Industry guide to polymer research published
Comprehensive list of research activities in the UK will help business identify best contacts.
Polymer community activities documented
KTN works closely with a wide range of diverse business sectors and communities in order to be the best networking organisation possible.
Our staff keeps abreast of community strengths and weakness through committees, trade associations and working groups, amongst others. KTN is able to both contribute to such groups, with knowledge from its members, and also to listen to issues affecting the community or sector and use this to influence policy or future funding areas within Innovate UK.
One such working group within KTN’s Materials and Nanotechnology team is the Polymer Industrial Advisory Group (PIAG). This group of industry, academic, trade body and other community individuals has assisted KTN in its activities by advising on strategy, work packages and community issues. It is formed of both plastics and elastomer specialists and has been unique within the UK for over a decade.
As one of its recent requests, on behalf of the community, the PIAG suggested and supported the process of assessing the degree of polymer research in UK Universities and Research and Training organisations (RTOs).
The report, which will be of interest to manufacturing companies and innovators who are keen on technical know-how in the field of polymers, may be accessed for free below. It contains a list of University departments/groups and RTOs that are currently undertaking polymer research across the whole of the UK, and details the type of research that is undertaken and the kinds of sectors that are supported; with information on lead researchers. For example, Warwick University is undertaking research to evolve bacterial communities which may be better placed than natural ones at breakdown of synthetic polymer waste and Nottingham Trent University is helping to establish a UK-digitised manufacturing technology which produces advanced additive layer elastomeric structures on high value additive layer components.
The document also contains information on where public funding of polymer projects has been allocated across the UK and links to the funding bodies that have supported them.