The UK’s Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) has received £1 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) part of UK Research and Innovation, to continue its vital work in catalysing industrial decarbonisation in the UK. The funding will allow IDRIC to maintain momentum and maximise its impact through continued knowledge sharing, supporting skills development, and providing key evidence to policymakers to accelerate industrial decarbonisation.

Since its launch in 2021, IDRIC has made major strides on the UK’s journey to ‘net zero’ by supporting challenge-led research projects, industry engagement activities, and policy initiatives. To date, it has funded 100 research projects at 34 universities, creating an industrial decarbonisation ‘Knowledge Hub’ for research projects and cluster activities across the Black Country, Humber, Northwest, Scotland, Teesside, Solent and South Wales.

IDRIC has also supported policymakers at both the UK and devolved levels, carried out skills and training programmes, and developed initiatives that promote equality, diversity and inclusion for academia, industry and the Government. Over the next 12 months, leveraging its convening power and knowledge-sharing capabilities, the centre will continue to develop its reputation as the place to go for industrial decarbonisation research. It will foster a collaborative environment across its stakeholders through the co-delivery of an Industry Net-zero Innovation Roadmap and adopt a whole systems approach that covers both technologies and social sciences including dissemination of a high-impact ‘Frontiers Report’ tailored to the needs of the community. In this way, IDRIC will strengthen its position as a trusted and independent voice, while continuing the open sharing of best practices and knowledge exchange.

Lucy Martin, deputy director of Cross Council Partnerships, from EPSRC, said: “IDRIC will use the next 12 months to maximise the impact of the research and innovation delivered so far, while laying groundwork for the future research agenda and maintaining engagement across academia, industry, policymakers and other critical stakeholders. Through innovation and collaboration their work will pave the way for a cleaner, greener future.”

Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer (pictured), director of IDRIC, said: “IDRIC’s values and mission align with the UK Government’s commitment to support and drive ‘net zero’ goals. In a short space of time, IDRIC has demonstrated its standing internationally as a multi-disciplinary, mission-driven research and innovation centre.

“Now is the time to really leverage IDRIC’s convening power and engage with our network of academic, industry and Government partners to realise the full benefits of the work done so far towards decarbonising Britain’s industrial heartlands.

“During this critical time for driving forward action towards the UK’s ‘net zero’ goals, IDRIC will deliver key outputs that have been co-created with the communities of the industrial clusters to enable long-lasting economic growth and societal benefits, and moreover, to build the foundations for the new green industries of tomorrow.”