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News Release from: Smithers Rapra
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 28 June 2004
Funds available for new ideas in
polymers
The new research fund raising team at Rapra Technology is urging polymer-based companies to come forward with research proposals.
The new research fund raising team at Rapra Technology is urging polymer-based companies to come forward with research proposals that will interest and excite the EU fund managers in Brussels and national programme managers in the UK Mark Gaddes, Team Leader, says that Rapra Technology's own encouraging track record of the last two years should give all polymer-based innovators encouragement and hope for the future
"Polymer-based technologies have much to offer the central thrust of technological and materials policy in Europe".
"Over the past year Rapra Technology has made special efforts to seek out and attract the funds in these areas - and we have grown our team to three".
"Our expertise lies in putting successful consortium-based approaches together".
"We base this on a detailed knowledge of what the EU requires and also ensure that our research proposals are as expertly presented as possible".
Gaddes adds that the DTI's newly announced technology programme should also give innovators food for thought.
The most recent success in Europe involved Rapra Technology helping to secure some Eur 700,000 of EU funding on behalf of a European consortium to lead the development of a low temperature processing method for the production of natural long-fibre filled propylene sheet for automotive applications.
The research proposal - submitted under the European Commissions Co-operative research (CRAFT) scheme was given the highest quality ranking from more than 600 EU proposals submitted.
A team of companies and research partners from the development consortium - spread across the EU - met at Rapra Technology at the end of February in order to map out the plan of activity for the next two years and a total of Eur 1.3 million will be committed to the project by these companies and the EU.
The Rapra team responsible for initiating bids, consortia and research proposals now currently numbers three.
Gaddes is joined by Nick Brooks, who continues to also work part-time at Faraday Plastics at Shawbury, and by the newest member of the team, Robert Bevan.
Bevan has a Master's degree in chemistry from Sheffield University and was previously employed as a technical proposal writer for Egli Technology.
"At Rapra, we have succeeded in attracting some GBP 2 million in grant aid and other funds from National and EU sources".
"The size of this business is now approaching some 15% of Rapra's total turnover and the figure is rising".
"We have supported the activity with new recruitment of additional staff with special skills", says Gaddes.
Rapra's Management Buy Out in July 2002 set the scene for expansion in the EU arena, with the new company free to chart its own business course; acquiring certain companies and partnering others.
Sales of technology services since the Rapra MBO have been particularly encouraging; particularly in pharmaceutical and healthcare markets.
Large-scale contract research projects for bodies such as the UK's Food Standards Agency and Waste Resources Action Programme in combination with Rapra's own forecasts for demand for its polymer analysis skills in relatively new areas such as pharmaceuticals and medical device testing is set to rise by over 85% in the next four years.
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