The UK’s new business secretary Grant Shapps has visited the Henry Royce Institute in Manchester to seal a second phase of R&D investment in the institute of £95 million.

Leeds-based Fibre Extrusion Technology (FET) has recently installed its FET-200LAB wet spinning system at the University of Manchester site and this has proved to be a focus for the the interest of Shapps, who discussed the project with FET’s research and development manager Mark Smith.

FET’s wet spinning technology enables fibres to be derived from sustainable wood pulp to produce high quality apparel and trials are now underway to perfect the process. FET is a leading supplier of lab and pilot melt spinning systems, having successfully processed more than 35 different polymer types in multifilament, monofilament and nonwoven formats.

During his visit, Shapps spoke of the investment programme as a means of reinforcing the UK’s standing as a leader in advanced materials research, development and innovation.

“R&D investment is a critical way to turbocharge Britain’s growth,” he said. “Growing an economy fit for the future means harnessing the full potential of advanced materials, making science fiction a reality by supporting projects from regenerative medicine to robots developing new recycling capabilities, right across the country. This £95 million investment will do just that, bringing together the brightest minds across our businesses and institutions to help future-proof sectors, from healthcare to nuclear energy.”

The Henry Royce Institute was established in 2015 with an initial £235 million government investment through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the latest £95 million represents the second phase of the investment.

Opportunities being investigated by Royce include lightweight materials and structures, biomaterials and materials designed for reuse, recycling and remanufacture. Advanced materials are critical to the UK future in various industries, such as health, transport, energy, electronics and utilities.

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