Technology Translator appointed in Scotland

Faraday Plastics, the UK's plastics research and development centre, has added a seventh member to its team of newly formed team of technology translators: Ian Marr, previously of NEL and Scot-Tech

Faraday Plastics (FP), the UK's plastics research and development centre, has added a seventh member to its team of newly formed team of technology translators.

Ian Marr, based in East Kilbride, Scotland and a graduate of Strathclyde Univeristy - a leading academic member of the FP initiative - joins as a technology translator.

Richard Simpson, Faraday Plastics director says that 'Ian's appointment will channel and strengthen the Faraday Plastics outreach in Scotland.

Ian's extensive experience within industry and also inside Government will enhance our operations all across the board.

We are delighted to welcome him to the team'.

Marr's experience includes extensive spells at the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL); with the Shell-Esso-NEL consortium, with Scot-Tech, Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire.

He is currently a director of MDP Associaties, a private consultancy, and will be working as a Faraday Plastics technology translator.

Marr's specialist skills include developing commercial spin out companies from academic innovation.

The various technology translators in the new FP team have extensive experience in plastics academe and industry matters and each have been given specific responsibilities and sub-sectors within the overall project.

Richard Simpson, Faraday Plastics director says that 'I cannot but reiterate that we are very pleased to be so far ahead in our recruitment tasks at Faraday Plastics and to have attracted such excellent candidates to the positions.

The technology translator job is a demanding and creative one.

It challenges our people to motivate the industry to create innovation for itself and in the marketplace.

I am very confident that our new Faraday Plastics team has the mettle to make this happen.

The approval of the new Faraday Plastics business plan - and funding for the next three years - gives companies in the UK plastics sector until spring 2006 to be able to continue to attract plastics technology development funding.

Lord Sainsbury, Government Minister for Science and Innovation recently paid tribute to the work of Faraday Plastics saying that it had 'already helped add some coherence to the disparate and fragmented activities that are taking place in this sector.

Faraday Plastics has helped facilitate better collaboration between different universities.

And it has helped stimulate new products and processes, new patents, and new start-up companies'.

Faraday Plastics has also selected a number of priority areas for the next three years: these are energy; recycling and sustainability; nano and smart materials; healthcare and automotive applications.

Back to top