In 2013, the Materials Research Institute team in Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) secured funding from Enterprise Ireland through the Technology Gateways Programme to establish a new polymer research centre, the Applied Polymer Technologies Ireland (APT Ireland) Research Centre. The new centre supports the development of innovative, high-value polymer and plastics materials and products, with the aim of improving the global competitiveness of Irish-based plastics and polymer companies across key sectors, such as GreenTech. There is currently a clear need for R&D in the Irish plastics and polymer industry, with a 2012 survey carried out by Plastics Ireland stating that 57 percent of Irish plastics companies are currently developing products that require the use of polymer research technologies, yet 40 percent do not have the required in-house R&D facilities. We have positioned our new polymer research centre so that it is best placed to meet the future needs of Irish plastics and polymer companies.
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