Building Climate Innovation From the Inside Out: My Summer With the SuperCluster

This summer, I joined Cambridge Cleantech, a leading climate innovation network that connects startups, corporates, investors, and policymakers to advance the net zero transition. Cambridge Cleantech aims to amplify the flow of capital, ideas, and talent across the climate ecosystem through organising technology scouting, investment matching between entrepreneurs and funds, and thought-leadership roundtables in energy, transport, buildings, water and the circular economy.

I also contributed to the strategic development of the ClimateTech SuperCluster, a bold initiative envisioned as Europe’s Silicon Valley for climate tech. The ClimateTech SuperCluster is building a pan-European platform, spanning the UK, Netherlands, France, Germany, and Belgium, to accelerate industrial decarbonisation at scale.

Spreadsheets, stakeholders, and strategy: laying the foundations for growth

My key project was to develop a tactical roadmap for the organisation’s commercial strategy. Drawing on my background in strategy and finance, I led the reorganisation of Cambridge Cleantech’s business and financial planning structure. I began by engaging with team members and understanding the organisation’s products to segment their service offerings into distinct business lines. From there, I built a tool to help the team accurately budget and forecast for each.

This enabled the organisation to understand profitability across services, refine its product strategy, and shift toward value-based pricing. These insights were instrumental in shaping the business model and funding strategy, ensuring the financial health of UK operations while laying the groundwork for the pan-European SuperCluster’s growth.

Convening for climate impact

Beyond the spreadsheets, I had the chance to support key ecosystem events including a Cleantech Venture Day conference and a London Climate Action Week Roundtable hosted by The Crown Estate. It was energising to be a part of these climate-critical discussions, helping convene thought leaders across industries to explore deep tech innovations, transatlantic investment strategies, and the role of regional superclusters in driving inclusive, systemic decarbonisation.

I also organised a workshop for Oxentia and international entrepreneurs from the Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship. Through peer learning and expert feedback, founders explored challenges in technology readiness, investor pitching, and scaling strategies. It was a powerful reminder that innovation thrives not just on ideas, but on connection, feedback, and shared experience.

Reflections

 This summer showed me that climate innovation requires more than breakthrough ideas; it demands robust organisational models, creative financing, and deep collaboration.  

The Climate Tech SuperCluster is a bold attempt to build that ecosystem, and I’m proud to have contributed to its early foundations.
I leave this experience with a deeper appreciation for the complexity of climate innovation and a renewed commitment to driving it forward.

This internship experience was supported by the INSEAD Hoffmann Institute Impact Internship Stipend.