Sustainable Chemicals Innovation Network
Uniting industry and innovators to reimagine carbon and defossilise the UK chemicals sector, promoting a sustainable future and robust economic growth
Sustainable Chemicals in Demand
Over 96% of UK-manufactured products rely on chemicals produced by the chemicals industry. These manufacturing processes have traditionally been highly carbon- and energy-intensive, using fossil fuels both as energy and raw material, contributing to production emissions and the release of embodied fossil carbon at the end of life. For our quality of life to continue, we must work together to share knowledge and harness innovation to find sustainable solutions.
Delivered by Innovate UK, the Sustainable Chemicals Innovation Network will work to address the UK chemicals industry stakeholders ambition for 2050, to source 80% of the carbon requirement from non-virgin fossil, sustainable carbon sources.
The Sustainable Chemicals Innovation Network will bring together industry, researchers and disruptive innovators to meet, share knowledge, develop new cross-discipline and collaborative supply chain projects. The network will act as strategic linker between industry stakeholders and government to address the move to a sustainable future. We will be working regionally and nationally to share knowledge and strategies that will lead us to a sustainable UK chemical sector, and disseminate information on the latest innovation funding.
By working together, we will identify strengths and opportunities for the UK’s chemical sector and the associated supply chains to innovate and transition towards a sustainable carbon future.
EVENT
Reimagining Carbon and Defossilising the UK Chemicals Industry
Join Pioneer Group and Innovate UK Business Connect, for this exciting event focused on defossilising the UK chemicals industry, which will see the launch of the new Innovate UK Business Connect ‘Sustainable Chemicals Innovation Network’.
Read more and attend
Sustainable carbon ambition for the UK chemicals industry
The chemicals industry is inherently carbon and energy intensive and uses fossil resources as both a fuel and as a feedstock – contributing to both fossil-derived production emissions plus release of embodied fossil carbon at end of life. Innovate UK have worked in partnership with senior leaders from industry and academia to create a Sustainable Carbon Ambition for the UK Chemicals Industry.
Read more
How the chemical industry and sustainable aviation fuel can drive net-zero
The UK has its sights set on achieving net zero by 2050, but a major challenge lies in reducing carbon emissions from high-impact sectors contributing to global emissions, including chemicals and aviation. The push for sustainability is intensifying, and new government policies, including the SAF mandate, now provide an opportunity to hold these sectors accountable to green standards.
Read more
Meet the experts
If you are an innovator working in this area and would like help navigating the innovation landscape, finding funding or partners, then reach out to a member of the Chemistry & Industrial Biotechnology.
Our experts
Related Opportunities
Engineering Biology SPARK Awards
Opens: 02/06/2025 Closes: 09/07/2025
Grants of up to £15,000 to fund UK-registered academic institutions or RTOs to deliver an engineering biology project to address a challenge held by a UK-registered SME or to enhance the SME’s progress towards developing new products, processes, or services.
More Information
Novel solutions for disinfecting operational areas of a manufacturing unit
Opens: 19/05/2025 Closes: 27/06/2025
LUSH cosmetics would like to find alternative ways of disinfecting the machinery and equipment used during the manufacture of their products. They currently use Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) which is widely used in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors but are keen to find a more environmentally frie…
More Information
Contracts for Innovation: Clean Air, Phase 3
Opens: 19/05/2025 Closes: 25/06/2025
Organisations can apply for a share of £800k to further develop clean air pre-commercial innovations in extended field trials.
More Information
Related Events and Recordings
Tue
29
Jul
2025
Thu
19
Jun
2025
Thu
12
Jun
2025
Reimagining Carbon and Defossilising the UK Chemicals Industry
10.00 - 16.30 | Teesside
Recording coming soon
Related programmes
Sustainable bio-based Materials and Manufacture (SusBioMM)
The sustainable bio-based materials and manufacture (SusBioMM) programme seeks to address the challenge of developing innovations in sustainable and scalable biomanufacturing processes.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Innovation Programme
Collaboration is essential to building the UK’s SAF supply chain. Our expert team at Innovate UK Business Connect can help you find the right connections and resources to help you develop and commercialise your Sustainable Aviation Fuel project.
Engineering Biology Innovation Network
Driving the development of a joined-up UK innovation ecosystem to ensure synthetic biology tools, technologies and processes can be more easily developed and adopted by a variety of industries.
CONNECT
For more information on the Sustainable Chemicals Innovation Network
If you are interested and want to learn more about the Sustainable Chemicals Innovation Network and the Sustainable carbon stakeholder ambition then please reach out to our expert Michael Burnett to express your interest.