Led by the University of Oxford , the Sustainable Chemicals and Materials Manufacturing Hub ( SCHEMA ) will bring together researchers from across the UK working with a large consortium of commercial , technology translation and civic partners .

Chemical manufacturing is crucial to the UK ’ s economy . It is the UK ’ s second largest manufacturing industry , directly employing over 140,000 people and delivering turnover exceeding £ 75 bn / yr .

However , there is an urgent need for this industry to tackle the environmental impact from both manufacturing and its products . Greenhouse gas emissions from the global sector are significant , with it currently accounting for approximately 5 – 6 % of emissions , which is 2 – 3 times larger than the global airline industry . Coupled to this are the challenges of raw material being sourced from fossil fuel extraction and refining ; pollution in water and soil ; and for globally low rates of polymer recycling .

The Sustainable Chemicals and Materials Manufacturing Hub ( SCHEMA ) aims to improve the sustainability of chemical and polymer production by transforming their design , manufacture , and recyclability at all stages of the product lifecycle .

The SCHEMA Hub will be led by Prof . Charlotte Williams OBE FRS working in the University of Oxford ’ s Department of Chemistry and Professor Matthew Davidson from the Institute for Sustainability and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Bath .

It will involve academics from Chemistry , Engineering , Materials Science , Computation , Environmental Economics and Law at the Universities of Oxford , Bath , Liverpool , Cardiff , York and Cambridge .

The Hub has been funded by £ 11m from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council ( EPSRC ) and leverages £ 22m commitments from its partners .

Professor Williams said , “ It is imperative that the chemical industry reaches net zero emissions and sustainability as so many essential downstream industries depend upon it . Our Hub will be well placed to tackle this difficult challenge by bringing together a very wide range of academic expertise with companies from across the supply chain .”

Professor Davidson , Co-director of the SCHEMA Hub added , “ We are delighted to be a key partner in this new Manufacturing Hub . To deliver a sustainable chemical and materials manufacturing industry of the future is a huge challenge that requires a multidisciplinary and multi-partner approach , working closely across academia and industry .

“ This substantial investment by EPSRC provides an exciting opportunity to develop the novel molecules , materials and processes that future manufacturing will need .”

The research focusses on transforming the way chemicals and polymers are designed , made and recycled and to support the transition away from the use of virgin petrochemicals and to increase recycling rates . A key focus will be to design processes

that can produce chemicals and polymers from renewable raw materials such as biomass , carbon dioxide and even industrial wastes , and integrating renewable energy into the process engineering .

This will build upon the Bath ’ s research expertise in sustainable chemical technologies and sustainable systems , including making painkillers from plant sources instead of crude oil , and helping launch the UK ’ s first pilot plant for recycling plastic lab waste .

The Hub is strongly integrated with high-tech and high growth SMEs as well as multinationals . It builds upon the successful Bath-led Innovation Centre for Applied Sustainable Technologies ( iCAST ). Together with our recently announced EPSRC CDT in Sustainable Chemical Technologies : A Systems Approach it places the University of Bath at the centre of a highly integrated research , training and innovation ecosystem for sustainable technologies .

The research teams will work across the fields of sustainable chemistry , process engineering , polymer materials science , and digital technologies . A key aim is to leverage recent developments in computation and information technology to design future materials that are both functional and fully sustainable , embedding principles of circular economy and end-of-life management . Within SCHEMA , researchers will work with a range of partners including businesses , the Catapult Network , professional societies and international academic partners to try to tackle the

shared materials design and sustainability challenges of important end-use sectors . These partnerships will enable sustainable chemicals and polymers to be designed for immediate use within key sectors including electronics , transportation , energy generation and storage , construction and fast-moving consumer goods .

At launch , the team is supported by 25 companies from across the supply chain and representing polymer and material end-users .

The Hub seeks to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of major international efforts to transition to sustainable chemical manufacturing . The research program will train a new generation of postdoctoral and early career researchers to take on leadership roles in UK sustainable chemical manufacturing .

SCHEMA is one of five new hubs launched by the EPSRC to improve the environmental sustainability in manufacturing processes .

EPSRC Executive Chair Professor Charlotte Deane said , “ Given the scale and importance of the UK ’ s manufacturing sector we must ensure that it is able to benefit fully from advances made across the research and innovation ecosystem .

“ With their focus on innovation and sustainability the advances made by the hubs will benefit specific sectors , the wider manufacturing sector and economy , as well the environment .”

For more info : www . bath . ac . uk / research-institutes / institute-forsustainability /