After launching the Foundation Industries Sustainability Consortium (FISC) and securing over £35m in funding to grow the UK’s innovation capabilities , Dr Graham Hillier FRSA retired as FISC chair at the end of March.
From April the pioneering partnership will be co-chaired by FISC partners David Knowles, CEO of The Henry Royce Institute and Justin Kelly, CEO of Glass Futures.
They will oversee FISC’s mission to deliver global innovation in low carbon, resource efficient sustainable solutions that will help transform and decarbonise the vital Foundation Industries of glass, cement, ceramics, chemicals, metals, paper and polymers.
Graham said:
“It has been a pleasure to chair FISC over the last two and a half years bringing together the UK’s five leading scale up centres of Lucideon, CPI, the Materials Processing Centre, Glass Futures, The Henry Royce Institute and funding Foundation Industries Ventures (FIVe) which supports startups to accelerate development and commercialise their innovative sustainable technologies.
“By working together, we have addressed common challenges across these vital manufacturing industries that underpin everything in our everyday lives from the built environment, transport, food and medicines to our mobile phones and the greeting cards we send.”
Funded by Innovate UK, FISC has delivered two major EconoMISER projects working across six cross-cutting themes of alternative fuels, digital controls and sensing, process optimisation, sustainable materials, the circular economy and training and skills.
FISC has contributed to:
- Securing UK production – boosting local economies and making the UK less reliant on imports.
- Using more UK produced scrap materials as feedstocks for manufacturing promoting a circular economy.
- Developing more sustainable, lower carbon and more resource efficient manufacturing routes that are fit for a rapidly changing future.
- Developing more innovative products increasing the efficiency and economic and social value of integrated supply chains.
- Continuously improving the efficiency of manufacturing to reduce costs, increase yields and reduce emissions.
- Developing a new generation of low carbon sustainable and resource efficient processes, products and manufacturing plants ensuring UK capabilities in assets and products that are future ready.
Graham added:
“It has been particularly pleasing to see how the centres have worked together on common challenges for the benefit of all industries. What makes me most proud is working with such an excellent group of committed people who really want to make a positive impact on the UK and its economy.”
By harnessing the skills and expertise of the FISC partners the consortium has vastly increased the UK’s research and innovation capabilities and boosted assets to over £500m.
Professor David Knowles, Royce CEO said:
“It has been a privilege being part of the genesis of FISC under Graham’s leadership – his energy has driven us from a standing start to the delivery of two major projects squarely aimed at ensuring a much more sustainable future for the sector. I would like to acknowledge his dedication in fostering collaboration across all the partners and his commitment to securing the all-important funding that is instrumental in driving the research and innovation required by this critical group of industries.
“Royce will continue to play a central role in FISC, and, alongside Justin, I very much look forward to building on Graham’s legacy and working with all the excellent FISC partners, each bringing a unique capability to this mission.”
Justin Kelly, CEO of Glass Futures added:
“It’s a privilege to be co-chair alongside David. I am eager to build on Graham’s legacy, which has driven us from the start to the successful completion of two transformative projects. These initiatives have achieved significant advancements in low carbon innovation and resource efficiency toward reducing CO₂ emissions. We deeply appreciate his unwavering commitment to fostering collaboration among the FISC partners.
“Looking ahead, Glass Futures is excited to continue playing a pivotal role in FISC. Together with all the exceptional FISC partners, we will push the boundaries of sustainability, harnessing our collective expertise to pioneer new solutions and drive the next wave of innovation for a greener, more sustainable future.”
For more infomation on FISC go to: https://ukfisc.org/
