Established in January 2021, TFI Network+ brought together representatives from across Foundation Industries businesses and academics from the University of Leeds, the University of Manchester, Swansea University and the University of Sheffield. The Network sought to investigate and offer possible solutions to numerous challenges faced within the Foundation Industries, including stringent environmental legislation, overseas competition, supply chain disruption, volatile energy prices and an ageing workforce.
Professor Ian Reaney, Director of TFI Network+, said, “We’re immensely proud to have done our bit in supporting the decarbonisation efforts within the Foundation Industry since 2021. In the past four years, the TFI Network+ has uncovered promising new ways of pursuing industrial decarbonisation thanks to the meaningful conversations we’ve ignited that offer real hope for the future of these vital sectors. It did so through funding dozens of small projects and bringing together a rich pool of people across industry and academia.”
TFI Network+ also served to ensure the £66m TFI challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, was carried out, underpinned by a portfolio of the best available UK interdisciplinary science, and informed by cross sectoral industry participation.
Over the last four years, TFI Network+ carried out its mission through the following activities:
- Engagement and networking – Designing and co-ordinating interactive workshops attracting over 4,000 participants, exploring key Foundation Industry topics
- Community leadership – Fostering a community enabling academics to identify as Foundation Industries researchers
- Commissioning small grants – Commissioning 20 early-stage research projects and 20 published papers
- Supporting equality, diversity and inclusion – Recruiting a diverse range of members for the network
TFI Network+ made a lasting impact since its inception, providing £1.4 million of funding for 34 small proof of concept projects, conducting 42 workshops and events, and ultimately attracting 740 people from across the foundation Industries and academia to join as members.
With an eye to the next generation of potential engineers and academics, TFI Network+ also co-produced a series of events alongside the Engineering Development Trust in schools in order to give pupils the opportunity to learn about sustainability, innovation and manufacturing.
About Innovate UK
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the UK’s innovation agency. It works to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. Its mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.
A perspectives piece about the network has been published on the UKRI website. You can read it here: Accelerating innovation through industry to academic collaboration in targeted projects