Affiliate scheme offers share in R and D benefits

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 28, 2003

Faraday Plastics is launching an affiliate scheme that is set to link industry and academia in meeting the critical technological challenges of the plastics sector.

Faraday Plastics is launching an affiliate scheme that is set to link industry and academia in meeting the critical technological challenges of the plastics sector.

Benefits in the new nanotechnology-based polymers, low-energy processing techniques, and environmental polymers are now available through the Faraday Plastics affiliate scheme.

The affiliate scheme will ensure that large and small plastics-based businesses are custom-served by Faraday Plastics with the information and market research that they need, as well as being introduced to the wealth of polymer ideas and research within the UK's university and academic infrastructure.

Keith Weedon, Manager, Design and Development, Linpac Automotive says: "Becoming a Faraday Plastics affiliate gives us an added innovative edge - a factor increasingly required from an automotive business such as ours".

Dr Rowena Sellens, Global RT and E Director at Lucite International, owner of the world-renowned Perspex and Lucite brands says: "Timely and focused research and development is critical to maintaining Lucite's leadership in the marketplace.

Faraday Plastics gives us a handy one stop shop for all the relevant UK R and D expertise".

And Nic Hunt, Global Business Director for packaging major, Amcor Flexibles, says: "Faraday Plastics gives us direct access to the leading university research programmes.

It also provides a forum from which to benchmark other sectors on innovation management.

I can recommend the affiliate scheme for all in the industry".

Richard Simpson, Faraday Plastics Director believes that for innovative plastics-based businesses, the affiliate scheme is the best single way to boost its R and D and to capitalise on this increase in Faraday Plastics activity.

"Our affiliate scheme is the basic point of entry for participating businesses.

For a very minimal outlay, companies can get connected to the best plastics-based research in their fields; save time and money in searching for solutions; and also get access to the best researchers, partners and technologies available".

For large companies, there is an opportunity to have a Faraday Plastics technology road map created each year for the needs of that company.

Funding alerts are part of the large company package, as is a research review, networking opportunities, supply chain analysis and participation in Faraday Plastics main projects and technology roadmaps.

"At GBP 750.00 a year for large firms and just GBP 300.00 for small companies our annual affiliate fee is heavily subsidised and very competitively priced", says Simpson.

The approval of the new Faraday Plastics business plan - and funding for the next three years - gives companies renewed opportunity to attract plastics technology development funding.

Since Spring 2003 Faraday Plastics has produced several technology roadmaps for the plastics sector - on subjects such as low-energy processing, nanotechnology, plastics in healthcare, and others.

Faraday Plastics has also boosted its technology translator posts and is increasing its outreach work; matching companies to universities.

Lord Sainsbury, Government Minister for Science and Innovation recently paid tribute to the work of Faraday Plastics saying that it had "already helped add some coherence to the disparate and fragmented activities that are taking place in this sector.

Faraday Plastics has helped facilitate better collaboration between different universities.

And it has helped stimulate new products and processes, new patents, and new startup companies".

Faraday Plastics has also selected a number of priority areas for the next three years.

These are energy, recycling and sustainability, nano and smart materials, healthcare and automotive applications.