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Metro Mayor announces backing for National Packaging Innovation Centre that could create 2000 jobs
Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has announced £110,000 of pre-development funding for an innovation centre that could help to make the UK a world-leader in sustainable packaging, and play a significant role in helping to meet the region’s environmental targets.
This initial funding is an important first step towards the creation of a £60 million National Packaging Innovation Centre, that could put the UK at the forefront of the global £1 trillion packaging market and create more than 2000 research and development jobs across the wider supply chain.
Specifically, the funding will enable project sponsor CPI to expand its offices to Liverpool Science Park, which is located in the Knowledge Quarter Liverpool Innovation District, enabling it to drive collaboration with industry and academic partners in the region as development on the National Packaging Innovation Centre continues.
Speaking about the project, Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:
Darren Ragheb, Strategic Programmes Manager, CPI, said:
Richard Slater, Chief Research & Development Officer, Unilever:
Leanne Katsande, Head of Commercial at Liverpool Science Park, said:
The Centre is being co-developed by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and CPI with Unilever as a founder partner. CPI is a deep tech innovation organisation with a long history of working with industry to translate clean tech ideas into new sustainable products and manufacturing processes. Unilever is home to the largest pool of packaging engineers in the UK at their existing Research & Development hub in Port Sunlight.
The Centre would be focussed on the commercialisation of innovations in packaging materials and production technologies, bringing together industry and academia.
The announced support from LCRCA will catalyse engagement with industry partners who would provide financial support to the project, matching requested investment from government.
In addition to around 60 jobs at the Centre itself, the final project would form the core of a wider packaging cluster in LCR, bringing up to 2,000 high-value innovation jobs and supporting businesses across the packaging supply chain.
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