UK Plastics Network Webinars – September and October

Tuesday 6th September, 09:00 -15:30 | Radisson Blu, Cardiff, Wales

Wednesday 7th September, 09:00 -15:30 | The Studio, Glasgow, Scotland

About the events:

UKRI’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge (SSPP) is working to make plastic packaging fit for a sustainable future. A £60 million five-year programme, it is the largest and most ambitious UK government investment to date in sustainable plastics research and innovation. It reflects the urgent need for action to reduce the environmental footprint of plastics and eradicate plastic pollution.

With a packed agenda, these events will help participants to:

Agenda summary

9.00 – 11.00 Session 1: Information

Welcome and overview

11.00 – 12.15 Session 2: Exploration

Presentations from some of the most exciting plastics innovation projects

Lunch

13.00 – 14.30 Briefing on the planned new SSPP funding competition

14.30 – 15.30 Session 3: Networking

Extended networking and pre-bookable 1-2-1 meetings with SSPP, KTN, etc

Who should attend:

These events are open to any stakeholder in the plastic packaging supply chain interested, involved or innovating in the field of sustainable plastics, including packaging designers and manufacturers, brands and retailers, waste management companies, plastics converters, government and policy representatives, third sector organisations, NGOs, and academic research teams.

SSPP Future Plastic Packaging Solutions Round 2 Competition Briefing Event

7th September 2022, 13:00 – 14:30 | Online

UKRI’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) Challenge intends to launch a funding competition for early-stage and mid-stage projects seeking grant funding from £30,000 to £250,000 that aim to:

This briefing event will provide further detail on the scope of the planned competition and key application criteria.

Register for the virtual briefing event here.

Note that this online briefing will be presented from Glasgow during Innovate UK KTN’s event “Making Plastics Fit for a Sustainable Future – A Snapshot of Innovation, Successes, Support & Funding” – if you are already attending this event, there is no need to register separately for the online briefing. Click below to sign up for the Glasgow event in-person (runs 9am-3.30pm on 7th September 2022).

3rd – 5th October 2022, | London & Online

MRE 2022 will be taking place 3rd – 5th October 2022 and will be delivered face to face with a virtual add-on for selected seminars. The event is organised and run by Innovate UK and Innovate UK KTN, taking place at the Business Design Centre in London and will be full of new insights about what materials research and innovations are taking place to help the UK recover, become more resilient and grow.

UKRI’s Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) Challenge will be showcasing its Enabling Research programme at MRE. The 10 university-led projects are researching solutions to acknowledged issues with plastic packaging with the aim of reducing plastic pollution and unlocking the barriers to fundamental change. The projects are highly collaborative and the universities are working with partners from across the plastics value chain to ensure solutions are responding directly to industry needs.

What can you expect elsewhere at MRE 2022?

We are planning for targeted seminars on a range of cutting-edge areas such as materials for Net Zero, including materials for the production, transportation and storage of hydrogen and the use of hydrogen in low carbon production of materials, investments in graphene and metamaterials for industrial applications. We will be holding sessions on technology transfer from UK’s world class research base, with a focus on high performance, net zero materials required by key sectors such as transport, medical, construction, packaging, clothing and other wearables. The event is designed to enable closer collaboration between industry and the materials research and innovation community.