Henry Royce Institute to launch Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub for Greater Manchester

“The Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub provides a platform to work with SMEs across Greater Manchester to help them adopt the right sustainable plastic innovation for the right reasons. We will pioneer solutions that fit with our current and emerging waste management practices and help companies make decisions that are truly sustainable rather than just band-aid interventions”.

Michael Shaver, Professor of Polymer Science at The University of Manchester and Lead for Sustainable Materials at the Henry Royce Institute

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.

Plastic waste is forecast to reach 40 billion tons per year globally and is increasingly associated with major world cities. Urgent action is needed to find sustainable solutions to making, using and disposing of plastics.

Greater Manchester, a region with a growing industrial and economic footprint, has clean growth at the core of its economic ambition and the Innovation Hub demonstrates its commitment to delivering the technology necessary to support this aim.

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 investment in the SMIH represents The University of Manchester’s dedication to environmental sustainability. Professor Colette Fagan, Vice-President for Research said:

“We are proud to host the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub in Manchester. Its aims are directly aligned to our environmental sustainability strategy for our research, teaching and how we operate as a social responsible organisation”.