Universities pool research for new centre

A virtual knowledge centre for materials chemistry – used in pharmaceuticals and renewable energy sources – has been launched today.

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has put £8m into the initiative which it hopes will make the region a specialist centre for the technology.

Launched by skills secretary John Denham the centre will use research and expertise in the Universities of Bolton, Liverpool, Manchester and the Science and Technology Facilities Council Daresbury Laboratory in Warrington. 

The academic partners will commit a further £7m and the NWDA hopes to pull in industry income worth £15m over the next five years.

It will provide a single point of access for industry to multi-disciplinary research in applied materials chemistry which is used in fields as diverse as bio-medical devices, pharmaceuticals, personal care products coatings, electronic materials and renewable energy sources.

Skills secretary John Denham said: “The KCMC is a fantastic initiative with huge potential to explore many exciting areas. It gives me great pleasure to see the centre launched at the Daresbury campus – helping to place it as the major, international, science and innovation hub it deserves to be.

“Some of the very best science has been carried out at Daresbury and the launch of the KCMC is a further step towards ensuring this proud tradition continues.”