Thoughts and Reflections

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Here is a short video with the  thoughts and reflections of some of the mission’s delegates and the organisers on how the Clean and Cool Mission went.
Clean and Cool reflections

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It’s all so easy when you know how

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

After a gentle introduction over the weekend, Monday was the first full day of the Clean and Cool mission. And what a full day it was. Starting with a masterclass on doing business in the US, then two visits to companies, a panel discussion on the future of cities and ending up with a networking party hosted by entrepreneurs Michael and Xochi Birch.

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Why Clean and Cool Mission 2010?

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Claire Cunningham – Media Relations Manager for the Technology Strategy Board – Mission Delegate

So why have 19 UK businesses joined the Clean and Cool Mission to San Francisco and what do they hope to get out of it?

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All up to speed and pitching away – Tuesday morning

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Claire Cunningham – Media Relations Manager – Technology Strategy Board – Mission Delegate

We have made it!

 The Clean and Cool mission companies have pitched to a number of top venture capitalists in Silicon Valley. Having had the opportunity to get to know the businesses, it was a really important morning for me. I sat rooting for everyone as they made the most of their five minute pitching window.

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19 businesses, their UK supporters, a sprinkling of journalists, some valley bloggers, VCs, one child and two dogs – an apartment full to say the least.

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Claire Cunningham – Technology Strategy Board – Mission Delegate.

Members of the Clean and Cool Mission 2010 spent their Sunday morning in a plush San Francisco apartment as guests of Susan McTavish Best, of Best PR, one of the best connected women in the city.

What a wonderful way to relax before the start what is going to be a very busy week in San Francisco. Susan was a fantastic hostess, ensuring that we were all well fed and watered.

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The Creative Value of Knocking Ideas Together

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

I am always amazed at what happens when you get creative people from different disciplines in a room together. What comes out is always much more than the sum of the parts.

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The good ship Clean and Cool 2010 has arrived and put down anchor.

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Claire Cunningham – Technology Strategy Board – Mission Delegate.

 A group of 19 intrepid companies, accompanied by representatives of some of the most prestigious business focused organisations in the UK such as the Technology Strategy Board and Enterprise UK disembarked in San Francisco yesterday ready for a week of meetings, visits and networking designed to help them open their business up to the US and international markets.  

As we all flew over yesterday it really felt exciting, as if we had the wind in our sails.  Like early trade missions led by Sir Francis Drake, the ‘good ship Clean and Cool’ arrived full of representatives of some of the best clean technology companies in the UK, and accompanied by a handful of journalists from some prestigious UK titles.  It also felt great to be accompanied by an American on our journey across the Atlantic, Elizabeth Block an independent specialist clean tech journalist who is based in the UK. Not only did we all feel excited and confident on our arrival, if a little bleary eyed, but we also had a US citizen in our group.

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CleanTech is More Than Low-Carbon

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

I have noticed when talking to people about sustainability and clean technology the discussion quickly becomes dominated by energy, carbon and climate change.

There is of course a very good reason for this. Emissions of greenhouse gases and the implications of climate change are right at the top of many agendas. It is what you see, hear and read in the media, and it is what politicians, policy makers and regulators are most focused on. Shifting to a low carbon economy is also a major challenge. Reducing carbon emissions by 80% or more will not be easy, but solving some of those problems will provide big business opportunities for innovative companies as industries transform around the world.

But energy and carbon are not the only issues; we face problems with other critical resources. Clean technology has a role to play in managing these resources for a sustainable future.

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What is CleanTech?

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Over the last couple of weeks I have been telling all sorts of people about the Clean and Cool Mission 2010. Once we have got past the cries of “why don’t I ever get a job like that?”, the next questions are usually; what is clean technology, why is it important, is there a real business opportunity, and why California?

So here are my thoughts on what clean technology is and why it matters.

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