Innovate UK announce Collaborative Research and Development Competition Winners

Innovate UK announce Collaborative Research and Development Competition Winners

Innovate UK recently announced the 18 projects selected in the Resource efficiency for materials and manufacturing (REforMM) collaborative research & development competition.

This competition is supported through Innovate UK’s net zero make and use initiative.

The nominated organisations will complete collaborative research & development projects to de-risk new approaches to improve resource efficiency.

Resource efficiency

Broad adoption of resource efficiency is critical for economic growth, to protect our environment, and to ensure resilience of supply. However, maximum implementation of resource efficient solutions is a complex task.

Materials and manufacturing vision

This programme builds on the Innovate UK materials and manufacturing vision 2050.

The vision concludes that the UK has clear potential to become a world-class destination of choice for advanced low-carbon manufacturing. Improving resource efficiency is a key pillar in delivering this potential.

Moving towards increased sustainability

Mike Biddle, Innovate UK Executive Director for Net Zero, said: “There is so much the UK can do in the essential area of resource efficiency and it is exciting to see such a breadth of innovative projects. My team will work closely with all involved to help these innovations become successful, helping the UK to prosper from the transition to Net Zero.”

David Elson, Innovate UK Head of Materials and Manufacturing, said: “Resource efficiency is recognised as critical for UK materials and manufacturing organisations to transition to Net Zero. These inspiring projects, and the wider REforMM programme, will develop innovations, refine business models, and reduce the risk of adoption of resource efficiency through specification, skills development and facilitation of private investment.”

A number of the projects will be showcased at Materials Research Exchange (MRE) 2024 in April.

The 18 projects

1. A digital framework for the design and additive manufacturing of lattice metamaterial structures (METAMAT)

• Holdson Limited / Lancaster University / Teesside University / Authentise Limited / NS85 Limited

2. Additive Manufacturing for Repair and Re-use of Castings – AdCast

• Weir Minerals Europe Limited / Manufacturing Technology Centre / AI Build Limited

3. Carbon-neutral Agroforestry-derived Resins to Materials for Automotive applications (CARMA)

• Bio-Sep Limited / NCC Operations Limited / SHD Composite Materials Limited / Scott Bader Company Limited / Centre For Process Innovation Limited / Polestar Automotive UK Limited

4. ENIGMATEC: Efficient Netshape manufacturInG for reduced Materials waste in production or ThermoElectric Coolers

• Innovative Materials Limited / European Thermodynamics Limited / University of Birmingham

5. GRAPHenhance: GRAPHene scaleup for strength ENHANCEd concrete

• Nationwide Engineering Research and Development Ltd / William Blythe Limited / Thomas Swan & Co Limited

6. High performance 3D-Li anodes with recycled and sustainably sourced carbon scaffolds

• Sigma Lithium Limited / Gen 2 Carbon Limited

7. Improving resource efficiency and reducing carbon emissions through low-temperature, low-pressure ammonia synthesis

• We Are Nium Ltd / Cardiff University / Teer Coatings Limited

8. Incredible Husk & WCM: Unlocking sustainable composite materials applications to support lifecycle decarbonisation of the automotive industry

• Incredible Husk International Group Limited / WCM Europe Limited

9. Industrial byproduct as an alternative construction material for the future economy

• Green Lithium Refining Limited / Sol Environment Limited / 3X6 Limited

10. neWCat: New Tungsten Carbide Electrocatalysts for Resource Efficient Green Hydrogen Electrolysis

• Hardide PLC / Cranfield University

11. Oakdale: a step-change in UK materials and manufacturing using carbon negative materials to achieve carbon neutral batch

• Oakdale (Contracts) Limited / Materials Processing Institute

12. PRONET: Production Resource Optimisation of SiC fibre for Net Zero Efficiency Targets

• Tisics Limited / Centre For Process Innovation Limited

13. Pure CuRE (Pure Copper Resource Efficiency)

• Aaeramine Limited / Manufacturing Technology Centre / Phoenix Scientific Industries Limited

14. Resource Efficient Additive Manufacture of Actuators (REAMA)

• R53 Engineering Limited / University of Warwick / Polestar Automotive UK Limited / Matsuura Machinery Limited

15. Revolutionising Waterless Textile Dyeing through Optical Colour Mixing and Machine Learning Colour-recipe Prediction

• Amphibio Ltd / University of Leeds

16. Scaling up Treekind(R) – a truly sustainable vegan leather alternative, completely free of plastic polyurethane

• Biophilica Ltd / Centre For Process Innovation Limited

17. Sheep Wool External Wall Insulation

• Vector Homes Ltd / Wool Insulation Wales Limited

18. Smart Model Advancing Reusability driven from Track record of additive manufacturing to increase Adaptability and predict Product Performance: SMART-APP

• Materials Processing Institute / The Plastic Economy Limited / Additive Manufacturing Solutions Limited