The SMI Hub was created by the Henry Royce Institute for advanced materials in 2020 with funding from the European Regional Development Fund to support the growing need to combat plastics pollution increasingly associated with major world cities.
The SMI Hub has supported businesses with their use of plastics since 2020, and going forward we are able to offer support at a national level and create sustainable solutions for many materials, as part of the Henry Royce Institute and two of the Greater Manchester Innovation Accelerator programmes, Future Homes and CEAMS.
More about RoyceGreater Manchester was identified as the ideal location for the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub, as a global city playing a leading role in innovation with a focus on advanced materials.
In 2019, the region declared a climate emergency and set itself an ambitious target of being a zero-carbon city by 2038 or before – 12 years earlier than the national 2050 target. This spirit and ambition makes the region an ideal location to act as a test-bed for a pilot regional project for plastics innovation that can be rolled out further in the future.
Materials scientists, technical staff and advisors
materials assessment facilities
companies supported
When looking to make more sustainable choices when using plastics, understanding where to get the best impartial advice can be overwhelming and costly. External pressures to better manage your plastics can often lead to reactive decision making that may not be the best solution both environmentally and financially.
At the SMI Hub, we have a varied team of specialists from materials experts, technical support staff and business advisors who will work with you to create trusted sustainable solutions for plastics use. We help businesses understand where they can make efficiencies, realise opportunities and avoid unintended consequences when concerned about the sustainability of products or packaging.
Our dedicated team of materials experts, technical staff and business advisors can help co-develop sustainable solutions for plastics and take a first step in a journey to a more sustainable future.
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