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Lancaster at the forefront of environmental research in Europe

28 June 2004

One of the largest environmental research centres in Europe opens in Lancaster this week. The £25m Lancaster Environment Centre brings together around 300 researchers and lecturers, all working to find solutions to major environmental problems.

This joint venture between the Natural Environment Research Council's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and the University of Lancaster is housed in a state-of-the-art laboratory on the University campus. It provides cutting-edge equipment and controlled environment facilities for the scientists who work there.

The centre, which officially opens on Tuesday 6 July, will build on the existing research strengths of the two partners. Exciting new Integrated Research Centres are forming within the Lancaster centre. These are producing new insights into sustainable management and use of energy, agriculture, water and chemicals in the environment.

The centre is already producing excellent research. For example, the scientists have helped to develop a new irrigation system that could reduce agricultural consumption of water by more than 50%, and they are managing and restoring areas that have been affected by radioactive contamination.

Professor John Lawton, Chief Executive of the Natural Environment Research Council says, "Understanding the impact we have on the environment is a number one priority. For a genuinely sustainable future we need a healthy economy, healthy people and a healthy environment. The new centre will help to deliver this challenging objective."

Professor Paul Wellings, Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University says "The new centre is a great example of collaboration between a Research Institute and a University. The Lancaster Environment Centre has the scale and range of skills needed to help deliver solutions to the world's most pressing environmental problems."

Both the University of Lancaster and the Centre For Ecology and Hydrology have world-class reputations in the field of environmental science. Professor Lawton says, "Right now the work they do is more important than ever before."

Further information

Vicky Tyrrell
Press Officer
University of Lancaster
Tel: 01524 594120

NERC Press Office
Natural Environment Research Council
Polaris House, North Star Avenue
Swindon, SN2 1EU
Tel: 01793 411561
Mob: 07917 557215

Notes

1. The Lancaster Environment Centre will be officially opened by Professor Lawton and Professor Wellings on 6th July at 1.30pm.

Programme for the opening:

10.30 arrival
11.00 tour of the Lancaster Environment Centre
12.00 lunch
13.00 opening by Prof. John Lawton and Prof. Paul Wellings
14.00 reception
15.00 brief research talks (Biology lecture theatre)
15.30 tea / coffee

2. The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) is part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).

CEH's staff have specialist skills in a wide range of environmental disciplines, ranging in scale from the gene to whole Earth systems. Their research is aimed at improving our understanding of both the environment and the processes that underlie the Earth's support systems. They are particularly interested in the impacts of human activity on natural environments.

Staff from the former CEH research sites at Windermere and Merlewood in Cumbria have now relocated to the new Lancaster Environment Centre.

3. Lancaster University is one of the top research institutions in the UK and the highest ranked university for research in the North West. Teaching rankings also put Lancaster amongst the top 20 in the UK.

An international university with over 10,000 students from more that 100 countries, 2000 academic staff from 53 countries and links with universities, governments and organisations across the world, Lancaster is one of only six universities in the UK with a collegiate system and is the only parkland campus university in the North West of England.

Lancaster has embarked upon a £170m pound investment in the UK's largest student residence programme and new centres of excellence - Infolab21, the Lancaster Environment Centre and the new Lancaster Leadership Centre.

Press release: 19/04

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