Chemistry Innovation News

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Chemistry Innovation

Chemistry Innovation News, Oct 2013

A particularly strong working relationship with Ministers at BIS places the interests of the chemistry-using community right at the heart of Government...

Michael Fallon to co chair the Chemistry Growth Partnership

designers and manufacturers using physical products and will cover waste management, reprocessing and recycling.

These changes may sound significant but on the ground we will continue to deliver on our priorities as usual and run our projects as planned. Support from Government, industry and the Technology Strategy board is as strong as ever and working more closely with other communities will help us to achieve the goals set out in our Innovation Strategy.

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The way the Knowledge Transfer Networks are organised is changing but in reality it will be business as usual for the chemical and chemistry using community. The Technology Strategy board are forming a single independent KTN company, which will receive funds and be divided into thirteen thematic areas. Transition plans are in the early stages, with March 2014 set for completion. The changes will streamline existing work, encourage collaboration and prevent duplication of effort.

Chemistry and Materials will join to form a single community, and biosciences is likely to be subdivided into two communities – agrifood and non-food bioscience. Resource Efficiency will be a community for

Chemistry Innovation and the Knowledge Transfer Networks

Contents

2. Chemistry Innovation and the Knowledge Transfer Networks

3. The Chemistry Innovation Strategy – what next?

4. Ministerial Interest

5. Tomorrow’s Manufacturing Mission to China

6. Growth Accelerator

6. Surface Engineering and Advanced Coatings SIG

7. Chemistry Innovation to lead the new Flexible Manufacturing SIG

8. Adding Value in the World of Graphene

9. Business Support for Innovation

10. Project Updates and Events

Public-Private Partnership which will be launched in 2014.

Establishing priority areas for the creation and use of novel materials in key manufacturing value chains is another area of focus. The development of completely novel materials with potentially advanced properties is an exciting area of R&D. We are in the early stages of identifying where priorities for an action lie in the UK but know that sectors such as aerospace, automotive, energy, construction and electronics all have a strong demand for better smart and structural materials. We are scoping out new businesses and innovation opportunities to better understand where novel materials can deliver UK growth and thus where funding should be directed.

We are looking to identify opportunities for UK industry in the safe extraction of unconventional oil and gas. From shale gas, mature oil wells, there are a number of areas where chemistry-using sectors can work with the oil, gas and energy industries.

The Chemistry Innovation Strategy can be downloaded here https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/chemistryinnovationktn/the-strategy

We welcome input from anyone with an interest in any of these areas. Please contact: Steve Fletcher Steve.Fletcher@ciktn.co.uk

The Chemistry Innovation Strategy – what next?After the launch of the Chemistry Innovation Strategy at the Stakeholder conference in June, Steve Fletcher looks at the areas of focus for the next year

The Chemistry Innovation Strategy identified three focus areas which would be critical to supporting innovation in UK chemistry-using industries: raw materials, smart manufacturing processes and design for functionality. The Chemistry Innovation team have been busy turning these into action plans and we have a number of major projects in the pipeline. Some of these are already well-developed, others will have detailed plans developed over the next few months, but all will require us to work closely with and collaborate with other KTNs and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

Our most exciting project is the establishment of the National Formulation Centre. We have made excellent progress in the last year. We are on track to secure public funding and the next six months will see us working to secure the commitment of resources from large companies. Chemistry Innovation is confident that the Formulation Centre will drive value and growth for the UK and we look forward to bringing you further updates.

The Industrial Biotechnology Special Interest Group has been active in encouraging the uptake of Industrial Biotechnology (IB) across the chemistry-using sectors. Companies are recognising the £12bn opportunity for the UK presented by IB. The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum has been busy planning and delivering a programme of events to engage with companies and ensure they are aware of the advantages of developing, integrating and purchasing IB based products. The High Value Manufacturing call has encouraged collaborations which have allowed many businesses to try new approaches to using IB.

We have also been working to increase the uptake of renewable feedstocks by the chemistry-using industries. There are

clear links with Industrial Biotechnology capabilities as conversion processes used when working with renewable feedstocks are often biological. However we need to think carefully about what is realistic for the chemistry-using industries in the UK. There are technical and logistical limitations and we are paying particular attention to focus on what is feasible for the companies we work with.

Driving the increased uptake of new smart chemical processes is another priority for us. We are working to help industry understand where there are opportunities to exploit radically different ways of manufacturing using new processes. We must not be afraid to turn our back on century-old processes when there are cost and sustainability advantages in new processes, such as flow chemistry for continuous manufacturing. A Technology Strategy Board-funded Manufacturing Special Interest Group is being launched to help understand areas where new technology is appropriate and to encourage industry to consider smart alternatives. A number of Knowledge Transfer Networks will be involved, especially the Aerospace and Transport KTNs.

Driving innovation and influencing policy around the management of scarce metals and minerals is another area of focus. We will be helping companies to see how they can benefit by taking into consideration substitution, recycling and dematerialisation, as well as specific design of products to allow the recovery of components at end of life.

Stimulating the development and deployment of technologies which enable a significant improvement in resource and energy efficiency has the potential to deliver real impact. By focusing on existing processes that will be used for years to come we can identify areas where energy savings can be made and material waste reduced to bring long-term competitiveness without the need for new chemical processes. We will be aiming to capitalise on SPIRE, (Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency), the European

Strategy...

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been appointed to deliver the strategy and we are delighted to announce that Michael Fallon will co-chair the Chemistry Growth Partnership. The first meeting will be held in October 2013. A copy of the Chemistry Growth Strategy is available on our website, access it by clicking the image below

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Ministerial Interest...Minister Michael Fallon gives message of support at the Industrial Biotechnology exhibition

Business and Energy Minister Michael Fallon met senior representatives from a number of Industrial Biotechnology companies to discuss the huge potential of the UK’s bio-economy at an exhibition.

Material from Croda, Fujifilm Diosynth, Biome Technologies, Bouygues, CPI and the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum was on display in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills foyer during August. David Willetts, Minister of State for Universities and Science, also attended the exhibition and commented that he was impressed by range of technologies on display.

The industrial biotechnology market is projected to grow up to £360bn globally by 2025 with up to a £12bn share in the UK (Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform report, 2009). Whilst much potential is yet to be realised, manufacturers are already adopting the use of biological substances, systems and processes to produce materials, chemicals and energy.

Minister Michael Fallon said: “The quality of our academic and research centres in the UK is allowing us to lead the way in industrial biotechnology and find innovative ways to replace traditional manufacturing products and processes with cheaper, greener and often more functional alternatives. To reach our full potential we now need to see the entire manufacturing industry embrace biotechnology, and start looking for every opportunity to integrate it into their production processes. This showcase demonstrates the diversity and creativity of innovative biotech businesses here in the UK that will help us build on the life sciences industrial strategy and compete in the global race.”

Rebecca Wood from the Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum developed the exhibition to highlight the world-class R&D and industrial biotechnology manufactures in the UK. “We’re showing companies that switching from hydrocarbon to carbohydrate based raw materials and applying biotechnology to manufacturing is an excellent option, economically and environmentally. The Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum can provide advice to industry and highlight potential market opportunities.”

Since being published the Chemistry Growth Partnership has received encouraging supported from Government. The vision of the strategy states that “by 2030, the UK chemical industry will have further reinforced its position as the country’s leading manufacturing exporter and enabled the chemistry-using industries to increase their gross value added contribution to the UK economy by 50%, from £195 billion to £300 billion”. To fulfil these aims the strategy will focus on securing competitive energy feedstock supplies, accelerating innovation, initially endorsing the establishment of an open-access innovation centre for formulated products and rebuilding the UK chemistry supply chains.

Keith Wiggins, previously the president of the Chemical Industries Association, has

We’ve ensured that the significance and potential of industrial biotechnology is recognised. The people that matter know what a big contribution our community can make to drive the economy forward and what is required to help that process. As a result Michael Fallon is the Co-Chair of the forthcoming Chemistry Growth Partnership.

By the same token we’ve inputted to the industry strategy and we’re helping to shape the funding landscape. The future model of KTNs is changing in structure but for our community and its members – it’s very much business as usual. That means continuing to be at the interface between research, industry and government. Our credibility and strong track record, coupled with the relationships we’ve built, are really making a difference in the UK.

On this page you’ll find information about BIS’s involvement in the Chemistry Growth Partnership and the hugely successful Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum exhibition in the foyer of BIS in Whitehall, activities that would not have been possible without the time and effort spent nurturing the relationship.

Over the last few years we have been able to develop a particularly strong working relationship with Ministers at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and this has enabled us to place the interests of the community right at

the heart of Government. The department is ultimately responsible for a large part our funding through the Technology Strategy Board but our relationship has developed such that we are now working in partnership with Ministers to drive innovation in the chemical and chemistry using industries.

A number of initiatives and investment over the years have built this relationship and we are now seeing these bear fruit. We’ve engaged with Michael Fallon and David Willets and senior members of the department to show them the value of chemistry in the UK. We’ve built a relationship with the chemicals unit in BIS to show them we have the networks and knowledge base to drive real progress.

A word from Carol

Michael Fallon to co chair the Chemistry Growth Partnership

https://connect.innovateuk.org/documents/3247751/8564856/Chemistry%20Growth%20Strategy

Ongoing relationship with BIS Ministers is crucial to our success

from academia and industry. The group then visited the high tech zone in Guangzhou where they met more Chinese companies involved in sustainable manufacturing and visited a local Technology Centre. Delegates rounded off the trip with a visit to the Jinshan district Chemical Industry Park in Shanghai to meet further companies working in the sector.

“We’ve got world-class sustainable manufacturers and an active and renowned research base in the UK” said Rushworth. “Not only has the trip provided opportunities for international collaboration but will hopefully also lead to solutions to environmental problems around the world. China has the world’s largest manufacturing sector and is the world’s top destination for green investments. We’re taken some really innovative UK tech companies to forge links and meet prospective partners and this is an exciting first step towards long-lasting partnerships between the two nations.”

Each of the chosen companies was selected for excellence in at least one of four key areas: • the use of alternative, greener substances in manufacturing• the recycling and re-manufacturing of finite resources• decreasing the amount of material deployed to deliver services• lower energy consumption over a product lifecycle

“We hope that the Mission to China will result in successful partnerships and the model will be rolled out to other BRIC countries” Rushworth continued. “Companies find it really hard to identify overseas partners and Missions provide a platform for UK businesses to expand overseas whilst collaboratively finding solutions to global problems.”

Hear more about the Tomorrow’s Manufacturing Mission in the next Chemistry Innovation newsletter.

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Tomorrow’s Manufacturing Mission to China Companies and academics involved in sustainable manufacturing have been visiting industrial centres in China for a unique business opportunity

Supply chains are most often global, and with suppliers, processors and end users dispersed around the World, identifying partners can be a daunting task. The Manufacturing Mission to China took fast-growth companies and academics to China to scope out opportunities and partners ahead of a joint UK-China funding call to support collaborative R&D projects that is expected to open in December 2013.

The companies included a developer of fuel-cell technologies that make electricity more accessible for consumers and businesses, a filter manufacturer that uses advanced metal manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing, and an R&D centre using sodium batteries to replace conventional energy power and storage in electric vehicles.

Simon Rushworth, technology manager, said: “The sustainable manufacturing companies and academics we took to China are a great representation of the innovation landscape in the UK. They have been sharing ideas, building new business relationships and finding collaboration partners during the trip in preparation for the joint call, which is the first of its kind outside Europe.”

The week-long mission was supported by the Technology Strategy Board, Science and Innovation Network, Research Councils UK and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), plus local S&T Commissions. It started in Changsha where the Deputy Director General of MoST spoke at the launch event, attended by figures

Universities and Science Minister David Willetts

“The UK and China have a close working relationship and this is a fantastic business opportunity for some of the most innovative companies in the UK. It will give them the chance to reach out to a new market and collaborate with business in one of the world’s fastest growing economies. By supporting our brightest businesses we will ensure that the UK remains ahead in the global race, developing new ideas and exporting them across the globe. This mission will benefit both China and the UK and is a great step forward in building long lasting relationships.”

David Bott, Director of Innovation Programmes at the Technology Strategy Board “The goal of this Mission is to provide the companies with the necessary know-how, connections and inspiration to help improve and accelerate opportunities with potential customers and partners. The UK and China are two of the world’s largest manufacturers. This Mission marks a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries, focused on sustainable manufacturing and the transformation to a green economy.”

Dr. Zhou Longchao, Director of the European Division, Department of International Cooperation, MoST “China is one of the world’s largest manufacturing countries and is today a key part of global supply chains, and the UK is recognised for its world-class sustainable manufacturing research base. With commitment of both governments to promote academia and industry collaboration, this Mission offers businesses in both countries the opportunity to learn from each other and to build complementary relationships with joint innovation initiatives. ...They will have an opportunity to extend their international operations in sectors ranging from automotive, textiles, metallurgical and machine building to electronics and pharmaceuticals.”

Global Reach...

Photo from TSB

Connections...

Achieving the next growth phase for your company is not always easy. Finding investment to develop a new process, putting together a growth strategy, protecting intellectual property, analysing international markets, all require a lot of time and effort and distract from developing and selling the core technology in safe markets.

To help rapidly growing businesses maintain momentum, GrowthAccelerator - backed by Government and in partnership with business growth specialists - was launched one year ago.

GrowthAccelerator helps companies grow faster by identifying the critical steps needed to achieve the next phase of their growth. Eligible companies receive support from a Growth Manager and a Growth Coach in those areas where it is most appropriate for the business - typically access to finance, business development or growth through innovation.

The GrowthAccelerator annual report published in July showed that it’s not just start-ups that are taking advantage of the scheme. Of the 7,000 businesses that signed up since the launch in May 2012, 60% per cent of companies are over five years old with one third over ten years old.

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The scheme has had a big impact on companies such as Rugby-based Automotive Insulations, manufacturer of products to manage sound and temperature. “In 2011 our turnover was £5million” said Managing Director Jim Griffin, “but we’re forecasting 2013 figures of £11.5-12million. Growth was coming, but the sustainability and profitability of the business’ growth is a result of GrowthAccelerator’s support.”

Chemistry Innovation’s Dr Claire Claessen says “This programme has helped over 500 manufacturing businesses achieve their potential and I would encourage our members with the ambition to grow their company to investigate whether the GrowthAccelerator would be of value.”

For companies to be eligible they must be: • determined to grow• registered in the UK• based in England• have fewer than 250 employees• have a turnover of less than £40m

To find out more about the scheme, events that are taking place around the country and sign up for a free consultation, visit http://www.growthaccelerator.com

Growth Accelerator – taking your business to the next level A Government programme is supporting ambitious companies with high growth potential and celebrating its first birthday. Could you be next to benefit from the scheme?

The Surface Engineering and Advanced Coatings Special Interest GroupChemistry Innovation are working closely with the Materials and Nanotechnology KTNs to identify and support areas of growth in surface engineering and advanced coatings

A diverse range of high-growth sectors are looking for the next generation of coatings with high performance features, from advanced coatings for aeroplane wings to surfaces with special features for medical devices. With our strong supply chain and active research community the UK is perfectly positioned to exploit the significant market opportunities available at home and abroad.

The Technology Strategy Board recently launched the Surface Engineering and Advanced Coatings Special Interest Group (SEAC SIG) to provide strategic recommendations on specific areas where investment will help UK manufacturing.

The SEAC SIG has been working with researchers, suppliers and users of surface engineering and advanced coatings to identify areas of promising research and needs from industry. The SIG has been identifying sectors where surface engineering could make an impact, such as food and drink, evaluating the pipeline of emerging technologies of benefit to UK manufacturing and benchmarking UK capability against international competitors.

Simon Rushworth said: “Previously the focus has been on traditional surface engineering such as surface polishing and coatings used in heavy industry. But there are exciting emerging technologies for coatings and surface engineering that involve input from chemists and we’re interested in working

Connections...

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in these areas. For example, atomic layer deposition is a new technique used to modify surfaces. It requires a fundamental understanding of chemistry as thin films are deposited through complex surface reactions one monolayer at a time. We’re looking at a really large industry that covers a number of sectors and involves many different techniques. Chemists are going to be crucial in driving forward new developments.”

Led by the Materials KTN, the SIG has been holding workshops and distributing questionnaires. Further input is still being sought from academics, suppliers and end users to assess UK capability, allow supply and demand to be matched and provide support in key areas.

Stuart MacLachlan said “The response from the supply chain has been open and insightful, and we are still keen to hear from individuals to build as complete a picture as possible. We are aiming to produce a draft report early in 2014, which we will validate through a further community workshop before its publication in spring 2014.”

The Surface Engineering and Advanced Coatings SIG community consultation highlighted numerous technologies suited to changing surface properties on one material to mimic those of a different bulk material. “These lightweight materials have applications in transport, structures and devices to reduce energy consumption and emissions and to increase efficiency. When applied to a heavy component the surface allows a replacement part to be produced with reduced weight without compromising performance” said Rushworth. “The Technology Strategy Board is preparing a ‘Lightweighting’ funding call which will open in the coming months. Further information and updates will be available from the SIG website.”

Please contact simon.rushworth@ciktn.co.uk for a questionnaire to provide your input, and join the group here to receive further updates: https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/surface-engineering-and-advanced-coatings-sig

Chemistry Innovation to lead the new Flexible Manufacturing Special Interest GroupFlexible adaptive manufacturing and plug and play manufacturing is the focus of the Flexible Manufacturing SIG which was launched on 1st October

Chemistry Innovation is leading efforts to develop a competitive and successful manufacturing base in the UK. Working with the Aerospace, Automotive and Defence KTN, with support from the Transport KTN, the Special Interest Group (SIG) will look at flexible adaptive manufacturing and plug and play manufacturing, two of the National Competencies recognised by the Technology Strategy Board’s High Value Manufacturing strategy.

Flexible manufacturing includes ‘manufacturing processes’ and ‘discrete manufacturing’. Chemistry Innovation will lead the work relating to process industries, for example technologies to cope with different feedstock types, up or down scale production methods, batch vs continuous processes. Aerospace, Automotive and Defence KTN will focus on discrete manufacturing systems, for example modular tooling units, high throughput precision engineering, and reconfigurable assembly systems. The wide scope of the group means it is expected that a number of other KTNs will be collaborative partners in the future.

“Our aim is to investigate current UK capability, identify innovation gaps and propose targeted investment areas to get the most benefit to UK industry” said Simon Rushworth. “We’re creating a highly connected community of stakeholders from government, industry and academia and we’re looking to identify ways of overcoming barriers to the adoption of disruptive manufacturing approaches to provide more competitive supply chains.”

To hear more from the Flexible Manufacturing SIG watch out for the new group on _connect and join when it goes live or contact Simon.Rushworth@ciktn.co.uk directly.

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Where can Chemistry Innovation add value in the world of graphene?Chemistry Innovation is leading work to translate research into revenue in graphene science, an area with countless commercial applications

When Andy Murray won Wimbledon, how many people recognised the role of advanced materials in his racquet? Within the frame was a material stronger than steel yet unbelievably light: Graphene.

Graphene, a form of carbon where atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern form 2D sheets, has generated a huge amount of excitement.

Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov from Manchester University were the first to isolate graphene from graphite in 2003, work which secured them the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics. The remarkable properties of the material were highlighted in their Nobel Prize Scientific Background document:

“A hypothetical hammock measuring 1 m2 made from graphene would weigh 0.77 mg...In our 1 m2 hammock tied between two trees you could place a weight of approximately 4 kg before it would break. It should thus be possible to make an almost invisible hammock out of graphene that could hold a cat without breaking. The hammock would weigh less than one mg, corresponding to the weight of one of the cat’s whiskers.”

Not only is graphene incredibly strong and light, it can conduct electricity, is transparent and the tiny ‘mesh’ size makes it an impermeable membrane to most molecules.

The fundamental properties of the material may be mesmerising but the applications are even more so. Graphene has potential in coatings, electronics, sensors, advanced materials and many other existing and future products. The potential to generate an enormous amount of economic growth is clear. Realising this potential, and realising it soon, is important.

As has been the case a number of times, the UK excels at cutting edge science but often fails to translate this into commercial success. The National Graphene Institute at Manchester, the Cambridge Graphene Centre, Imperial College London and the Centre for Graphene Science at Exeter and Bath are all active centres of top level graphene research. But without a focus on commercialisation opportunities we may fail to derive value from the research.

Figures show that China is the country leading in published patents involving graphene, with the UK lagging in sixth place. With the market for the material projected to grow to $100 million by 2018 (IDTechEx) we must look for ways to derive value from the research.

The Technology Strategy Board is keen to ensure that the potential of graphene is exploited fully and that it happens here in the UK. They called on Chemistry Innovation to explore where opportunities lie and identify areas where graphene can add value to the UK economy.

Recognising specific areas where investment will bring returns is a first step and Chemistry Innovation is well placed to provide guidance.

News...

Nabil Zahlan, Strategy and Planning at Chemistry Innovation, said: “we spoke with the Materials, Nano and Electronics, Sensors and Photonics KTNs as well as a number of top academics and industry experts to identify areas where the Technology Strategy Board should focus their efforts. The Technology Strategy Board had asked Chemistry Innovation to write a ‘Think Piece’ on graphene to collate and distil the outcomes from these discussions and earlier workshops.”

“The next step is to plan ahead. The Technology Strategy Board is working closely with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to devise their future programmes of funding. Funding for science should go hand-in-hand with funding for commercialisation opportunities and this coordinated approach will help to link lab-bench research with potential commercial applications.”

If you are interested in contributing to the discussion please contact Nabil.Zahlan@ciktn.co.uk

Funding...

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Sustainable high-value chemical manufacture through industrial biotechnology 2 - Business Models

The Technology Strategy Board has announced that up to £250,000 is available for business model feasibility studies, up to £1m is available to support technical feasibility projects and up to £1.25m is available for collaborative R&D projects to develop processes to generate high-value chemical products through biotechnology and bio-refining. Funding is available to trial new processes and scale up existing processes.All applications must be led by a UK business but they can partner with academics and research and technology organisations (RTOs) as well as other companies from outside the UK. Innovation Norway will also consider providing funding to Norwegian companies.

Contact Chemistry Innovation to discuss potential project ideas, get support on scope fit, find project partners and receive assistance with proposal reviews. • Registration closes: 23rd October 2013• Application deadline: noon, 30th October 2013• More information: competitions@innovateuk.org and rebecca.wood@ciktn.co.uk

Supply Chain Innovation towards a Circular Economy

The Technology Strategy Board is investing up to £5m in collaborative research and development that maintains the value of products and materials at their end of life to make supply chains less ‘linear’ and more ‘circular’. Projects must reduce the environmental impact of material lifecycles and/or reduce dependence on materials with a supply risk through the reuse of materials.

Proposals must be collaborative and business-led and projects, may last up to 24 months and may have a budget of up to £1m.

To coincide with the launch of the funding competition, Chemistry Innovation together with the Environmental Sustainability and Materials KTNs, are running events to support companies with an interest in the call. The events will give potential applicants a chance to learn more about the funding competition, speak to past successful competition winners and meet and network with other companies interested in applying.

• Manchester Networking event: 21st October 2013• Location: The Midland Hotel, Peter St, Manchester M60 2DS o Register here: http://supplychainmanchester.eventbrite.co.uk/

• Competition opens: 4th November 2013• Competition briefing webinar: 14th November 2013• Registration deadline: noon, 11th December 2013 • Expression of interest deadline: noon, 18th December 2013

For further information or support applying for this competition, please contact Catherine.Joce@CIKTN.co.uk

Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative Competition – closing soon

Registration for round four of the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative Competition (AMSCI) is closing at noon on 9th October.

£120m is available for innovative projects seeking to improve global competitiveness of UK advanced manufacturing supply chains. The aim of the initiative is to increase the growth of the manufacturing sector by addressing the market failures which act as barriers to the efficiency and expansion of UK supply chains. Projects must be collaborative and demonstrate commitment from a prime or tier 1 company in their supply chain. The proposed economic benefits must be delivered in England although applications are welcome from projects which include companies from Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and outside the UK.

For more information on the application criteria contact Dr Marc Burke (marc.burke@ciktn.co.uk) or visithttp://bit.ly/13xSxvW

M-ERA.NET

M-ERA.NET is an EU-funded network for materials science and engineering, providing a forum where pan-European funding and research programmes can be coordinated and supported.

The consortium aims to address societal challenges and technological needs with an interdisciplinary approach, creating a flexible umbrella structure to allow coverage of topics in materials science and engineering. The M-ERA.NET Transnational Call 2013 is open for applications and the UK will support proposals based around Interfaces, Surfaces and Coatings and Materials for Health.

• Application deadline: 30th October 2013

• More information: https://www.innovateuk.org/-/m-era-net• For technical questions contact Dr

John Morlidge, Lead Technologist Advanced Materials, Technology Strategy Board:

john.morlidge@tsb.gov.uk• For eligibility/operational questions

contact Graham M Mobbs, European Operations Manager, Technology Strategy Board:

graham.mobbs@tsb.gov.uk

Business Support for Innovation

New Materials: Fundamental to Growth

The UK is driving innovation in key industrial sectors and strengthening supply chains by harnessing the power of world leading research in chemistry and advanced materials to develop the new materials of the future. New Materials: Fundamental to Growth will demonstrate how collaborative R&D enabled by the Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry is delivering economic impact in a number of key UK industry sectors.

An exhibition and speaker programme will demonstrate the UK’s expertise across universities, government research laboratories, private sector research departments and innovative SMEs that deliver new products and services to drive the UK economy.

The KCMC is a proven vehicle to connect expertise in the knowledge base to companies and help deliver benefit to the UK through economic growth. Hear how the KCMC is expanding and adding complementary capabilities and expertise to its armoury of knowledge, research partners and industrial collaborators to become a national programme that expands the benefit across supply chains and UK industry.

• Date: 5th December 2013• Location: Church House, Westminster,

London

More information: For more information and to register for the event click the link below http://www.materialschemistry.org.uk/events.html

Better by design: Sustainable business and chemical engineering

Based around a series of interactive sessions this workshop shows how your business can benefit from sustainable innovation • Date: 26th November 2013• Location: The Wilton Centre, Redcar,

TS104RFMore information: click the link belowhttp://www.ctechinnovation.com/events/Better-by-design-flyer-261113.pdf

Projects & Events...

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Project updatesThe Materials Chemistry Special Interest Group

The Materials Chemistry SIG has been busy planning the New Materials: Fundamental to Growth event on 5th December which will see academic and industry leaders meet. The event will explore how key UK industry sectors are experiencing economic growth through collaborative R&D in materials chemistry. See the events section on the right for more details.

Identifying theme areas for the expansion of the KCMC has been another focus for the Materials Chemistry SIG. A number have been discussed, including catalysis, membrane technologies and composites.

The next Materials Chemistry SIG meeting is in November where we will meet with the Technology Strategy Board and the Materials KTN to discuss how we can work more closely to help accelerate the development of new materials.

Launch of NOVACAM: Novel, cheap and abundant materials for catalytic biomass conversion

Chemistry Innovation is pleased to announce its participation in newly launched project NOVACAM. NOVACAM is funded under the nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies theme of the EC 7th Framework Programme.

NOVACAM aims to develop catalysts to turn lignocellulosic biomass into a cost-effective energy and chemical feedstock source. The project will explore new catalytic technologies that do not rely on critical raw materials, such as platinum group metals and rare earth elements which are subject to global supply chain disruptions and price volatility. Instead, the structural properties of materials such as zeolites will be exploited to manipulate the catalytic environment.

The project is coordinated by Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, with European project partners Cardiff University, Consejo Superior de Investigacionea Científicas-Instituto de Tecnología Química (CSIC) and Chemistry Innovation.

For further information, please contact Catherine Joce: Catherine.Joce@CIKTN.co.uk

EventsSuschem pre-brokerage event

In the lead up to Horizon 2020, SusChem, the European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry, is organising an event for industry and academia to learn more about the new portfolio of programmes and activities that Horizon 2020 will have to offer.

EU funding experts will be present to help you understand how the 2014-2015 work programme relates to areas such as Resource Efficiency, Raw Materials, White Biotechnologies and Materials Technologies.

• Date: 23rd October 2013, 09:30 to 18:30• Location: Crowne Plaza Le Palace, Rue

Gineste 3, Brussels

More information: Click the link belowhttp://www.suschem.org/event/suschem-pre-brokerage-event-2013.aspx

BIONEXGEN: The next generation of biocatalysis for industrial chemical synthesis

BIONEXGEN has been a flagship project in the European Commission’s work to develop the bioeconomy. The event will mark the end of FP7-supported activities and showcase the next generation of biocatalysis for industrial chemical synthesis and highlight the importance of industrial biotechnology for the chemistry-using industries.

• Date: 3rd December 2013• Session one 10.00 to 16.45: The next

generation of biocatalysis for industrial chemical synthesis

• Session two 17.15 to 19.30: Industrial Biotechnology for Europe

• Location: Merode Suite, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Brussels Airport

• Contact: rajesh.mistry@ciktn.co.uk

More information: http://bit.ly/BIONEXGEN

Feedback from the Chemistry Innovation stakeholder conference - ‘Innovation with Impact’On June 26 the annual stakeholder conference took place at Aston Business School. Here is a selection of the feedback from the attendees

“Speakers presented succinctly and on topics of high relevance - very stimulating discussion”“As a first time attendee I found it very informative and a good opportunity to meet a new cross section of the process industries community”“Relevant dialogue that was very future focused and presented very professionally”“Informative and positive content, regarding the plan for growth of UK chemistry and a good networking opportunity ““The sessions helped to communicate what is going on at Chemistry Innovation and more broadly across the industry”