The Warwick Manufacturing Group has established a new National Plastics Processing Centre (NPPC).

Located at the University of Warwick, this will provide a national hub for innovation and research in plastics processing.

The NPPC is intended to bring an integrated approach to plastics design, manufacturing and disposal, encompassing multi-functional design and low environmental impact.

The WMG has a wide range of plastic design, manufacture and research technologies across its facilities that will now work together.

The new centre will have its own bespoke building by 2017, with facilities for training and R&D; it will also house a fully equipped elastomer-technology laboratory.

WMG chairman Kumar Bhattacharyya said: “The manufacture and processing of plastic and rubber materials is a multi-billion-pound industry central to the future prosperity of the UK.

“There isn’t an industry that is not underpinned in some manner by plastics materials, from telecommunications, energy, transport and defence to health-care. The centre will have capability in every polymer process with pilot-scale equipment and larger, extensive testing and characterisation facilities.”