University collaboration secures funding for SuperREACT project
A COLLABORATIVE project between the University of Birmingham and the private sector has been awarded more than £480,000 funding from the Technology Strategy Board.
The university has teamed up with Teer Coatings and Johnson Matthey Plc on a project which it believes has the potential to provide a radical new capability for high-tech UK manufacturing.
This award is to support the £1m ‘SuperREACT Project’, in particular the further development of a breakthrough technology which aims to transform a research apparatus into a manufacturing tool in the field of cluster beam technology, opening up manufacturing opportunities in catalytic, fine chemical, electronic/ photonic, bio-medicine and anti-microbials.
The project is based on a patented idea from the University of Birmingham and also brings together manufacturing and market knowledge from Teer Coatings Limited, Miba Coating Group and Johnson Matthey.
Professor Richard Palmer, head of the nanoscale physics research laboratory at the University of Birmingham, said: “I am delighted by the Technology Strategy Board’s vote of confidence in our close and fruitful partnership with Teer and Johnson Matthey.
“This project has the potential to provide a radical new capability for high-tech UK manufacturing.”
Dr Kevin Cooke, R&D technology centre manager at Droitwich-based Teer Coatings, added: “The innovative technology at the heart of SuperREACT has the potential to transform our future equipment and service offerings to a worldwide customer base in diverse, high value-added sectors, all with exceptional opportunities for sustainable growth.”
