Knowledge Centre

This year, Innovate UK are delighted to run GRIPS 2024 in partnership with the British Plastics Federation (BPF).

The issue of plastic pollution is complex and challenging, and India, like many other countries, faces significant obstacles in managing its plastic consumption and waste. However, promising sustainable recycling initiatives are underway that are working to address this global crisis. Here, we examine India’s current situation, government initiatives, international collaborations, and opportunities for innovation between the UK and India, as highlighted in the 2023 Innovate UK Global Expert Mission to India.

Tembisa, South Africa, is catalysing innovation in working towards a future without waste. Four new pilot projects will soon be launched in the township, helping to create sustainable, circular economies for waste management in one of the country’s largest urban areas. This follows the successful close of the Sebenzisa Tembisa Challenge, an initiative of Innovate UK’s Global Alliance Africa project, that aims to bridge the gap between research, innovation and real-world impact.

The Workforce Foresighting Hub were hosted at an exciting and vital event at the end of January, by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) at their state-of-the-art facility near Glasgow. The event was developed with the aim of highlighting and collaborating over the future skills gaps faced by the Scottish and UK economies.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, has announced an £8 million investment into the Workforce Foresighting Hub programme.

Building on Innovate UK’s recently updated Transport Vision 2050, Richard Morris, Innovation Lead for Automated and Connected Vehicles, Innovate UK, discusses the wider challenges and opportunities around autonomy.

Turning an innovative idea into a commercial product is a long journey, and one that often requires help. While each company and product are different in all kinds of ways, there’s also a lot of synergy about how to think about growing your business, reach customers and set yourself apart. Being an expert in a particular field and taking an innovative concept towards initial prototype is one thing, but turning it into a growing and successful business can often be much harder.

This collaborative event, jointly organised by the Innovate UK Transforming Medicines Manufacturing Community of Practice, UCL’s Future Targeted Healthcare Manufacturing Hub and the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA), will share insights and strategies for integrating sustainable approaches into new manufacturing processes.

Luca Budello, Knowledge Transfer Manager, Geospatial Insights and Andy Bennett, Knowledge Transfer Manager, Space, would like to celebrate the 18 startups who pitched their innovative solutions, marking the culmination of the Ignite Lab: Space for Nature & Biodiversity.

Innovate UK Business Connect has published findings from a survey it commissioned for the Jet Zero Council, of which it’s a member and delivery partner, to test public sentiment around new propulsion systems.