Technology merger in North East
6 May 2008
London - The North East-based Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and the Centre of Excellence for Nano, Micro and Photonic Systems (Cenamps) are to merge. The move is intended to reinforce the groups’ efforts to drive innovation in the UK processing sector.
Together, the newly merged CPI will be championing four key technology areas that offer the most sustainable growth potential: advanced processes, low carbon energy, functional materials and printable electronics, said a CPI statement.
“This is a highly positive move for North East England in a sector where we already have a real international presence,” said Nigel Perry, chief executive officer of CPI. “Processing is moving forward at a great pace and only those organisations which continually innovate and evolve will keep up with the marketplace.”
CPI aims to become a national centre of international importance, with over 70 high calibre scientists, engineers and support staff. Its role includes collaborating with industry and internationally leading research universities and providing facilities to scale-up projects from the laboratory through to industrial application.
Processing has been the UK’s fastest growing sector over the last ten years growing at an average rate of 2.6 per cent per annum, and is now worth £70bn to the national economy. North East England’s contribution is some 25 per cent of this national total, with the sector representing 30 per cent of the North East industrial base.
CPI has already been recognised as an example of best practice for its approach to market led-innovation in the recent White Paper ‘Innovation Nation,’ published by the Government last month.
CPI and Cenamps were both established by One NorthEast four years ago to connect academia and industry and encourage market-led innovation in process industry on Teesside and across the North East. The sector, boted CPI, has since been revitalised, with the region now host to three national centres in plastic electronics, nanotechnology and biotechnology.
“One NorthEast fully supports the merger of Cenamps and CPI and the new organisation will significantly add to the region’s process industry offer; both in the UK and internationally,” said Ian Williams, director of business & industry at One NorthEast.
