Jan 25 2010
A collaborative network that aims to put the Yorkshire and Humber region
at the forefront of the development of product formulations to improve
everyday products is being launched in Leeds.
“The Formulations market plays such a key role in the development of so
many everyday products and it is vital that the region is in a position
to capitalise on one of strongest industries”
Formulations are the basis for countless products used by consumers and
industries. Formulated products include creams, lotions, tablets and
substances used across a range of sectors including: personal care and
cosmetics, household products, pharmaceuticals, food, crop protection,
textile manufacture, paint and adhesives.
The Formulation Innovation Network plans to involve formulating
companies, universities, ingredient manufacturers, suppliers and
different industry sectors in the development of a centre of excellence
for product formulations.
Innovative new formulations and formulating technologies could improve
process time, saving both money and energy, or could enable one chemical
to carry out a role that previously required two, reducing the overall
chemical burden on products downstream.
Jim Bullock, CEO of Intelligent Formulation Ltd, and Director of the
Formulation Innovation Network, says: “Formulations are vital to
everything we do and nearly every product we use, but because
Formulation is not recognised as a discipline in itself, each industry
has built up its own expertise. Our role is to facilitate research and
knowledge transfer to accelerate innovation across industry sectors and
to address future opportunities”.
The Formulation Innovation Network is supported with funding from
Yorkshire Forward and the European Union through the 2007-2013 Yorkshire
and Humber European Regional Development Fund Programme which is
investing over £500 million in the region to create jobs and increase
competitiveness. The Network has a specific remit to assist SMEs.
Jim Farmery, Assistant Director of Business at Yorkshire Forward, said:
“The Formulations market plays such a key role in the development of so
many everyday products and it is vital that the region is in a position
to capitalise on one of strongest industries”.
The Formulation Innovation Network is hosted by Intelligent Formulation
Ltd, a new not-for-profit company formed with the backing of Yorkshire
Chemical Focus in Huddersfield, the Institute of Pharmaceutical
Innovation at the University of Bradford and ParticlesCIC at the
University of Leeds.
The Formulation Innovation Network launch is on Tuesday, 2 February 2010
at the University of Leeds.