EU Fund backs Materials Innovation Hub in Manchester

The European Regional Development Fund has awarded £5 million to the Henry Royce Institute to launch a £10M Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub (SMIH) for Greater Manchester.

With plastic waste forecast to reach 40 billion tons per year globally, urgent action is needed to find sustainable solutions to making, using and disposing of plastics. As a region with clean growth at the core of its economic ambition, the Innovation Hub, to be located in the Royce Hub building, will help small to medium local businesses to find sustainable innovations to waste management and more sustainable plastics.

Three interlinking laboratories will be equipped with capability to characterise, synthesis and process polymers, facilitating innovation in new sustainable polymers, improved methods of recycling, and validation of emerging sustainable materials that appear on the market.

The ability to develop new plastics and recycling infrastructure is also underpinned by an understanding of the behaviours of individuals and businesses that may inhibit innovation adoption. The programme of advise, assessment and innovation will thus incorporate collaborative social science research to help businesses make informed choices to sustainable solutions.

The SMIH will be led by Director Michael Shaver, Professor of Polymer Science at The University of Manchester and Lead for Sustainable Materials for the Henry Royce Institute.

“The Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub provides a platform to work with SMEs across Greater Manchester to help them adopt the right sustainable plastic innovation for the right reasons. We will pioneer solutions that fit with our current and emerging waste management practices and help companies make decisions that are truly sustainable rather than just band-aid interventions,”” Professor Shaver said.