Entrepreneur Derick Wilson has used years of experience working with crisis teams to launch Blue Planet Buildings. The firm has developed a portable, flat-packed module building with a solar skin that can generate its own electrical energy. The innovation, which has been supported by The University of Nottingham, means that Governments all over the world can react quicker to the need for temporary housing and aid agency ‘Rapid Response’ and disaster accommodation, through the quick delivery of the company’s flat-packed module. Mansfield-based Blue Planet says its buildings are not only easy to transport but are cost-effective and can be easily and quickly assembled by non-skilled people. Mr Wilson says he is already in talks with numerous aid agencies about his concept, while the pioneering nature of the product has also seen the firm short-listed for the ‘innovation in Sustainability’ Lord Stafford Award. The competition, which is run by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda), the Manufacturing Advisory Service East Midlands, The East Midlands Universities Association and Lincolnshire County Council, puts innovative collaboration between businesses and universities in the spotlight. Mr Wilson says his idea came out of his experience working for the Oman government, searching for 4,000 portable buildings to house families living in tents after a cyclone. He said: “I set about designing a flat-packed module building based on the size of a shipping container (8ft by 20ft) for easy movement. The novel angle is that it comes equipped with all electrical and water fixings pre-installed thus removing the need and cost of tools and craftsmen to put it up. “The design incorporates on the outer face of the roof and wall panels the latest solar materials technology meaning the building will generate its own power. There is nothing like it on the market and I’ve got 23 claims within our patent currently under review.” He added: “While rapid response was the germ of the idea, the concept has many different uses and we are already seeing strong interest from education, industry and commerce.” Blue Planet Buildings has worked extensively with The University of Nottingham on material selection, design and manufacture of utility panels and elements of the building design. The company has also taken on Tianning Xu through the University’s international student placement programme and Mr Wilson says he has been a tremendous support for the business by using his technical, language and cultural skills to communicate and negotiate with international suppliers. The Chinese PhD student has also gained ‘real life’ commercial experience for his own career development through his technological involvement within the development of the product.