A GREEN build solution from an established Dumfriesshire-based business and its partner could help tackle the shortage of social housing in Scotland and reduce building costs as well as provide a retrofit solution for existing buildings.
Entrepreneur Eddie Black, founder and manager director of the Eco group of companies based in Annan, and co-founder of Vaso Build, was on the Go Radio Business Show to ask hosts Lord Willie Haughey and Sir Tom Hunter for advice on how to overcome barriers to adopting new technologies and risk-averse attitudes.
Vaso Build Solutions creates low-energy cost and low-carbon buildings from panels manufactured from recycled glass. The innovation has already been selected for support on the Circular and Sustainable Materials Accelerator established by Scotland’s construction innovation centre BE-ST at Hamilton.
Mr Black said: “The Scottish Government has declared a housing crisis and very little is being down to change attitudes and speed up adoption of new technologies so if there are solutions available that do not fit in to conventional thinking of testing, how do you over come the risk-averse attitude of new technology adopters and that ‘we have always done it this way’?”
The businessman, who said he wanted the south of Scotland to lead the way in developing the technology for widespread use in the construction industry, added: “We’ve built a school with it, we’ve built a test house, we’ve built in harsh environments in Canada. We are actively seeking investment in Scotland but are getting more interest outside Scotland but I have made a stipulation that we do our first factory here although we have two MOUs in America already.”
Lord Haughey welcomed the news that Mr Black was already on board with BE-ST and suggested he also contacts the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) for advice, while Sir Tom noted: “With new technology you get early adopters but, in my experience, it is proving your concept and trying to de-risk it for those who say ‘I’m going to take a chance on you’.”
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