The Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is to invest in 17 major research and development projects that will develop innovative process technologies to improve sustainability in a wide range of sectors, including food and drink, chemicals, construction and aerospace. The total value of the R&D, including contributions from the participating companies, will be in excess of £14 million.
Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said: “Innovation in sustainability is vital for the continued success and growth of the UK process industry and this research and development will lead to innovations in manufacturing that will improve economic performance, benefit the environment and have a positive social impact.”
Sustainable manufacturing is critical across the process industries, and there is a drive for faster, more effective product design and manufacture.
The seventeen collaborative R&D projects will be led by C-Tech Innovation, Centre for Process Innovation, Dynamic Extractions, Environmental Pulp Products, GlaxoSmithKline, Imerys (UK), Imperial Chemical Industries, Industrial Microwave Systems, Johnson Matthey, Perceptive Engineering, PhosphonicS, Plant Integrity, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres, Scionix, Syrris, Unilever and Yorkshire Process Technology.
