Ulster University and Heron Manufacture Limited KTP 23_ 24 R6

Heron Manufacture Limited is overhauling the traditional sash window to meet upcoming environmental legislation, designing a "NextGen" version that seals better and uses less material. The problem is straightforward: wooden windows and doors, especially the classic sash style common in UK homes, are notoriously leaky and energy-inefficient. Current designs waste heat and fail to meet tightening building regulations. The company is establishing a dedicated New Product Development centre of excellence to design, test, and manufacture a full suite of sustainable joinery products—not just windows but doors and related components—that comply with new rules while remaining commercially viable. If successful, this shifts a low-tech manufacturing process into a higher-value, regulated market. The impact is on supply chains and construction standards: builders and homeowners get a product that performs to modern insulation standards without abandoning timber as a material. The company embeds sustainable design capabilities across its entire operation, meaning future products also meet environmental targets from the outset. This is applied commercial research with a concrete output—a physical product that reduces heat loss from buildings, one of the largest sources of domestic carbon emissions.