Press Release | Edinburgh, UK – November 2024

Impact Solutions is excited to announce a strategic Innovate UK funded Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)* programme with Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh to advance biodegradation testing technology. By pushing the boundaries of material innovation, Impact Solutions is developing accelerated biodegradation test methods to meet the growing demand for rapid analysis for new product development.

Through combining Impact Solutions expertise in biodegradability testing and Heriot-Watt University’s renowned Continuum Flow Laboratory, the project aims to advance biodegradation testing for polymers in liquid formulation (PLFs); a broad group of polymers used in millions of consumer and industrial products. PLFs are made using petrochemical feedstocks and put unnecessary strain on the environment by relying on fossil fuels, release carbon dioxide into our atmosphere and generate waste, ultimately leading to legislative pressure on companies to find sustainable alternatives.

To develop PLFs and make them biodegradable we need much faster testing methods. To address this concern, the KTP will develop an accelerated biodegradation test for PLFs which will combine the use of enzyme immobilisation and flow chemistry to reduce overall test time, whilst providing continuous data analysis. This continuous flow analysis in real-time will generate abundant data for potential AI and machine learning applications. This would make for a significant advancement as current biodegradation test methods can be labour-intensive and time-consuming, sometimes taking several months to yield results.

The KTP key personnel involved in leading this project include Dr. Sam Patterson and Dr. Trevor Hinchcliffe from Impact Solutions, Dr. Humphrey Yiu and Dr. Filipe Vilela as the academic partners at Heriot-Watt University and a dedicated Knowledge Transfer Associate, Dr. Nick Johnson, who is on board to strategically bind the transfer of knowledge and expertise between the two institutions.

Speaking on this collaboration, Prof. Goussetis, Associate Executive Dean for Enterprise & Entrepreneurship of Heriot-Watt University expressed enthusiasm, stating;

” I am thrilled to see this exciting KTP project between Impact Solutions and Heriot-Watt University. It brings substantial potential for groundbreaking advancements in the field of biodegradation, which will deliver both a niche to Impact Solutions as well as wider societal impact. The technical expertise and strong collaborative links of the consortium bring exciting opportunities to push the boundaries in this important field. “

Representatives from Impact Solutions and Heriot-Watt University recently attended the Sustainable PLFs Annual Conference organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) where the need to develop biodegradable polymers had been highlighted through various case studies of projects led by both academia and industry. The conference further validated the industrial relevance of this KTP as more and more chemical manufacturers shift towards biodegradable PLFs. The event also highlighted the important role of advanced biodegradation testing in new product formulation where the degradation rate can be tuned depending on the application.

This partnership represents a significant advancement for the PLFs market, laying the foundation for a robust circular economy and driving us towards a more sustainable future.

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*Knowledge Transfer Partnership

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are one of the UK governments longest running and most successful knowledge transfer programmes. A KTP brings together forward-thinking businesses and expert academics to tackle strategic innovation challenges to deliver economic, societal or environmental outcomes.

Impact Solutions

Impact Solutions is a leading test laboratory and innovation centre equipped with extensive expertise and technical know-how. As an independent UKAS and ISO 17025 accredited laboratory (No.0402), based in central Scotland, Impact Solutions goes the extra mile to understand industry challenges, solve problems and delivers on sustainable development and innovations.

www.impact-solutions.co.uk

Heriot-Watt University

Heriot-Watt University is a global research-led university based in the UK, with five campuses in Edinburgh, the Scottish Borders, Orkney, Dubai and Malaysia. Around 27,000 students from 154 countries are currently studying with us. We have 166,000 alumni in more than 190 countries. We are specialists in business, engineering, design and the physical, social, sports, environmental and life sciences subjects which make a real impact on the world and society. Heriot-Watt was founded in Edinburgh in 1821 as the world’s first mechanics institute. In 1966, it became a university by Royal Charter. The university is named after 18th century Scottish engineer and inventor James Watt and 16th century Scottish philanthropist and goldsmith George Heriot. 86.8% of Heriot-Watt’s research is classed as world-leading and internationally excellent in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 – the UK’s system for assessing the excellence of research in UK higher education providers. The university runs 127 undergraduate programmes and 145 postgraduate programmes across six academic schools and Edinburgh Business School.

Our six academic schools are:

Edinburgh Business School is one of the world’s largest providers of postgraduate business education, with 49,000 alumni across 158 countries.

www.hw.ac.uk