The Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series (KESS) is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom, formally partnering a legislative arm of government – the Assembly – with academia. Aiming to encourage debate and improve understanding, KESS provides a forum to present and disseminate research findings in a straightforward format, making those findings easily accessible to decision-makers.

Seminars are free and are held on Wednesdays from 05 November 2014 through 24 June 2015. Each seminar starts at 1.30pm in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, located on Stormont Estate. Most seminars cover a range of themes under one broad heading – see below for relevant dates and timings (also available to download as pdf).

Please email raise@niassembly.gov.uk to reserve your place at any of the seminars listed. Further information on KESS can be found here.

24 JUNE 2015 – INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

1.30pm – RaISe – Welcome
1.35pm – Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks

1.45pm – Prof Barry Quinn, Ms Lynsey McKitterick, Dr Adele Dunn and Prof Rodney McAdam (Ulster) – The effectiveness of the policy and support environment for local food production competitiveness, innovation and growth
This presentation focuses on the effectiveness of policy for SME (small and medium enterprises) innovation in the food chain. Specifically it provides evidence-based recommendations for policy-makers arising from research into the effectiveness of the policy and support environment in fostering innovation, competitiveness and growth among small and micro-sized food producers. A competitive local food production sector contributes to the fabric of the rural economy and leads to greater transparency and traceability in the supply chain. The findings and recommendations for policy arise from the EU funded INTERREG IVC LOCFOOD (Local Food as an Engine for Local Business) project which consists of 13 partners across 9 EU regions. The research indicates relatively high levels of innovation among food small/micro food producers, but a lack of involvement in support programmes, particularly collaborative programmes. The evidence suggests that these enterprises are engaging with introductory levels of support, but indicates various barriers to engagement, such as a lack of understanding of available support and lack of critical networking capabilities. Policy implications include the need for government and support agencies to engage more with these businesses to communicate available support, to provide more specialist support, and to formulate a strategy for collaborative networks.

2.05pm – Prof NJ Hewitt & Dr P Griffiths (Ulster) – The Need for Energy Storage in Northern Ireland as a mechanism for Efficient Electrical Network Use
Wind energy is the large scale renewable energy electricity provider of choice with a marriage of a mature cost effective technology and an excellent wind resource in Northern Ireland. However, given the variability of wind energy, its availability does not always coincide with our electricity needs. Furthermore the wind resource tends to be in the west of Northern Ireland, while the major demands are in the east. Finally, the electricity network has been designed for power stations in the north and east of Northern Ireland, with the network radiating outwards, with the consequential drop in capacity as it delivers electricity to the traditional lower demands of the west of Northern Ireland. Thus energy storage can meet a number of needs. For example, it can manage the variability of wind. It can also manage the load/demand relationship at certain points on the network ensuring the transmission network operates optimally and safely. Bearing these benefits in mind, this presentation discusses the technologies potentially of use in Northern Ireland, as well as their likely benefits. This presentation seeks to explore more cost effective integration of wind power (or other variable renewables) onto the electricity network, as the network is at a cross-roads. It explains that significant investment in capacity may be partially alleviated by energy storage and also may allow more renewable energy penetration onto the electricity market. It also discusses how market changes may have to reward flexibility management which storage can provide.

2.25pm – Discussion
2.55pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks
3.00pm – Networking and Refreshments