Innovate

As we look ahead to the next decade and beyond, we face numerous challenges to ensure a sustainable future for our society and our planet. With increasing awareness around plastic pollution and its environmental damage, the demand for new disruptive solutions has never been higher.

We all have a responsibility to use plastics more sustainably and there is a clear need for businesses to step up and play a positive role in tackling plastic pollution.

The SMI Hub presents a unique opportunity for new research-led innovations and technologies to be developed and implemented to address the sustainability challenges of SMEs in Greater Manchester.

Working with businesses we will co-create innovations that are best suited to leverage our state-of-the-art laboratories and world-leading expertise and achieve robust and pragmatic solutions, in areas such as:

• Biodegradable polymers and invisible plastic waste
• Standardising recycling and degradation
• Plastic waste management systems
• Validating emerging sustainable materials
• Translating sustainable polymers to market

Through these more bespoke and in-depth collaborations, spanning several months or more, we hope to be a catalyst of change for SMEs in Greater Manchester and beyond, and to inspire our partners and their customers to take action with us.

At the SMI Hub, we are motivated to achieve real change: our ambition is to fast-track the development of innovative, responsible solutions and the creation of new business models that will help stimulate a more circular economy.

To learn more, please see the ‘Our Experience’ section, which showcases some of the work we have implemented.