Manufacturing & Supply Chain

An Irish company has been placed in a prestigious global list of the Top 3 companies who have achieved outstanding innovation in the cleantech sector. At an event in London, HUB Controls, a Tallaght-based company which makes a device that regulates temperatures in the home, was recognised in the Global Cleantech Cluster Association (GCCA) Top 3.

HUB Controls was also awarded a Silver Medal – just one of three major awards handed out at the annual event that celebrates global cleantech businesses. The recognition is a major coup for the Irish company. The GCCA’s Global Top 10 winners represent the best of the Association’s member clusters and over 10,000 member companies worlwide.

This year GCCA winners were announced at an event called Cleantech Venture Day, hosted by KPMG.

The word “cleantech” spans all sectors – from energy to transport and from agriculture to water. Cleantech firms offer a technology or service (a solution) that reduces the environmental impact of an activity, and thus contributes to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and climate-friendly economy.

The 7th GCCA Awards ceremony was hosted by Cambridge Cleantech jointly with Nordic Innovation Accelerator in conjunction with Cleantech Venture Day.

Sustainable Nation Ireland, which promotes Ireland as a hub for sustainable business, is the Irish partner of the GCCA. It can nominate up to 10 companies every year for consideration. Previous Irish finalists have included Open Hydro, Cylon Controls, Imperative Energy, Hanley Energy and Fenestra Pro.

Many of the companies nominated this year participated in Sustainable Nation’s 2^oCatalyst programme, a leadership development programme. The 2^oCatalyst programme is supported by Sustainability Skillnet.

Sustainable Nation Director Aideen O’Hora said: “We are delighted to partner with the GCCA, and in doing so create access for Irish companies to global VCs and corporates interested in purchasing cleantech services. It is estimated that more than 1,000 cleantech – or companies that solve complex environmental challenges – will be required to respond to the global climate-change challenge. HUB Controls is a perfect example of the type of company needed, and in being selected as a silver (Top 2) winner at the GCCA awards clearly demonstrates the leadership and capability or Irish companies.”

Oliver Hynes (pictured), CEO and founder of HUBControls, who was in London to accept the GCCA 2017 Winners Award, said: “The quality of cleantech innovation and entrepreneurship at the event and being promulgated by GCCA and Sustainable Nation is testament to the concept and dedication of the association. The support we have been provided by the 2^oCatalyst programme and Enterprise Ireland has been invaluable. This validates our belief that energy insights provided directly to the Householder will speed up energy efficiency adoption rates in the private and public residential sector.”