienced in the field of sustainable development.  UHI partner, North Highland College is heavily involved, ensuring full integration with its academic structure and accreditation process.

The centre has already been awarded £250k of funding to undertake research in Fuel Cell Technology, Renewable Energy, Material Flow Analysis, Remediation of Contaminated land (PCBs) and Waste Electrical and Electronic equipment (WEEE).

A PhD recruitment programme is due to start in the next few weeks and the first research project will begin 1 July 2003.  The early academic credentials of SDRC will be established over the rest of the year, along with the identification of some early funding sources. Partnership talks are underway to establish common research objectives that would benefit both the private and public sectors.

Over time the centre is expected to generate a number of spinout projects and trading subsidiaries, including ownership of intellectual property rights.  All monetary surpluses will be reinvested into further research and development.