R&D competition aims to boost manufacturing competencies
The government is to invest up to £6million in new collaborative R&D projects that stimulate innovation in manufacturing and drive economic growth.
The Technology Strategy Board and the EPSRC are seeking proposals for R&D that will focus on new technologies with the potential to underpin new production processes for a range of industrial applications and market sectors.
The Boosting Innovation in Manufacturing Competencies competition aims to support business oriented innovation in production processes. It will focus on production technologies that can create high value through novel processes, advanced product manufacture, resource efficiency and production techniques.
It will also encourage technologies that will facilitate greater environmental sustainability through efficient disposal, recycling or remanufacture of assets at the end of their useful life.
The TSB is particularly keen to support projects which explore intelligent processing of metals and net shape hybrid structures. Other areas of interest include new approaches for improved correlation between process modelling and in-process monitoring, and innovation in new manufacturing processes/competencies.
Proposals must be collaborative, led by a business and involve at least one other non-academic partner. The TSB expects to invest between £250,000 and £500,000 in each project, although projects outside this range will be considered.
The competition opens on 16 January 2012 and the deadline for registration is 22 February 2012.
