Aquapak is excited to announce the set-up of a new Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Heriot Watt University to explore one of the most serious but least understood issues facing our planet, which is the impact of plastics on the marine environment.
Part funded by the government, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships form a special partnership between businesses and academic institutions to help drive innovation and productivity in the UK whilst giving businesses the knowledge and skills they need to develop in a changing market. This is done through specialist projects lasting between 1-3 years depending on the needs of the business and their desired outcomes.
Dr John Williams, Technical & Business Development Director at Aquapak, said: “This partnership will bring some ground-breaking solutions to the world’s plastic crisis, during a critical time when there is so much emphasis on this global issue.”
He added: “The issue of single use plastics has highlighted a great number of environmental problems, and we have found that there is a lack of independent data in this area, particularly in marine ecosystems.”
Aquapak applied for the KTP earlier this year and the partnership was formally granted last month.
Work is underway to recruit an Associate to strategically head up the 2-year project who is expected to be a recently-qualified graduate with a degree in the appropriate discipline.
Professor Theodore Henry Ph.D. of Heriot Watt University said: “We’re excited to be working with such an innovative company as Aquapak to promote the use of more multi-functional polymers for a circular economy. We hope the outcome of this KTP will be a catalyst for change within the industry and encourage companies, not only in the UK but worldwide, to adopt a more sustainable approach to their business practices.”
