23 April 2007 – Polymer Cluster, the support organisation for polymer companies in the UK’s West Midlands region, has started the process to guarantee its funding beyond 2008.
Since its inception in 2003, Polymer Cluster has provided business and technical support to plastics manufacturers and start-up companies using polymers in products.
Its current funding was awarded by the European Regional Development Fund last year and is set to run out in June 2008 (PRW.com 26 June 2006). It is now working on a bid to access funds from Advantage West Midlands that would allow it to continue its activities until 2010.
The first phase of its funding also came from AWM, and the regional development agency requires Polymer Cluster’s new bid to be different from the first one. So the proposal Polymer Cluster is putting together would see it turn its focus onto some specialist areas, such as advanced materials, packaging and environmental and energy saving products.
Polymer Cluster champion Paul Hackney told PRW.com that the group continues to receive a good level of enquiries from small and medium size enterprises with a polymer footprint. It has a 70-80% conversion rate from these enquiries into approved projects.
Projects usually involve funded work with partner organisations in the west Midlands area: Innovative Product Development Centre, Polymer Training Ltd, Rapra Technology and Warwick Manufacturing Group.
