The minister charged with looking after scientific innovation in Sir Keir Starmer’s new Government has praised Keele University for its forward-thinking approach to sustainability and green technology.

Peter Kyle MP, the new Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, praised the university for its approach to partnerships, innovation, and renewable energy on a visit to Keele last month.

Mr Kyle visited Keele along with Newcastle-under-Lyme's new MP Adam Jogee, to learn more about the university's Science and Innovation Park, and how Keele provides the space, facilities and collaboration opportunities to enable a thriving Science and Innovation cluster of businesses. 

The visit included touring leading medical device company Biocomposites, learning more about their work in engineering and manufacturing world leading products for use in infection management in bone and soft tissue. 

Mr Kyle also toured the university’s Low Carbon Energy Generation Park, which supplies up to 50% of the campus’ electricity from clean and renewable sources, while also learning more about the pioneering Smart Energy Network Demonstrator project at Keele, and the partnership with Siemens that made the European-first project a possibility. 

Mr Kyle said that these tangible examples showed the crucial role that universities can play in the transition to a more sustainable future, adding his own hope that the new Government will be able to make use of partnerships – like the one between Keele and Siemens – to accelerate innovation across the country. 

Mr Kyle said: “Universities forming a partnership like Keele has done with Siemens, that’s a really inspiring partnership which is delivering innovation, job creation, and hopefully, if you spin some of this innovation out it will lead to job creation and wealth creation for our country. 

“And it’s not just here; we want to make sure that what Keele have pioneered here and the learning is brought right up to the centre and is spread across the country.” 

He added: “Keele has already shown itself, with the partnership it has got with Siemens, and the clean energy that you’ve got here which is providing almost half of the energy needs of your own campus. It must be not only great for the environment, but it also shows what kind of ethos, what kind of principles and values you have as a university.”