Are you an early-stage entrepreneur in Havering with a vision for sustainable innovation? CEME’s FREE Green Incubation Programme, starting in September, will help you transform your ideas into successful businesses.
We will offer:
Expert mentorship and networking from industry leaders
Comprehensive business development workshops
Access to state-of-the-art facilities on CEME campus
We welcome applications by 19 August from all entrepreneurs based in Havering. We are keen to reflect the diversity of our communities.
Grow the competitiveness of your business while contributing to a greener future. Let our Greening Your Business consultancy sessions help you put your business in the lead!
We’re partnering with Wonder Consultancy to offer FREE sustainability consultancy to help CEME tenants and businesses in the London borough of Havering benefit from cost savings and improved operational efficiency, while being prepared for environmental changes.
Get four one-hour personalised mentoring sessions with sustainability experts to understand the business case and devise actionable steps for you to take.
Learn practical strategies for waste reduction, energy efficiency and carbon emissions reduction.
Discover how to implement sustainable procurement practices to save money and gain a competitive edge.
Develop a plan to monitor progress and communicate your sustainability achievements.
Thanks to all our speakers and the 180 people who attended the Hydrogen Innovators and the Future summit at CEME on 13 June. The event brought together innovators and research institutions to explore how hydrogen can contribute to the UK economy, and the opportunities and challenges being created.
CEME is working with partners throughout the Thames Estuary area to develop a Hydrogen Innovation Centre as part of the hydrogen ecosystem being created within the region.
At CEME, we aim to make a difference to our world. We work to promote and support inclusive business growth and skills development for the future. We are prioritising working with businesses focused on net zero and innovations in energy use.
CEME already has an on-campus hydrogen refuelling system, and we will facilitate a hydrogen ecosystem within the region by working with partners, including Thames Freeport, Ikigai Capital, the Thames Estuary Growth Board, the University of Kent, MTC, UCL, Local London, Bosch and NOCN Group.
The Hydrogen Innovators and the Future summit comprised of keynotes and panel sessions on the Thames Estuary hydrogen ecosystem, innovators and the challenges they face and the potential contribution to net zero, renewable energy and the link to hydrogen, and the role of education and skills in future energy. Delegates also enjoyed exhibits and networking.
CEME is hosting the Hydrogen Summit: Hydrogen Innovators and the Future on our campus in Rainham.
Our one-day summit, taking place during London Tech Week on 13 June, aims to explore how hydrogen can contribute to the UK economy, and the opportunities and challenges being created by innovators working in the sector with some of the best research institutions in the UK.
CEME is working with partners throughout the Thames Estuary area to develop a Hydrogen Innovation Centre as part of the hydrogen ecosystem being created within the region.
At CEME, we aim to make a difference to our world. We work to promote and support inclusive business growth and skills development for the future. We are prioritising working with businesses focused on net zero and innovations in energy use.
CEME already has an on-campus hydrogen refuelling system, and we will facilitate a hydrogen ecosystem within the region by working with partners, including Thames Freeport, Ikigai Capital, the Thames Estuary Growth Board, the University of Kent, MTC, UCL, Local London, Bosch and NOCN Group.
The Hydrogen Innovators and the Future summit is aimed at hydrogen innovators, investors, research institutions and industries interested in pursuing hydrogen as a viable energy form in the journey towards net zero.
Attend the CEME Hydrogen Summit to:
Find out about developments and opportunities for hydrogen in the UK
Collaborate and network with innovators in hydrogen use
Be a part of the UK hydrogen community
Discuss the issues currently affecting the supply chain
Learn more about the investment opportunities available
Get inspired by those leading the charge in hydrogen.
CEME is supporting skills development for the green tech revolution.
Meeting net zero will require fundamental shifts across all areas of the economy.
Working with public and private partners, including the Thames Estuary Growth Board, NOCN Group, Ikigai Group, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), UCL, University of Kent, Local London and Thames Freeport, we are solving real-world problems with industry-connected, complementary solutions.
With green tech, we are working on innovative solutions for our future.
CEME is proud to have delivered the Gateway to Skills programme, which has kindly been sponsored by SEGRO, and supported by SEGRO volunteers.
Our new Gateway to Skills Impact Report sets out the key findings and results from the programme, delivered between March 2022 and July 2023. We have been working with more than 1,000 students in Havering, Barking and Dagenham and Newham through our Gateway to Skills STEM day.
Many of the new jobs set to be created within our boroughs will be in engineering, construction, technology and manufacturing, which is why it is important to support impactful STEM learning and engagement in our schools, and ensure our young people understand the career opportunities and pathways open to them.
The CEME Gateway to Skills initiative was relaunched at the end of March 2022, sponsored by SEGRO, to give local secondary school students aged between 12 and 15 access to first-class training and equipment to develop their STEM skills.
The aim of this initiative is to complement the national curriculum by bringing STEM learning to school students in a fun, interactive and engaging way, encouraging our young people to follow pathways into STEM careers.
We work with professional STEM tutors to bring an exciting and hands-on experience to students, which includes a range of fun activities including the designing, building, and testing of crash proof and robotic vehicles, wind turbines, bridges, and a Mars landing rover. STEM days are held at our East London innovation campus during term time, providing a new and fun environment for learning outside of the school setting.
We were delighted to recently welcome to our campus a large delegation from the Knowledge Alliance for Business Parks in the Netherlands (SKBN).
The SKBN is a network of public, semi public and private partners, striving to create a sufficient, efficient and sustainable work landscape for business spaces across the Netherlands, contributing to an economically strong country.
Their trip to London this month took in a number of key sites across East London, including the London Centre to meet with the NLA (New London Architecture) and the GLA (Greater London Authority) to discuss industrial land development across London. This included a tour of the new film studio developments in Barking and Dagenham, showcasing an innovative, stacked industrial development.
A visit to CEME was next on their list, and they were keen to hear about CEME’s new strategy acting as a catalyst for economic regeneration, accelerator for green tech businesses, and a champion for inclusive business growth. The developments across our region, and our ambition to become net zero, were a big focus for the group, as well as how we are tackling the development of new green skills to support growth.
We gave the delegation a tour of our campus, and Noorzaman Rashid (CEO), and Tracey Wright (Director of Skills Development and Engagement) presented them with an excellent overview of the workings of the campus, and explored how our partnerships, business support programmes, skills and community development work is integral to prosperity for our region.
We invited the team from our long-standing tenants FusionBlu, showcasing the ability to reduce emissions by up to 80 per cent in vehicles and generators, and how CEME are supporting their business growth and development.
We were also joined by Marta Oliveira, associate at Ikigai Capital, to present how a Hydrogen ecosystem is being created in the South East, supporting the UK’s mission to become net zero by 2050.
With CEME campus confirmed as the venue for a Hydrogen Living Lab, Marta discussed the Living Lab concept – providing a hub for next generation research and development of hydrogen technologies and the opportunities this would open in our region for green innovation and business growth.
A great visit was enjoyed by all, and it was a brilliant opportunity to share ideas supporting both the UK and the Netherlands on becoming more sustainable and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions.
CEME campus welcomed a group of university students to discuss marketing strategies and challenges for the future.
The event, which included topics on innovation, health and smart nutrition, was hosted by Perez Ochieng of food innovation company Sacoma and included a visit from Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and his team.
Sacoma, founded by Perez and Sam Ochieng, has operations in the UK and Africa and aims to drive positive change in the food supply chain.
We were also joined by Isaac Angbore, a Year 12 student at Dagenham Park Church of England School, who attended for the experience.
J Wainaina, Science teacher at Isaac’s school, said: “Research and development, science and Innovation cannot be advanced without involving students as the future disruptive innovators of solutions to global problems.
“Isaac and I had discussions which showed there is a gap on how we are preparing students to become innovators, and we need more STEM emphasis at a young age to introduce possible opportunities and careers in the future.
“I took away the need for schools to work closely with organisations like CEME to give this growth edge to the young people to whom the global village phenomenon is a reality. The future is in their hands.”
Noorzaman Rashid, Chief Executive at CEME, said: “It was a delight for me to personally welcome Isaac to the CEME campus. I look forward to his next visit and hopefully he’ll bring some friends too.”
Isaac has written an article about his day at CEME, and the inspiration this gave him for his future.
My day at CEME by Isaac Angbore
Isaac Angbore joins CEME CEO Noorzaman Rashid on campus
At the end of the bus line, is where my day at CEME began. Automatic sliding doors entertained me into the glass building, not before noticing the array of intricately East-facing solar panels on top of the roof. After a brief but welcoming “good morning”, I set away down the spacious hallway, paralleled by the brisk walk of focused individuals. Only hearing the silent noise of hardworking people around me, I knew this compound was a catalyst for the diligent and persevering, who had the leisure of tailoring their work styles to suit them. However, I will soon learn that my premise of these premises promises so much more.
My wonderfully kind science teacher offered to book me into the event due to my interest in engineering and we sat in the waiting area discussing different scientific ideas, such as: the accumulation of heavy metals inside tea and their leaves, and progress within the internal combustion engine field.
We branched and digressed as passionate scientific peers do in conversation, eventually stumbling upon innovation. Innovation – the main reason the event was set up – practical creativity that solves real life problems. We discussed interesting but perhaps axiomatic theories like, ‘can innovation run out in a generation?’ The answer may be, simply, no. But exploring these topics can often provide insight into other subjects, even if it doesn’t change the answer of the initial question.
In ample time, we were greeted by some of the members of Sacoma, most notably Perez Ochieng. During a small briefing with her, I learnt a lot about the balance between supply and demand and climate-human proportions. Her work involves the innovation of food techniques, using insects as a primary protein foundation, human food, feedstock for animals as well as for waste treatment schemes. I was most impressed by how she explained the insect waste scheme with conciseness and brevity as I pondered the importance of harnessing insect’s biomass in our food chain. This explosion of innovation and information pushed me past my liminality of just thinking ‘CEME is a great place’ to knowing CEME is a great place.
After engaging with other venerable businesspeople, I was escorted to a small-looking donut-shaped pod alongside Marketing university students who were seeking extra knowledge that they could apply in a business perspective. Despite the deceptively small pod, it was obvious it was constructed with specific intentions, designed to increase space as well as conjure a conversational environment for both lecturer and student, another signal that innovation never stops. Being involved within a university setting taught me a lot about myself introspectively, as well as educationally.
The speakers, CEME CEO Noorzaman Rashid, Sacoma’s Perez Ochieng and CEME’s Tracey Wright, all delivered with conviction and passion about their areas of interest. If I were to summarise each to one point, respectively, they would be:
A business is supposed to have clear and attainable goals, with as little controversy as possible.
No matter how good the quality of a product is, without marketing it, there isn’t much chance of selling it.
It is essential to level up young people’s skills according to the types of businesses that are forecasted to relocate there.
To round off the day, we were set on our feet and guided by an active and engaging cicerone around the campus of CEME. This type of experience was invaluable to me, as I got to see first-hand what different types of employers and workers do in their environments. One of the unique selling points of CEME is how fast they can progress an individual or business. For example, engineers or mechanics who complete their course there, have a high chance of working with one of CEME’s collaborators, Ford Motors, an exciting prospect for any young engineer.
Finally, my teacher and I had our parting discussions. I shared my extreme gratitude to those at CEME for the experience. In acquiesce the automatic doors parted, and my day at CEME was over, however, I see myself there again, sometime soon.
Employers from a range of sectors came together on CEME campus in April to discuss the skills needed for a future green economy.
Thousands of new jobs will be created over the next few years, fuelled by major urban and industrial developments across our region, including the new Thames Freeport and development of a hydrogen ecosystem, as we move closer to London’s target of reaching net zero by 2030.
Stimulating discussion around the region’s green skills needs was the Local London Green Jobs and Skills Partnership, led by London South East Colleges, which comprises colleges, local authorities and employers working together to develop and promote high-quality green skills training across London.
Mark Jenkinson of green consultancy Crystal Associates, Sarah Murray, Director of Local London and Louise Wolsey, Group Chief Strategy Officer of London South East Colleges, spoke about the importance of collaboration and ways to support the next generation of employees, such as upskilling and improved training facilities.
They discussed the following key recommendations to provide equal opportunity and the necessary skills and tools for local people to access the green jobs of the future:
Develop the Local London region as a centre of excellence for key areas in built environment/retrofit, digital green skills and/or EV charging.
Combine the installation of green labs and the greening of the curriculum with the wider decarbonisation of the college estates.
Coordinate green career pathway delivery aligned with local and learner needs, college facilities and staff expertise.
Develop a partnership-level industry engagement and communications strategy.
Breakout sessions were also held for delegates to discuss what colleges can do to help employers close skills gaps and also to explore the importance of building future skills. While there is funding for green laboratories at FE colleges to develop career pathways in key technologies, with focus on low-carbon and renewables and design technologies, collaboration with businesses is vital.
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