Foundation Industries
Situated in our industrial heartlands, these sectors include metals, ceramics, glass, chemicals, paper and cement, producing 28m tonnes of material per year, and are worth £52bn annually to the UK economy.
Foundation Industries
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The Foundation Industries produce 75% of the materials we use on a daily basis, therefore are critical to our way of life. In the UK, the foundation industries produce 28 million tonnes of materials per year, but in doing so are by far the UK’s biggest industrial polluters: around 50 million tonnes of CO2 per year, or 10% of the total CO2 emitted by UK homes and businesses. If we are to meet our Net Zero commitments, transformational change is needed by these industries in how materials are sourced and processed, and the types of products manufactured. Developing a resource and energy efficient foundation industry will also help anchor production in the UK through increased competitiveness.
Transforming foundation industries
UKRI’s Transforming Foundation Industries (TFI) Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, EPSRC and ESRC is a £66 million programme helping the UK’s foundation industries (cement, metal, glass, chemicals, paper and ceramics sectors) become internationally competitive, secure more UK jobs and grow in an environmentally sustainable way.
Since it’s inception in 2020, the TFI Challenge has led transformational cross-sector collaboration within these industries, and the broader community, to address the fundamental challenges they face now and in the transition to net zero.
Funding cross-sector collaborative projects
The TFI Challenge has funded a series of targeted competitions, leading to over 70 cross-sector projects addressing resource and energy efficiency. Each project is different, but they share a common vision: by innovating and collaborating, communities, businesses and investors can unlock the potential of the Foundation Industries in the UK and create new materials and processes to ensure a sustainable future. Contact one of the team, below, if you would like to know more about any of these initiatives.
Fostering talent and skills
New and diverse skills and people are needed to deliver the transformation of these industries. To address this need, the TFI Challenge has created new networks (including the Future Leaders group and Women Innovators in Foundation Industries), industry focussed training and early career research funding to develop the future leaders. Through Hackathon style events, students in design, science and engineering have been brought together to make lasting connections and encourage new approaches to grand challenges.
Read the report – Forging a sustainable future
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Women Innovators in Foundation Industries Awards 2025 Shortlist
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Related programmes
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On International Women in Engineering Day 2022, the Innovate UK Business Connect Materials Team and the Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge launched the Women Innovators in Foundation Industries (WINFI) programme.
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