CO2NET®’s focus has always been on networking for the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology development community; continuation of the network was considered dependent on achieving critical mass with its membership.
At CO2NET®’s 2011 event in London, there was a great deal of enthusiasm for a follow-on CO2NET® - the Next Generation network programme for 2012-13. Although funding pledges exceeded €350,000, the programme call did not secure a critical mass of enough organisations (target of 40) for a conference in 2012, such as we have provided over the last 8 years. Not wanting to reduce the quality standard achieved, continuing industry sponsors advised to put CO2NET® on hold for 2012.
In 2013, CO2NET® was again asked by the EU-funded projects to participate in and sponsor a new EU CCS project conference to be held in Antwerp on 28 and 29 May 2013. Given the timing, there was insufficient critical mass of organisations interested for CO2NET® to do so. CO2NET® is not therefore participating in or funding this event in 2013
Nonetheless, there is still interest in the continuation of CO2NET®, given its reputation as a neutral, visible, credible network. At the request of industry sponsors, we have preserved and now offer to pass what we have achieved to others to use. Technology Initiatives (T-I), as the honest broker with no vested interests, has nurtured CO2NET® from its inception, as its project manager then its secretariat. Owing to planned retirement by several of T-I’s CO2NET® team, CO2NET® is now offered as a package, including
· its European trademark - CO2NET®,
· CO2NET’s EU logo
· web domain names co2net.com,co2net.net and co2net.eu,
· website content and history,
· results, educational material and reports from EU projects CO2NET and CO2NET2,
· conference presentations,
· past members and conference registrations database,
· suggested educational programme and (as yet to be launched) proposal to another organisation with “fresh sets of eyes” to take it over and run with it, maybe develop it in another way.
If anyone is interested in acquiring CO2NET®, please email offers to cutlerab@t-i.co.uk. The opportunity to acquire the CO2NET® package must close by the end of March 2013, please. Bidders should provide a short statement please (no more than one A4 side) as to why they should be appointed T-I’s successor and a financial offer or novel alternative offer (or a combination of the two) for the package contents. All bids will be acknowledged and the successful bidder will be advised by mid May 2013.
Initial expressions of interest have been received, thank you. As there has been more than one request to extend the timeframe to complete the proposal process enabling interested parties to review the CO2NET package, all dates are extended by one month. We are interested in finding an organisation that can make use of and build on what we have achieved.