How Bradford is providing a boost for Britain's green economy - Zahir Irani

Powered by lithium-ion batteries, the E-DCA has a power output of 129bhp, a top speed of 75mph, a range of up to 110 miles and a recharge time of little over four hours.

The pioneering vehicle is the ambulance of the future and is being designed and developed by conversion specialist VCS in Bradford today.

The zero-emissions ambulance, which is to undergo a six-month trial in the West Midlands, is a perfect example of the innovation that powers our business community. It also illustrates our strength in the emerging green economy, which will be a central plank of the Bradford Economic Recovery Strategy.

Successful innovation wins investment. VCS was acquired a year ago by the Woodall Nicholson Group, a UK market leader in the design and manufacture of specialist vehicles, giving the company access to extra capacity to help meet growing demand for its products.

Woodall Nicholson itself was acquired by private equity house Rutland Partners earlier this year. This sector is creating new jobs and prosperity locally and is putting the UK and Bradford in particular at the forefront of what the Prime Minister calls the “green industrial revolution”.

VCS is just one example of green economic innovation in Bradford. Take Texfelt, the family-run textiles manufacturer, which has invested £9m in a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture eco-engineered carpet underlay from upcycled plastic bottles. Another example would be RegeneX, which has developed fresh methods in stain removal to maximise the life cycle of commercial linen.

As chairman of the Bradford Economic Recovery Board, I want to increase awareness of the significant growth opportunities in the green economy in our district. Everyone should be aware, from the classroom to the boardroom, that Bradford is blessed with many natural, industrial, intellectual and entrepreneurial assets and capabilities in this field.

This is why the green economy is one of the main themes in our work to stress test the district’s economic strategy and devise a new plan to help businesses develop and grow, retrain the unemployed and attract investment in new skills and infrastructure.

We have world-leading knowledge and expertise in our district. My institution, the University of Bradford, introduced the world’s first circular economy MBA in 2011, equipping students and their sponsoring bodies with the skills to use resources and energy more effectively, reuse products and materials and deliver increased profits.

We have worked closely with Dame Ellen MacArthur since the launch of her foundation a decade ago to develop the concept of the circular economy, based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use and regenerating natural systems.

It is not just about helping corporates to retool, it is a lot more. The green economy offers countless opportunities for start-ups and scale-ups to create new products, new markets, new customers and new supply chains. Nor is being green just about protecting the environment or saving money.

It creates solid economic activity, employment and tax revenues. In Bradford, we have seen a boom in the number of new business births this year, relative to other parts of Britain.

As companies grow in the green economy, they will need talented new recruits. Bradford SkillsHouse is a fine example of this approach in action, working with employers and jobseekers to fill vacancies across the district.

Brexit beckons and now is the time to rethink procurement as we seek strong leadership to set the tone and direction of travel. Instead of buying purely on cost alone, anchor institutions in Bradford need to think about strategy and supporting sustainable economic development and growth.

By Zahir Irani - Chair of Bradford’s Economic Recovery Board

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