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NEPIC is delighted to announce that Chief Executive Officer, Philip Aldridge, has joined the Strategic Advisory Board for the Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Chemical Economy.

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Chemical Economy will aim to reduce the reliance on fossil resources by creating methods to recover and reuse olefins from domestic waste products and CO₂ emissions. Olefins are the raw materials for 70% of all organic chemical production, used to create synthetic fibres, plastics, solvents and other high value-specialities.

As well as developing new transformative technologies, the centre will work with industry, consumers and other stakeholders to develop sector-wide solutions to reduce the industry’s environmental impact and increase its productivity.

The Strategic Advisory board will provide strategic oversight to the programme and engagement activities and monitor progress against project objectives and will involve representatives from WRAP, Shell, Unilever, Johnson Matthey, Princeton University, EPSRC, DEFRA, CE-Hub, BASF, TU Delft and the Knowledge Transfer Network.

NEPIC Chief Executive, Philip Aldridge, said:

“I am very pleased to have been invited onto this Strategic Advisory Board so that we can influence the Centre’s aims to the benefit of NEPIC members. The development of a circular economy is, together with decarbonisation, a major societal and industrial trend and it is important we help members with this transition.”

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Chemical Economy is one of five new circular economy centres were announced in November 2020 as part of a £22.5 million government investment. Together, they will explore how reusing waste materials in the textiles, construction, chemical and metal industries could deliver huge environmental benefits and boost the UK economy.

Further information

The centres form part of the £30 million UKRI Interdisciplinary Circular Economy programme, funded by the UKRI Strategic Priorities Fund, and delivered by the:

• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
• Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• Innovate UK
• DEFRA

As well as the interdisciplinary centres, which have been allocated £4.5 million in UKRI funding each, UKRI will provide £2.5 million of funding to enable small and medium enterprise involvement with centre. They will support an integration hub to provide national leadership and coordination, driving knowledge exchange and whole-systems learning.

The Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF) is one of the UK’s largest, publicly funded, programmes of work to spearhead multi and inter disciplinary research and innovation.

Established in 2018 and led by UKRI, the SPF aims to:

• drive an increase in high quality multi and interdisciplinary research and innovation
• ensure that UKRI’s investment links up effectively with government research and innovation priorities and opportunities
• ensure the system responds to strategic priorities and opportunities.

For additional information, visit >>>>> https://www.ukri.org/news/circular-economy-centres-to-drive-uk-to-a-sustainable-future/

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