KCMC organise workshop with CPI at Materials Research Exchange 2020 to showcase UK materials chemistry innovation

It showcased how KCMC’s partnership approach to driving collaborations between academia, catapult centres and industry is accelerating materials innovation in the UK. 

The workshop was sponsored by the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC) and held in collaboration with CPI, an independent technology innovation centre, and founding partner of the HVMC.

Materials chemistry innovations are essential for the development of advanced new materials and technologies. They enable large-scale improvements across multiple industries for example, battery materials and lightweight materials for transport, functional materials for printable electronics and sustainable materials design for all industries. To ensure the continued success of the materials chemistry industry in the UK, cross-sector collaborations across industry and academia must be facilitated, a key vision for the KCMC, CPI and other members of the HVMC.

The workshop attracted delegates from over 125 companies, 55 of which were large corporates, that spanned the Knowledge Transfer Network and Innovate UK. The focus of the workshop was to accelerate the adoption of UK materials innovations into new global markets. Chaired by John Grasmeder, Chief Scientist of Victrex, it included presentations from NSG Group, The University of Manchester, Graphene Composites, Cygnet-Texkimp and CPI. This was followed by a panel discussion on how each industry can work together more effectively.

Each presentation demonstrated the breath of cross-sector applications to which materials chemistry innovations can be applied. Topics included graphene composites, flexible electronics, materials processing and materials discovery for functional coatings on glass. With the support of KCMC and CPI these innovations are being driven to commercialisation by fostering new collaborations across industry and academia.

Materials Research Exchange 2020 was a two-day exhibition showcasing the wealth of UK materials research and investment opportunities. Sponsored by the Henry Royce Institute and organised by Innovate UK and the Knowledge Transfer Network, the event drew over 700 delegates from industry, academia and government. It provided a platform for industry to showcase ground-breaking new materials and manufacturing processes across the supply chain. 

Tom Taylor, Director of Future Business at CPI, said: ​“This workshop was a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the broad applications of materials chemistry innovations. By joining the dots between industry sectors, we can accelerate materials innovation in the UK.”

John Davidson, Product Director – Oxidation & Carbonisation, said: ​“We see opportunities to apply the engineering excellence we have developed for the composites industry to other diverse industry sectors. The activities of CPI, KCMC and the wider High Value Manufacturing Catapult will be instrumental to this, by helping to introduce these capabilities through their networks.”

John Grasmeder, Chief Scientist, Victrex PLC and Chair of the workshop, said: ​“The variety of companies incorporating innovative materials technologies at this workshop truly demonstrated the strength of the UK materials chemistry industry. To ensure this sector continues to grow, we need to foster more successful collaborations and communicate with the UK government so they can better understand this sector’s challenges and opportunities.”

You can find more information about the Materials Research Exchange 2020 event on the Knowledge Transfer Network website here: https://​ktn​-uk​.co​.uk/​n​e​w​s​/​c​e​l​e​b​r​a​t​i​n​g​-​t​h​e​-​s​u​c​c​e​s​s​-​o​f​-​m​r​e​-​2​0​2​0​-​a​-​b​r​i​e​f​-​r​o​u​nd-up

Notes to the Editor

About KCMC

The Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry (KCMC) accelerates valuable R&D collaborations between business and academics in the chemistry-using industries. It does this to encourage and develop product and process innovations in advanced materials faster, at reduced cost and risk. The KCMC team, spread across partner universities in the UK, offers great knowledge and experience of materials chemistry in both academia and industry to facilitate innovation partnerships. The work of KCMC creates collaborations in materials chemistry and advanced materials that otherwise would not have happened and has been shown to deliver direct impact on business performance and boost the UK economy. 

For more information, please visit: https://​www​.mate​ri​als​chem​istry​.org​.uk

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Contact information:

Email info@​materialschemistry.​org.​uk

Editorial follow-up:

James Cranston, Notch Communications

james.cranston@​notchcommunications.​co.​uk

+44 (0) 161 457 7230