Seven UKTI Trade Officers visited the North West in February as part of a week-long initiative to update their knowledge on the UK chemical industry.
Officers from Brazil, India, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and USA were part of a Chemical Industry Briefing programme focussing on the industry and key sub-sectors.
John Roche, Operations Manager for Chemicals Northwest, welcomed the overseas guests to The Heath Conference Centre where he presented a brief history of the chemical industry in the North West and the picture today, highlighting some key strengths in chemistries and applications.
UKTI took advantage of their visit to The Heath by asking Dr John Conti-Ramsden of the Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry to present on Materials Chemistry and why it was relevant to today’s society and industries. The North West is also home to the Organic Materials Innovation Centre, a UK Centre of Excellence for Printed Electronics and also part of the KCMC. A focussed presentation by Dr Mike Holmes on this emerging industry explained where chemicals played its part and some of the end-user industries keen to progress their product innovation using the technology.
Finally, Peter Cook, Chairman of SOG Ltd, the company owning and managing The Heath, recounted the importance of Runcorn and The Heath to the chemical industry and explained SOG’s successful business regeneration model which transformed the single-occupancy site to the thriving business and scientific centre it is today.
The Commercial Officers left Runcorn with new insights into the chemical industry, some key industry applications and excitement to seek out opportunities that may exist for UK companies within their own countries.
