Placing Teesside firmly at the heart of
THE UK's green industrial revolution
*The project is receiving up to £8.85m of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations.
Operating sustainably is no longer optional. It is imperative that we all take steps to address the climate change emergency. But the move to a future green economy must be a just transition. The way we live our lives will change and future generations must be ready to work and live in a carbon neutral environment.
Teesside University is committed to becoming a net zero institution by 2030. However, beyond changing the way the University operates, Teesside is also committed to powering the change we need to see across society, through industry partnership, skills development, research and innovation.
Take a virtual tour of The Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC). Video courtesy of GSS Architecture.
The £13.1m Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre will play a key role in the delivery of net zero ambitions for the region and the UK. A hub for industrial decarbonisation and a national centre of excellence for net zero technologies, the NZIIC positions Teesside firmly at the heart of the UK's green industrial revolution, providing a focus for major investment.
The NZIIC will grow net zero capabilities and opportunities, creating hundreds more clean energy jobs and strengthening the existing innovation ecosystem through provision of specialist facilities and support.
Aligning the expertise of the University with industry need and government priorities, the NZIIC will deliver clear impact across collaborative research and development, enhanced productivity, environmental and business sustainability, and a unique opportunity to grow capabilities across clean energy and the circular economy.
Adapting hydrogen applications, optimising industrial processes and developing alternatives to current chemicals and overcoming the challenges of hydrogen storage and carbon capture
Investigating applications of thermal and chemical processing and recycling to optimise, reduce costs and bring new technology to market.
Supporting product and service innovation to drive forward the smart energy and smart grid agenda.
Providing support for maintenance and operation of industrial assets, including virtual and artificial reality and remote operations.
Glen Kelly
Project Manager
Glen is responsible for the project management of the NZIIC. Before joining the University, Glen worked as Project Manager for NEPIC, partnering with RTC North, North East Automotive Alliance & Generator to successfully deliver the £6.1m Supply Chain North East programme. He has worked in various capacities since 2017 to support innovation and business growth in the region. Glen holds a BA in Business Management and is a member of the Association for Project Management.
Dr Ellis Marshall
Business Innovation Manager
Ellis is the Business Innovation Manager for the NZIIC. He is responsible for establishing future links for Net Zero and NZIIC in the region, including skills research and industry collaboration. He is also part of the NZIIC operational team, providing a channel for academics and industry to collaborate on projects, and provides technical expertise and assistance for the wider University. Ellis has an academic background in Materials Chemistry and Sustainable Materials and sits on the board of the Polymer Society for the Institute of Materials, Mining, and Minerals (IoM3), as well as a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
Dr Gari Harris
Director
Gari is the Director of the NZIIC following an industrial research background heading-up British Steel's Research and Development effort Worldwide. Within this role Gari was responsible for a diverse strategic portfolio which relevantly included; decarbonisation strategy and policy, net-zero road mapping, waste utilisation and the circular economy, supply-chain integration, Industry 4.0, and IPR portfolio management. Gari sits on the UK Government (BEIS) Expert Panels for CCS, Hydrogen, and Energy from Waste.
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Gari has a background in both industry and academia, and has managed research projects in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. He has worked in a Professorial role at Dundee University in nanomaterials, and as the External R&D manager for Motorola Worldwide. Gari holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University and has published seminal work in nanomaterials arena.
Gari is passionate about climate change and decarbonisation and feels that NZIIC can lead the way for the UK to deliver on the 2050 decarbonisation strategy.
Professor Nashwan Dawood
Research Director
Professor Dawood is Professor of Digital Construction Processes. With 30 years experience in academia and industry, Professor Dawood has generated more than £14 million pounds in research and innovation funding and published more than 350 research papers in BIM processes and 5D technologies, smart energy systems, energy efficiency in Built environment and offsite construction innovation. He has extensive experience in leading global research projects and a significant and long-standing experience of working with major industrial and research partners in the UK, EU, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, South Korea, Qatar, USA and Australia.
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He is UK EPSRC and EU H2020 advisor and grants reviewer. Professor Dawood is the Principle Investigator of a multi-million UKRI funded project 'Growing Teesside's Hydrogen Economy and Catalysing a Just Transition to Net Zero'. He is also Leading IDRIC UKRI funded research projects in the area of Smart Energy Systems and energy transition applied to Tees Valley decarbonisation strategies and BIM research projects funded by Qatar Foundation dubbed 'a Whole Cycle Approach to Information Flow enabled by BIM in Qatari Construction Industry'. Professor Dawood is a member of 'Energi Coast' management committee, NEPIC AGM and Tees valley strategic Hydrogen group.
Ben Hunter
Research Associate
Ben is a master's degree graduate in electrical power and energy systems and is currently undertaking a PhD that looks at efficient and optimal energy management and prioritisation of renewable energy sources within an EV rapid charging scenario. He also participated in a three year EU-H2020-funded research project, touching on demand response, research of legislation and standards, drone-based aerial LiDAR scanning and infrared thermography/videogrammetry, electronics prototyping and 3D printing.
Dr Prasanth Karikkethu Prabhakaran
Research Associate
Dr Prasanth Karikkethu Prabhakaran is a research associate in NZIIC, Teesside University doing research on hydrogen storage, green hydrogen, fuel cells, electrochemistry, hydrogen production, circular economy and support systems for decarbonisation in industrial clusters. Before joining the NZIIC team in april 2022, Dr Prasanth worked as a researcher and assistant professor at University of Bristol (UK), St. Albert's College, Ernakulam (India), Mahatma Gandhi University (India) and ENSTA Paris (France).
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Dr Prasanth Karikkethu Prabhakaran has immense research experience working on the design, characterisation and application of sustainable materials for low carbon energy. Specifically on the synthesis and application of porous materials and their composites for hydrogen storage and CO2 capture applications. Dr Prasanth has 17 research publications in various peer-reviewed international journals and one US patent to his credit. He is also a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London.
Edgar Segovia Leon
Technical Principal
Edgar Segovia Leon is a mechanical engineer with experience working in renewable energy. He has been involved in European projects, and that expediency allows him to learn about the best experts in Europe and carry up innovative projects in other to have a positive impact on society. Currently, Edgar Segovia Leon works with Tees Valley SMEs to help them engage in research and design, and innovation activities. Responsible for establishing, maintaining, showcasing and the setup of smart energy, intelligent energy and virtual reality equipment and related processes for the NZIIC.
Oluyemi Kehinde
Principal Technician
Oluyemi is the Principal Technician (Circular Economy Innovation) for the NZIIC and a PhD student in Material Science with experience in plastic wastes, mineral wastes and geopolymers. He is responsible for engaging and liaising with Tees Valley SMEs on the use of Circular Economy equipment and overseeing operation of materials, equipment, software and other resources in the support of enterprise and business engagement activities. He manages and delivers new research projects relating to the Circular Economy to support Tees Valley SMEs.
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Oluyemi has 14 research publications with more than 74 citations in various peer-reviewed international journals and conferences. He is a Nigerian registered Mechanical Engineer, a member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and a member of the Nigerian Institution of Professional Engineers and Scientists.
Sandra Ozturk
Project Administrator
Sandra is responsible for all aspects of project administration, directly supporting the Business Innovation, Project Manager and the NZIIC team. Duties include ensuring quality and compliance with ERDF contract paperwork, CRM activity and reporting, office management, procurement and wider business engagement such as coordinating meetings, events and liaising with external SME businesses.
Robyn Claridge
Marketing, Communications and Event Co-ordinator
Robyn is the marketing, communications and event co-ordinator for the Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre. She is responsible for developing strategic marketing initiatives and activities which will help achieve the long-term goals of the NZIIC. Robyn's background involves working with innovative and sustainably-driven SMEs in both an agency and in-house capacity. Robyn has always had a keen interest in sustainability, focussing specifically on it as part of her final year research project in her BA (Hons) Marketing degree.
Vishal Vats
Principal Technician (Health and Safety)
Vishal graduated with a master's degree in materials engineering from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka. He is currently undertaking an industrial PhD focused on hexavalent chromium in welding fumes, in collaboration with Teesside University and the National Structural Integrity Research Centre in Cambridge. He has experience working on projects involving mechanical, materials, and chemical engineering.
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During his master's, Vishal worked on projects related to corrosion and tribo-corrosion. Before joining Teesside University for his PhD, Vishal was working as a research fellow at Ahmedabad University in India. His project focused on nanocrystalline substituted cobalt-based metal oxides for oxygen evolution reaction for photochemical water splitting.
Before joining the Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC), Vishal was working as a part time research assistant at Teesside University on a project titled ‘Hydrogen Direct Reduction of Iron - Pilot Furnace and steelmaking (H2DRI Pilot)'.
Vishal has worked on several small projects at TWI Cambridge, which were focused on welding fumes. At the NZIIC, he handles and establishes health and safety protocols, with particular interest in specialist gases and pressurised systems.
Deeshani Wijesekara
Principal Technician (Health and Safety)
Deeshani is Principal Technician (Health & Safety) for the Net Zero Industry Innovaton Centre and a PhD student in civil engineering, focusing on recycling and valorisation of mixed post waste plastics through pyrolysis.
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Her research area was low carbon construction materials that use readily available waste streams from municipal origins. She has completed her bachelor's specialising in chemistry, followed by a master's research degree in chemical research.
Deeshani has a good blend of knowledge in chemistry and polymer science from her first degree, and experienced different chemical characterisation methods of materials for their specific use.
Deeshani is responsible for establishing and maintaining health and safety protocol around elevated temperatures and pressurised vessel across the NZIIC, in line with the University's School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies guidelines.
She also works to establish, maintain, and showcase the NZIIC lab facilities, and with Tees Valley businesses to help them engage in research and development and innovation activity.
