Licensing
Researchers at Edinburgh University have outlicensed rights to commercialise STAR (Self-sustaining Treatment for Active Remediation), a method they have developed to remove toxic chemicals from soil and groundwater. The researchers say the technique will reduce the cost of cleaning-up areas contaminated with industrial waste by around half, compared to existing methods.
STAR safely burns substances such as oils and petrochemicals away in a controlled combustion reaction, but the process stops once the contaminants are removed, leaving the original soil or groundwater behind.
The university has entered an exclusive licence agreement with US engineering firm Geosyntec Consultants to commercialise the STAR technology. David Major, environmental scientist at Geosyntec, said, “We see STAR technology as a real ‘game-changer’ for certain types of sites. We are committed to making this technology available worldwide and especially to establishing a Scottish operation to serve the European marketplace.”
The agreement was negotiated by Edinburgh Research and Innovation (ERI), the university’s commercialisation arm. Funding for STAR was provided by the Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept programme.
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