UK universities create centre for industrial R&D collaboration

Brussels, 30 Jan 2004

A new centre designed to promote collaboration in research and development (R&D) between academia and industry in the field of particle science has opened in the UK.

The industrial centre of particle science and engineering (ICPSE) was established with funding from the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward. The centre comprises research groups from the University of Leeds, where it is based, and the University of Sheffield.

ICPSE has a research base of more than 120 people and offers access to state of the art infrastructure worth some 30 million euro. These resources will be made available to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and large companies alike to generate and develop innovative thinking.

De Ceri Williams, science exploitation manager at Yorkshire Forward, said: 'This pioneering programme will place the region's universities firmly at the heart of industrial R&D locally, nationally and internationally. This collaborative centre [...] was selected for its already outstanding track record of industrial collaboration, its strategic vision and the enthusiasm of key university staff.'

As well as carrying out scientific research in collaboration with industry, the centre will also provide strategic and technical services to companies within the chemical, food, pharmaceutical, water and mining sectors. Such services will include bespoke training courses, advice on UK and EU funding opportunities, and project management of collaborative research.

ICPSE's commercial manager, Dr Simon Lawson, explains: 'Any organisation that uses particles in processes or products can benefit from better understanding of their properties. [...] Our aim is to be a one stop shop for all aspects of particle technology, whether that is designer particulates for drug delivery, waste effluents or minimising wastes in the quarrying sector.'

ICPSE is one of six such centres of industrial collaboration in the Yorkshire region, with others covering polymers, green chemistry, biomaterials and tissue engineering, stem cell biology, and materials analysis and research. The aim is to create a total of 15 centres across key business sectors throughout the region.

For further information, please consult the following web address:
http://www.particletechnology.org

CORDIS RTD-NEWS / © European Communities