Joint venture between the University of Liverpool and Pinggao Group Ltd to establish the Pinggao-Liverpool European Institute for Advanced Energy Technology: notice of Final Order
Published 20 June 2024
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1. Following a detailed national security assessment, the Secretary of State has made a Final Order pursuant to section 26 of the National Security and Investment Act 2021 (“the Act”), which comes into force on 20 June 2024.
2. The Parties who are subject to the order are:
i. The University of Liverpool; and
ii. Pinggao Group Limited.
3. The parties will establish the Pinggao-Liverpool European Institute of Advanced Energy Technology. This institute will conduct collaborative research in energy and power technologies, including research in renewable energy, power switching technology, reducing greenhouse gas emissions produced from the electrical grid and electrical and thermal energy storage technology.
4. This transaction constitutes a trigger event under section 9(1)(a) of the Act.
5. The Secretary of State has approved the establishment of the Pinggao-Liverpool European Institute of Advanced Energy Technology subject to the condition that:
i. the University of Liverpool establishes an Insider Threat Stakeholder Group (ITSG) with responsibility for: ensuring wider research and intellectual property held by the University of Liverpool is sufficiently protected; and implementing and overseeing policies and processes for the Institute’s personnel in relation to additional research bids, physical access, access to business systems, visitor protocols, and specified procurement requests;
ii. the University of Liverpool appoints a Chair of the ITSG with UK Security Vetting clearance who will have oversight and responsibility for the ITSG; and
iii. the Terms of Reference for the ITSG are approved by the Secretary of State before the Institute can be established.
6. The Secretary of State considers that these measures mitigate the risk to national security in relation to:
i. The location of the proposed Institute, which could facilitate access to the University of Liverpool’s wider research and intellectual property that is developed and held by the University of Liverpool outside of the proposed Institute, and which could have implications for the UK’s National Security.
7. The Secretary of State considers that the Final Order is necessary and proportionate to mitigate the risk to national security.