Research areas
THYME will focus on three areas:
- Transforming bio-based waste into new products. There is an opportunity for the region to become a world leader in the conversion of bio-based waste to higher value chemicals with multibillion pound markets.
- Converting industrial sites by re-purposing them for bio-based manufacturing. The Project will explore opportunities to re-purpose sites associated with the Humberside and Teesside chemical industry clusters for processing bio-based raw materials and manufacturing high value biologics.
- Growing the productivity of the region’s bioeconomy as a whole by bringing together research and commercialisation capabilities within the three universities. The opportunities for increasing productivity are extensive and include reducing waste; adding value to by-products, automating manufacturing processes; and adapting feedstocks.
Project delivery
The project will be delivered via five main areas of activity:
- Proof-of-concept and challenge-fund based projects combining expertise from at least two of the university partners.
- Secondments between the institutions to develop change agents who understand and promote exchange and collaboration.
- A toolkit for bioeconomy partnerships, with best practice guides, template research and IP agreements, outreach materials and case studies.
- A programme of workshops, boot camps and resources to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation best practice
- A series of cluster development activities to drive collaboration and sharing of ideas, expertise and experience through special interest groups, pitch fests and networking events.