PoliSCI

Over £200m committed to revolutionise sustainable packaging

Industry has committed up to £149m – jointly with £60m from government – to tackle the plastics crisis through the Industrial Strategy’s ‘Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging’ (SSPC) challenge. New funding from government and business will reduce our reliance on single-use plastics through the development of new sustainable packaging and plastics, and by creating processes that will help cut waste throughout the plastics supply chain. This challenge is one of the Chemistry Council Innovation Committee’s Innovation Programmes featured in its 2018 Strategy, Sustainable Innovation for a Better World.

‘This government and business co-investment clearly demonstrate that when it comes to cutting plastics pollution there is a shared ambition. This is a unique opportunity for our world-leading businesses and innovators to develop the materials of the future with the potential to transform our economy as well as our environment,’ said Greg Clark, Business Secretary.

Read the full article, here.

Jo Johnson returns for second stint as Science Minister

New UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has named Jo Johnson as the new Minister of State for the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, who will be responsible for universities and science as he was between 2016 and 2018.

In his former role, Johnson was generally popular with scientists, and oversaw major changes to how the government funds research and innovation, including the creation of UKRI, and was part of the team that supported raising science investment to 2.4% GDP by 2030.

‘[I am] delighted to be appointed to Universities & Science Minister,’ said Johnson of his appointment on Twitter. ‘[I am] really looking forward to working again with our world-class universities, scientists and innovators – our greatest national asset and key to our future as a knowledge economy.’

Commission launches Digital Europe consultation

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on which direction the Digital Europe infrastructure plan should take in its first two years. Digital Europe is a €9.2bn programme for 2021-2027 which will invest in five digital sectors: AI (€2.5bn), high performance computing (€2.7bn), cybersecurity and trust (€2bn), advanced digital skills (€700m), and ensuring the wide use and deployment of digital technologies across the economy and society (€1.3bn).

The consultation is asking for contributions from across Europe, and is targeting SMEs, large companies, public administrations, research organisations, academia, NGOs, and private citizens. The evidence collected will help shape the initial plan of the programme.