A leading developer of UK deep geothermal power and lithium projects in Cornwall has teamed up with the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) to showcase how it is adapting to challenges in the rural economy. 

Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) has shared its rural business insights with NICRE to highlight the ways it is dealing with issues with recruitment and planning through engagement with schools and local communities. 

Jane Charman, GEL's Community Engagement and Education Manager, also explores the importance of innovation to the business and the need for continued support to enable it to expand and help the UK transition to net zero. 

Real-life experiences chime with evidence

NICRE director Jeremy Phillipson, Professor of Rural Development at the Centre for Rural Economy at Newcastle University, said:

“These real-life experiences chime closely with our evidence into how firms are responding to an ever-changing business environment with innovative coping mechanisms and much resilience. 

“They portray powerfully the state of rural enterprise, providing policymakers with a much better understanding of the ways businesses are tackling challenges head-on and how support could best be channelled.  

"As the Government develops its UK Industrial Strategy, we hope that these insights and our evidence will help to further recognise and unlock the potential in the rural economy.” 

The film is the latest in a series which complement NICRE’s State of Rural Enterprise findings into the impacts of staffing and skills availability, climate change, rising costs, and the agricultural transition. 

New UK technology

Jane said:

“We’re delighted to collaborate with NICRE to showcase how we are adapting to the challenges we face as a rural business and using technology which is new to the UK. 

“It’s a really exciting time to be living and working in Cornwall and we encourage everybody to be supportive of these innovations so that we can put Cornwall back on the map as being a world-leading industrial area.” 

NICRE’s other rural business insights films profile Northumberland’s Particularly Good Potatoes, Bamburgh Castle Inn and Breamish Valley Cottages and Gloucestershire’s Stroud Brewery and have been shown to regional and national stakeholders at events in the North East, West Midlands and London.