Cardiff University to catalyse manufacturing

Cardiff, UK - Cardiff University is investing £3 million in the Cardiff Catalysis Institute (CCI) at its school of chemistry. The move, it said, will aid the development of economically and environmentally sustainable manufacturing processes.

The investment over five years is intended to help advance new lines of research, towards keeping the CCI at the international forefront of its field, the University said.

CCI was established under the directorship of professor Graham Hutchings FRS in 2008. Backed by a team of around 90 people, the unit has established industrial links in areas such as low-carbon processes and new uses for waste products.

The unit’s research has earned international recognition, including Hutchings’ fellowship of the Royal Society for his transformation of gold’s role as a catalyst in such uses as chemicals manufacture.

“Our research income, high-level academic publications and individual awards have been about double our initial targets,” said Hutchings is stepping down from his other role as the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research to devote all his time to the CCI.

“We now want to take the Institute to the next level, building on our established strengths in areas like heterogenous catalysis,” he added. “We also want to move into new areas, such as photocatalysis, using Cardiff’s strength in nanoparticles, and bio-catalysis, finding more imaginative ways of utilising of carbon dioxide than we have at present.”

“Catalysis has been selected by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as a topic for enhanced research funding in the UK. The establishment of the CCI as a Chancellor’s Research Institute will provide Cardiff with the right platform to grow in this vital field.”