Over the years we have worked with a variety of entrepreneurs to help them develop successful businesses and have always been interested in debating what defines a successful entrepreneur. We recently read that for every technology start up that succeeds, another nine fail. Despite th

The creation of limited liability companies in the Victorian era may be considered one of the most important innovations of the late industrial revolution period.   Limited liability means that, in the case of insolvency, shareholders are under no obligation to the company or its cred

Scientists at the University of East Anglia have identified four new man-made gases in the atmosphere – all of which are contributing to the destruction of the ozone layer. New research reveals that more than 74,000 tonnes of three new chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and one new hydrochlor

Changes in the sun’s energy output may have led to marked natural climate change in Europe over the last 1000 years, according to researchers at Cardiff University. Scientists studied seafloor sediments to determine how the temperature of the North Atlantic and its localised atmospher

GreenWise have been so inspired by some of the innovative ideas and ambitious new businesses being launched in Britain’s low carbon economy that they’ve compiled a New Year’s list (in no particular order) of 10 green start-ups that look set to make waves in 2014. View thei

Researchers from the University of Houston have found a catalyst that generates hydrogen from water using sunlight, a development with the potential to create a renewable source of energy. Their research involved the use of cobalt oxide nanoparticles to split water into hydrogen and o

UK researchers are hoping to replace potentially dangerous chemicals in cooling systems with materials that change temperature when electricity is applied. A team at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is trying to develop the first practical ‘electrocaloric’ cooler, providing much

Imagine a composite with a remarkable strength to weight ratio. Cheap to produce and from a sustainable source, the polymer could be used by engineers in the aeronautic and automotive industries. Weight could be cut by ten per cent, with acceleration enhanced and fuel efficiency impro

The much-maligned Brussels sprout has been given a new lease of life this festive season – as a battery to light a Christmas tree. A team of scientists and engineers from ‘The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair’ have created the world’s first ‘sprout battery’

Per Lindstrand, whose work in balloon manufacturing led to his world-first Pacific crossing with the Virgin founder, is leading the British attempt in the race to commercialise a 110-year-old idea for a solar updraft tower. The Swedish-born aeronaut believes the tower, which uses risi