Business Sectors
Sustainable Innovation
Ben Walsh MSci PhD MRSC 
We have an array of expert consultants with hands-on experience of research and innovation, obtained through working in industry and obtaining PhD-level qualifications in engineering and physical sciences. With our particular knowledge and understanding of environmental topics, Oakdene Hollins has been advising clients on innovative and sustainable products and services for over 15 years. In particular we have advised on nanotechnology; assessing the viability of new technologies, monitoring the innovation process and advising on areas which could help create green jobs. We have also worked on speculative projects on the 'reinvention' of sustainable ideas using new technologies.
Technology assessment Read more
Research and development is an expensive and risky venture. By its nature, research into a new product could fail for a number of reasons, from fundamental problems with the technology proposition through to poor management and planning of the innovation and development process. Limiting this risk by ensuring that the most promising technologies are invested in can save money and time.
Oakdene Hollins has for over 10 years offered a service to assess the viability of new sustainable technologies. Our list of clients includes public and private companies, venture capitalists, and GB and EU government departments and agencies. Our record speaks for itself; our advice on the viability of a new sustainable technology can be trusted and used to make important investment decisions.
Monitoring the innovation process Read more
It is important that when money is allocated to a project on innovation it is spent wisely and the progress which was planned is made along the way. Our project management skills, coupled with an understanding of how the innovation process happens and our external view on the project enables us to provide a critical assessment of its progress and ensure that the end result will be delivered.
We have experienced project managers with first-hand experience of research and development who are talented at ensuring that the innovation process proceeds as expected. We have performed this work on behalf of regional, national and EU government organisations providing innovation funding. Over a period of 10 years we have monitored 50 collaborative innovation projects worth over £80 million.
Nanotechnology Read more
Nanotechnology is the study and manipulation of objects a millionth of a millimetre across. At this scale, the properties of materials can be very different to normal expectations. It is predicted that the exploitation of these properties will lead to revolutionary products in areas from medicine to construction materials.
We have used our expertise in chemicals and materials science to advise government on the potential benefits of nanomaterials. We have also developed a robust and level-headed method, for Defra, of valuing these innovative products. Our extensive network means that we have access to cutting edge information in this rapidly developing field.
Green innovation for the economy Read more
The current economic climate makes the drive to develop new jobs in emerging areas relevant and important. The market for sustainable products and services is one of the strongest growing sectors in the UK. This is partly fuelled by the development of innovative new products and business models. Our expertise in this area places us at the forefront of this new market.
Our understanding on the areas of innovation needed to develop a 'green economy' led to us working with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Our work identified the areas of science where the UK excelled in developing sustainable technologies.
One area Oakdene Hollins is actively working in is the reinvention of technologies (click for more information). Reinvention is revisiting past ideas which have been forgotten or abandoned, but have now become relevant once more. Our work with the TSB and ESRC has established that reinvention is an significant source of technologies for meeting today’s sustainability challenges.
Selected Publications
The Reinvention of Forgotten Technologies – Final Report (pub. Dec 2010)
In-store Dispensing Systems (ISDS) retail trials (pub. Dec 2010)
A working guide for determining the value of nanotechnology innovation. (pub. Nov 2010)
A calculation spreadsheet for valuing nanotechnology. (pub. Nov 2010)
Methodology Case studies. (pub. Nov 2010)
Environmentally Beneficial Nanotech: Barriers and Opportunities. (pub. 2007)