UKCPN exhibited at Interplas last week and had a very busy three days. Amongst other things, running a panel on Innovation, we had a really great piece of feedback from a newbie to the plastics sustainability who was very happy to share how influential the network has been to his activities.
Tristan Hessing, MD of Future Makers, visited our stand and told us how our activities and particularly our landmark conference GRIPS (Global Research and Innovation in Plastics Sustainability) had helped him start a whole new venture.
“As a well intentioned plastics novice from the creative industries, embarking on a journey to establish the East Midlands’ first waste plastic repurposing studio, I knew I had a lot to learn. The question was, what do I need to learn, and where do I start learning it?
My research soon led me to the UKCPN and fortuitously, GRIPS 2022 was about to go live, so I consumed everything I could out of it. This provided me with an invaluable bedrock of industry contacts and knowledge that I still reference today. Furthermore, a meeting with Sally Beken signposted me to an upcoming Innovate UK grant she thought my business would be a good suitor for.
I’m glad she did this, because I was able to successfully bid for that fund armed with my new knowledge of the plastics industry. I’ve since secured further grants through Arts Council England, helping me raise over £120,000 to kick start my business to upskill the next generation of waste plastic innovators.”
You can find more out about the Future Maker studio in this press release or visit their website. https://www.future-makers.co.uk/
