by Arthur Girling

One winner at the 2012 London Olympics may be sustainable building. But does London have a ‘cluster’ of companies working in this field? This was the focus of debate at the first Cleantech Cluster event, on 16 February 2011. The event was hosted by BDO and organised by Cleantech Investor and Rushlight Events.

A cluster was defined as a grouping of experts and companies sharing knowledge and promoting innovation, creating an ecosystem of companies where new start-ups can thrive.

Ian Klesmer of the London Hydrogen Partnership said that London is well placed to host a 'cleantech cluster'. “Not only is it a large scale city with a high population density, but it also has the academic prowess and an abundance of professional services and financial institutions which can support cleantech companies.”

The scale of building projects for the Olympic Games in 2012 provides a driver for innovation, according to Gia Kroeff of building contractors Bovis Lendlease. This may have additional benefits: “For us, developing standards with industry and suppliers and knowledge sharing are important parts of our work,” she said.

Niall McNevin, from the Olympic Park Legacy Committee, cited several projects bringing together diverse sustainability expertise, including a woodchip combined cooling and heating (CCHP) plant and a black water system reusing waste water for irrigation.

Several speakers commented that another success story for cleantech has been the low-carbon cement used in both the aquatics centre and the stadium. However, McNevin pointed out that Olympic construction projects had some limitations. They could not use untested technology, and value for money was an overarching concern. Nonetheless, “we are also committed to measuring the project in terms of its return to society and the environment,” he said.

Indeed, measuring and learning from best practice may be a key role for a cluster like this. According to a report last year from the Commission for a Sustainable 2012, there is no comprehensive plan to transmit the knowledge gained from the more sustainable building practices used. It said that, without the dissemination of this knowledge, the promises of sustainability underpinning the original bid could not be fulfilled.

But can such a grouping be created intentionally? Not according to David McMeekin, Chairman of Company Guides Venture Partners, manager of the London Technology Fund (LTF). The LTF is funded by the EU and the London Development Agency, and aims to invest in new start-ups which the private sector won't touch.

McMeekin believes that a cluster is best encouraged by market conditions. Pointing to Silicon Valley as an example, he said that the big difference was a huge homogenous market, large companies and funds of $500 million to $1 billion. In the UK cleantech sector, funds are often under $20 million, and the market is more fragmented – making it more difficult to force companies to form a cluster in the same way, he said.

Of course, it depends what is meant by 'cluster'. On a smaller scale, the London Hydrogen Partnership is a network of companies and other organisations which aims to advance deployment of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

The partnership intends to install several refuelling points across London and showcase hydrogen-fuelled taxis in the capital during the games. Britain may not be a leader when it comes to hydrogen technology, but Klesmer said he hopes these projects can make the UK a “fast follower” on the heels of countries such as Germany and Japan.

It would seem the athletes won’t be the only ones hoping to win recognition at the Olympics next year.