Liverpool City Region’s £60m packing innovation facility plan gains further momentum

2nd November 2021

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced £110,000 in pre-development funding for the National Packaging Innovation Centre.

Smart factory utilises packaging innovation in Liverpool City Region

The centre would focus on how to make packaging materials and processes better and more sustainable. It is being co-developed by the combined authority and CPI, a non-profit organisation dedicated to technology innovation. Unilever is a founding partner for the scheme. The corporation is also doing its own research, with its Materials Innovation Factory at the University of Liverpool.

CPI will be using the £110,000 from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to expand its offices to Liverpool Science Park, where CPI will be able to better collaborate with its industry and academic partners on the innovation centre project.

CPI strategic programmes manager Darren Ragheb said the office would “provide a hub for partnership development with universities, local government, industry, and SMEs to enable the development of the National Packaging Innovation Centre that will drive jobs and productivity in the region.”

Mr Ragheb also praised the region for being an innovation centre.

“With the North West’s ambitious innovation ecosystem, Liverpool City Region makes an ideal location for CPI to expand its offering,” he said, “Through access to industrially relevant capabilities and expertise for packaging innovation development and demonstration, CPI will support the transformation of industries and improve the long-term health of our environment.”

Mayor Rotheram called the region “a real hotbed of innovation”.

“This funding is an important step towards the development of the National Packaging Innovation Centre in partnership with Unilever, that will help put our region at the head of the £1tn global packaging market,” he continued.

“As well as making a substantial environmental impact, this centre will attract investment to our area and create thousands of jobs and training opportunities for local people. The rest of the world will look and learn from the work we’re doing.”

For more news from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority click HERE.

2nd November 2021