Collaboration for good.

This week I had the privilege of attending a really great event held at the Port Lympne Conservation Park, hosted by The Kent Local Schools Improvement Plan’s Manufacturing Focus Group in collaboration with the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce. It was a day that brought together leaders and innovators across sectors, and for me, it reinforced how vital it is to align environmental protection, sustainable industry and social value into one shared ambition. Bravo Camilla and Sarah from LSIPs.

Set in the heart of the countryside, Port Lympne is no ordinary venue. It’s a place dedicated to conservation, education and rewilding, home to endangered species and an ethos that prioritises the future of our planet’s biodiversity. They put on a good buffet as well let me tell you.

Against this unique backdrop, the event’s agenda focused on something equally forward-looking: how Kent’s manufacturers, exporters, educators and institutions can work together to build a sustainable, skills-driven economy that’s fit for the challenges ahead.

The guest speakers from the Department for International Trade and UK Export Finance brought insightful updates on the opportunities and support available to manufacturers looking to export sustainably. At Syntech Biofuel, international collaboration is also increasingly important as we accelerate our decarbonisation mission.

So it was encouraging to see clear strategic alignment with the UK’s climate and economic goals. These are the sorts of conversations that give real momentum to green business, not just growth for its own sake, but growth that protects people and planet.

A particularly welcome part of the day was a spotlight on Kent County Council’s new Digital Employability Experience platform. This forward-thinking initiative is designed to help young people across the county build confidence, digital fluency and sector-relevant skills that will prepare them for employment, including in green technology, renewable energy and sustainable manufacturing.

For us in the environmental sector, that’s more than just good news. It’s essential. The renewables and green economy space is expanding rapidly, but a shortage of skilled workers remains one of its biggest risks.

If we’re serious about delivering net zero targets and decarbonising our infrastructure, we need to equip the next generation with the knowledge and training to step into technical, operational and scientific roles with confidence.

And we need to start early, in classrooms, in local communities and in work placements that open real doors.

That’s where the intersection of industry, government, education and conservation gets exciting. Events like this one remind us that we don’t have to work in isolation. The green economy is not a single sector. It’s a shared ambition, and it needs everyone at the table.

Of course, no visit to Port Lympne would be complete without meeting some of its remarkable residents. And before I left I just had to go and visit the two Sumatran Orangutan brothers, Hadja and Malou who arrived not so long ago.

They’re part of a wider programme supported by the Aspinall Foundation, whose work to protect and reintroduce endangered animals into their native habitats is world-renowned.

Syntech is currently exploring how we can support their conservation efforts, especially their work in Indonesia, where they’re helping to rehabilitate and return rescued orangutans to the wild.

That kind of mission resonates deeply with what we do. Biofuels, by their nature, are part of a circular and regenerative economy, but producing them responsibly is what makes us different. Our decision and policy to use only UK sourced feedstocks instead of palm and soy means that we don’t support the very industries that make these species and eco-systems endangered in the first place.

It makes sense that we extend our social and environmental commitment beyond our immediate industry. Supporting conservation is not a side project for us. It’s an extension of our environmental values.

In many ways, the orangutans represent more than just a species in need of help. They symbolise the broader fragility of our global ecosystems and the interconnectedness of the challenges we face. Climate change, deforestation, habitat loss, pollution, poverty, inequality and education are not separate issues. They feed into each other, and they need joined-up solutions.

That’s why collaboration matters. Whether it’s a local authority building a digital employability tool, a manufacturer looking to decarbonise its exports, or a conservation park rescuing endangered animals, we’re all pulling different levers on the same system. And when we align those efforts, when business supports education, when government enables innovation, when environmentalism meets industry, the result is greater than the sum of its parts.

I left the event feeling optimistic, energised, it was a good day and it left me feeling even more committed than ever to the role Syntech Biofuel can play in this transition.

We’re not just here to make low-carbon fuel. We’re here to shape the infrastructure, supply chains and skillsets of a greener economy. That means being present at events like these, supporting local initiatives, and championing partnerships that build resilience, in our people, in our planet and in our shared future.

Thanks again to the Kent Manufacturing Focus Group, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and everyone at Port Lympne for hosting such an important and memorable event. There’s a lot of work ahead, but with the right partnerships, the right values and the right mindset, I believe everything is possible.

Story by Syntech Biofuel