Polymer industry and academia need stronger link

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 3, 2005

Richard Simpson, Director of Faraday Plastics, has called for a revitalisation of UK academe/industrial relations in polymer science and technology.

Richard Simpson, Director of Faraday Plastics, the UK's leading resource and coordinator for polymer-based research, has called for a revitalisation of UK academe/industrial relations in polymer science and technology.

Speaking after the second UK Polymer Showcase in Wakefield, Yorkshire, Simpson said: "This very successful conference has shown that the UK has a wealth of research talent in the fields of plastics and rubber science and in developing new materials and applications for new materials".

"Professor Tony Ryan's presentation, for example, on polymer tissue scaffolding for medical applications has shown how science can be presented so as to be easily digestible by industry and researchers alike".

"What we still lack, at present, are enough effective mechanisms to get these discoveries applied and made workable in the commercial world".

Simpson added: "Many academics, full of resources, patents and ideas do not know what industry wants - and this is not necessarily their fault".

"At Faraday Plastics we intend to ensure that a good part of our future - within the DTI's planned structures for knowledge transfer - will ensure more opportunity and more matching of industry need to academic input".

The highest profile speakers from the UK and international polymer research community made compelling presentations at the Polymer Showcase, including Dame Julia Higgins, Professor Tom McLeish, Professor Andrew Cooper, Dr Alan Smith, Dr Nigel Clarke and many others.

The UK Polymer Showcase once again set out to highlight the latest advances in polymer science, soft nano-technology, macromolecular materials and new technologies on the plastics and rubber horizons.

It was jointly organised by the long standing Polymer Interdisciplinary Research Centre (IRC), its Industrial Club and partners Faraday Plastics, Faraday Packaging and Yorkshire Forward.

Faraday Plastics will be exhibiting at the forthcoming Interplas 05 (4th to 6th October 2005 at the NEC, UK) in order to promote the research and development agenda for companies; providing much needed tools, information and resources for visitors to the show.

Simpson said: "Our recent research has shown us that the level of R and D in UK plastics overall - less than 0.5% of its total turnover - is sadly lagging behind any measure you might care to mention, not least the figure of 1.9% shown by UK industry as whole".

Simpson added: "We know that many plastics-based companies want to improve their R and D position but are currently struggling to fund and create the activity that will help take their businesses forward in this area".

"Faraday Plastics will be at Interplas 05 to help these companies in just this task; providing analysis, contacts, ideas and funding routes that will hopefully keep the spirit of innovation alive".

A key recent success for Faraday Plastics has been the Technology Road Map (TRM) tool.

This can be applied to the future of individual companies or to sectors as a whole (such as nano-composites or engineering plastics), or to issues within the sector such as energy consumption or machine utilisation and cost.

Simpson urges all involved in plastics to visit the exhibition and to check out their R and D plans, modus operandi and needs in strictest confidence with the Faraday experts on the Faraday Plastics stand.

"Every part of the plastics industry, like it or not, cannot stand still - it has to innovate".

"But most undertake this work alone and without calling on resources such as ourselves".

"There may be connections, funding, ideas and resources that we can identify that might make all the difference to the life of an R and D project".