Chemistry

By 2050 our industry will have embraced a circular economy and be using different feedstocks, technologies and energy sources to produce chemicals. The Innovate UK Business Connect Chemistry team can help you navigate these changes and identify innovation that will ensure your business, research or service remains sustainable.

Innovate UK Business Connect works with all sectors that use chemicals or chemistry in their business. These include:

  • UK Chemical Manufacturers
  • “Chemistry-using” Sectors – where chemistry is critical to the business, e.g. Pharmaceuticals, Home & Personal Care, Agrochemicals, Fuels and Energy
  • Innovative companies (particularly SMEs and start-ups) and leading academics developing technologies and solutions for a Net Zero future

Innovate UK Business Connect uses sector knowledge to help businesses innovate through providing access to connections and collaborations as well as expertise and funding.

We can also help with innovation related to:

Our current focus in this area

Accelerating the development of UK’s SAF industry and enabling UK Government to achieve 10% SAF in the UK jet fuel mix by 2030. By fostering innovation and collaboration across industry, the SAF IP is building the supply chain, enabling new fuel development and demystifying the SAF landscape.

The sustainable bio-based materials and manufacture (SusBioMM) programme seeks to address the challenge of developing innovations in sustainable and scalable biomanufacturing processes.

The programme aims for the UK to be a leader in resource efficiency with organisations understanding the environmental, social and economic impact of the full lifecycle and thriving from adoption of resource efficient solutions which are fundamental to UK and global Net Zero ambitions.

This £15 million programme will support the development of resilient UK based supply chains for rare earth elements, with a focus on primary (mine to magnet) and secondary (End of Life to magnet) supply chains.

Related Opportunities

Global Business Innovation Programme – Battery Tech, Germany

Opens: 15/09/2025   Closes: 26/10/2025

Join Innovate UK's exclusive programme for innovative companies to explore battery technology opportunities in Germany.

More Information

Resource efficiency for resilience and sustainability: feasibility studies

Opens: 22/09/2025   Closes: 03/11/2025

Up to £25k per project for innovative feasibility studies in novel, sustainable, low carbon materials and manufacturing, including seaweed processing.

More Information

HMGCC Co-Creation: Security watermarks for physical documents

Opens: 06/10/2025   Closes: 06/11/2025

HMGCC seeks to develop new processes and manufacturing concepts, enabling small-scale, agile production runs of security watermarked documents.

More Information

Related Events and Recordings

Wed
15
Oct
2025

Materials & Manufacturing Show and Tell Series, autumn 2025

12.00 - 13.00 | Online

Register for this event
Wed
30
Jul
2025

Materials & Manufacturing Show and Tell Series, summer 2025

12.00 - 13.00 BST | Online

Watch now
Mon
22
Jan
2024

Mission Innovation: Integrated Biorefineries programme

12.00 - 14.00 GMT | Online

Watch now
See all events

Our Experts

Sustainable carbon ambition for the UK chemicals industry
Posted on: 30/08/2024

Sustainable carbon ambition for the UK chemicals industry

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Related News

SusChem: the network driving innovation in sustainable chemistry

18/10/2024

SusChem: the network driving innovation in sustainable chemistry

How the UK’s SusChem National Technology Platform (SusChem UK) is supporting the UK chemical industry by fostering innovation and promoting sustainable practices.

Read more
Women Innovators in Foundation Industries Awards 2025 Shortlist

16/01/2025

Women Innovators in Foundation Industries Awards 2025 Shortlist

Discover the shortlisted nominees for the first ever awards from UKRI’s Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, EPSRC and ESRC, recognising Women Innovators in Foundation Industries. These awards are taking place at Innovate UK’s Materials and Manufacturing Showcase in London on 19 February.

Read more
More News

For general enquiries regarding our Chemistry sector contact us now

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