Henry Royce Institute to launch £10m sustainability hub
The Henry Royce Institute for advanced materials research and innovation has been awarded £5 million from the European Regional Development Fund to launch a £10 million Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub (SMIH) for Greater Manchester.
The SMIH, to be located on the 6th floor of the Royce Hub Building, will support small to medium businesses from across the whole of GM to find sustainable innovations to waste management and more sustainable plastics.
In the Royce Hub Building, three interlinking laboratories will be equipped with capability to characterise, synthesis and process polymers, facilitating innovation in new sustainable polymers, improved methods of recycling, and validation of emerging sustainable materials that appear on the market.
The institute believes the ability to develop new plastics and recycling infrastructure is also underpinned by an understanding of the behaviours of individuals and businesses that may inhibit innovation adoption.
The SMIH will be led by Director Michael Shaver, Professor of Polymer Science at The University of Manchester and Lead for Sustainable Materials for the Henry Royce Institute.
The Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub will be a key driver in delivering Royce’s vision of Advanced Materials for a Sustainable Society and will support SMEs from across Greater Manchester like Dsposal who use tech to simplify waste compliance and promote industry transparency.