New chairman for Faraday Plastics

The UK's plastics research and development centre, Faraday Plastics and Polymer Partnership, has appointed Rowena Sellens to succeed Professor Tony Ledwith as chairman of the board.

The UK's plastics research and development centre, Faraday Plastics and Polymer Partnership, has appointed Rowena Sellens, Global Research Director of Lucite International to succeed Professor Tony Ledwith as chairman of the Faraday board.

Faraday director Richard Simpson says, "We thank Tony for his valued service over the past twelve months and are delighted that the rejuvenation of Faraday Plastics will continue under the stewardship of Rowena.

Her enthusiasm and industry know-how is already helping to sharpen our focus and re-energise our activities." The appointment of Sellens is likely to accelerate the central Faraday Plastics' aim of bringing more UK-based polymeric research and innovation to market.

Since 1999, acrylics-based Lucite International, owners of world-renowned brands such as Perspex and Lucite, has maintained a healthy growth curve because of its innovative approach.

Sellens says, "Over 20% of our business is now attributed to new products that simply did not exist three years ago.

As a company we know that we have to stay at the top end of market, which we will continue to do by investing in quality research and development, production and other matters.

Like many UK peers and customers we recognise that it is increasingly difficult to compete at the lower-end of the market with countries whose cost base is much lower.

However, we simply have to innovate to sustain a balanced portfolio of products across the value spectrum of the market.

And I suspect that virtually all UK plastics-based manufacturers will need to continue their drive towards maximising efficiency and competitive edge at the high, value-added end of the market.' Sellens says that because of increased pressure on resources, it is even more important for both plastics-based companies and researchers to use the Faraday Network to match their needs and interests with those of suppliers.

"It gets harder to justify the time required to find out who is the best person to speak to on a particular subject," she notes.

"The Faraday Network saves that time by plugging you into the right place immediately.' Lucite International leads by example and is investing heavily in polymeric research in the UK, including projects at the Universities of Sheffield, Bradford, Leeds, Loughborough and Strathclyde, all of which are playing a part in the Faraday Plastics Network.

"These are very much hands-on research projects," says Sellens, "and we are sure they will benefit our business however long-term the outcomes might be.

Businesses must face facts in their R and D aspirations.

At Lucite International, we know that we cannot acquire or grow the research skills in academe for ourselves and therefore seek the most effective way of sourcing them." Sellens urges both industry and academe to play a full part in the Faraday Plastics Network.

"Faraday can help us improve and learn from each other and also focus on those issues that will really make a difference.

Not least, Faraday can help leverage funding and direct parties to their source," she says.

Sellens continues, "The most important issues in the plastics industry today are not necessarily 'Big Science'.

They are more likely to take the form of incremental and fact-based actions on topics such as energy reduction, materials data, mould-cost analysis, effective processing, and nano-technology.

In this sense, Faraday Plastics is helping our industry to locate and deliver some significant wins in terms of cost savings and development.

These should give us the confidence to press ahead and build our continuing R and D step by step, based on effective and profitable good practice." Sellens notes that much of benefit that Faraday brings is quite straight forward; organising the sector's information, making the research and development landscape of UK plastics much clearer, which in turn simplifies the process of choice for companies who are keen to advance.

"As a materials supplier," says Sellens, "we need our customers in the processing sector to be forward looking, effective and healthy.

Faraday provides a vital role in assisting that process and is therefore a critical and integral part of our own company's future development.".

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