Net Zero Innovators 2025 showcases the future of clean energy
Achieving net-zero is an immense challenge, but it is also an enormous social, environmental, and economic opportunity. That was the key message from a major conference in Aberdeen that brought innovators together to explore how they are changing the energy landscape in the UK and beyond.
With climate change high up on the political agenda, new solutions are needed to support the global transition to a low-carbon future. And many of those globally significant new technologies are being developed in Scotland.
Several of these game-changing innovations were on display at the recent event for net zero innovators, which explored why clean technology is about much more than decarbonisation. It is also about driving investment, creating jobs and boosting UK energy security.
Hosted by the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC), the conference brought together more than 350 delegates and 50 clean energy exhibitors under one roof. From subsea robotics to hydrogen vessels, the innovative businesses on display offered a glimpse of a low-carbon future that is already starting to take shape in north-east Scotland.
While many of the businesses may have started life with the help of public support, they are increasingly standing on their own two feet. The conference heard how startups supported through NZTC’s TechX Accelerator programme have now raised £150m in private equity and generated £36m in revenue. Those figures signal a clear vote of confidence in the entrepreneurial skills and creativity of these emerging British businesses.
Mark Anderson, Chief Acceleration Officer at NZTC, told the conference that the level of commercial confidence is critical if businesses are going to translate innovative ideas into successful new products and services.
“We’re not short of good ideas,” Anderson said. “The key challenge is moving from good idea to pilot to full-scale deployment – unlocking the supply of ideas through the technology readiness levels to full commercialisation.”
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Mark Anderson, Chief Acceleration Officer at the Net Zero Technology Centre
Supporting entrepreneurs on their innovation journey is something that NZTC specialises in. Since its foundation in 2016, the centre has co-invested £420m in clean energy technologies, supported more than 110 startups, and helped create 1,550 jobs. NZTC, funded by the UK and Scottish governments through the Aberdeen City Region Deal, has built an enviable track record. Through their work, they have screened more than 3,300 technologies and 59 have been commercialised.
However, this inaugural conference, held in Aberdeen, was not just an opportunity to celebrate achievements to date. It was also a chance to accelerate the pace of progress and help British businesses start and scale. That is, Anderson explained, an increasingly urgent challenge.
“We are here because we are not moving fast enough,” he said. “We need net-zero technologies to perform better, to be lower cost, and to be more secure than alternatives. What a challenge… and what an opportunity.”
That sense of opportunity was front and centre throughout the day’s discussions. The conference focused on new and emerging solutions that have the potential to help meet UK net-zero targets and deliver economic growth. These included renewable technologies, hydrogen production, carbon capture and electrification – all seen as critical for both emissions reduction and energy security.
The solutions discussed are not just the ideas of tomorrow; they are very much here today. Attendees had the opportunity to meet with cutting-edge businesses that are already forging ahead. These included startups such as HonuWorx, whose electric mothership submarines aim to replace diesel-powered vessels, and Frontier Robotics, whose software for marine robots can make offshore wind farms safer and cheaper.
Adam Harris, CEO of Myriad Wind Energy Systems, demonstrates their multi-rotor wind turbines
For Anderson, the successes of companies like these are a result of more than just technical excellence. “It’s about making the right connections, matching innovators with industry leaders who can help trial, scale and deploy their solutions,” he said.
NZTC’s model enables that to happen through a combination of early-stage funding with access to customers, regulators and infrastructure. This approach is helping innovators overcome one of the biggest hurdles in clean energy: the transition from pilot to commercial deployment.
“The breakthroughs developed by this community aren’t just advancing net-zero,” Anderson explained. “They’re building new industries, attracting investment, creating jobs, generating economic growth and securing long-term prosperity.”
But NZTC is clear that startups cannot do this alone. Strategic public investment, alongside private capital and industry partnerships, is required to scale the most promising technologies and support UK energy resilience. What the projects showcased at the event demonstrate is that when that happens, the results can deliver benefits to us all.
“Innovation requires risk-taking, investment and collaboration between startups, industry, government and academia,” Anderson told delegates. “We must create an ecosystem where capital flows to the ideas with the greatest potential impact.”
A delegate experiences ACUA Ocean's underwater inspection tech using a VR demo
Anderson’s view will resonate with many MPs. The UK government has made clean energy central to its economic strategy, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves emphasising the importance of long-term growth and energy security.
Scotland, meanwhile, is aiming to position itself as a global leader in renewables and low-carbon exports. This former heartland of the UK’s oil and gas industry is well placed to lead the energy transition. Its engineering base, supply chain infrastructure and highly skilled workforce offer a platform to scale new industries such as floating wind, hydrogen and carbon capture.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray, and Energy Minister Michael Shanks are keen to harness this potential with the creation of GB Energy in Aberdeen. The conference made clear that the region’s existing strengths are rapidly being retooled to meet future demands. Many of the startups featured are staffed by engineers with backgrounds in the oil and gas industries, now applying their skills to decarbonisation challenges.
As the energy transition accelerates, events like Net Zero Innovators 2025 demonstrate how strategic collaboration can deliver both emissions reductions and economic renewal. Clean energy innovation is no longer just a climate imperative; it is central to the UK’s growth strategy.
“I encourage you to challenge ideas, forge partnerships, and leave here with a renewed sense of purpose,” Anderson said in closing. “Because the work we do together will help define the future of energy.”
