NIPA have commenced the delivery of an Advanced Polymer Academy for member companies. The course was developed to enable companies in the NI polymer sector to become more familiar with the use of advanced polymer materials and enable the development of new expertise in how best to process these materials. This will enable the local Polymer Sector to become even more competitive in a global market.

Thursday 23rd September was the first day of teaching, with delivery taking place to 13 delegates at the Science Park, Titanic Quarter, Belfast. The course will last a further 6 weeks, focusing on all aspects of polymer processing from materials science to manufacturing methods and analysis techniques.

The course has been developed and is being delivered by Gerry McNally, Director of Innovation at NIPA. Gerry’s extensive experience in polymer processing, from global industrial experience to academic acclaim has led to recognition of the course internationally. A novel aspect of this programme is not just the quality of the content but the nature of delivery: Following the first week, the course is delivered in member company’s premises, thus giving participants unparalleled experience in a wide variety of processing techniques. This approach is only enabled through the excellent collaboration from NIPA member companies.

Denroy Chairman, John Rainey, MBE assisted Gerry in the delivery of the morning session, highlighting the importance of polymers to the local economy and the importance of improving the knowledge of polymer processing to maintain a global position in advanced manufacturing.

The course is being delivered free of charge to NIPA members