Invest in Nottingham, the inward investment agency for the Greater Nottingham region, has successfully secured new business premises for lighting company LEDinLight.

A NEW green energy company may be lighting the way for the city’s economy.

LEDinLight has set up shop in Nottingham, where it will develop a new range of LED lighting designed to replace fluorescent lighting.

The lights reduce energy consumption by 50%, but can also have a life span 10 times longer than fluorescent lights.

Although a small firm, the city council is highlighting its arrival because it chose Nottingham on the basis of a growing reputation for green technology.

The city sees green technology as important for the growth of the local economy in the coming years, and it is hoped LEDinLight, which has taken an office in Regent Street, is the first of many firms to see Nottingham as the place to be.

Coun Graham Chapman, portfolio holder for economic development, said: “LEDinLight will make a welcome addition to the already strong technology sector which is developing in the city and which we want to support. The fact they have been able to work with the university on developing new products and link into the local support network is a great testimony to other businesses looking to invest in Nottingham.”

The University of Nottingham has world leading experts in renewable energy and energy conservation.

In addition, the university is a partner in the £1bn Environmental Technologies Institute, was set up by the Government last year to help develop new green technologies for homes and industry.

Eva Ottosson, director of LEDinLight, has been dealing with university’s school of physics and astronomy and Professor Saffa B Riffat, president of a worldwide organisation called World Society of Sustainable Energy Technologies.

Ms Ottosson said: “Nottingham's selling point is that you have one of the world’s most important professors in sustainable energy working in the university.

“Sweden is known for technology in the green sector but we do not have the market. In the UK you have the knowledge and the market.”

Ms Ottosson said staff at the city council’s Invest in Nottingham team, which seeks to attract investment, helped her and her colleagues to set up in the city.