All-Island Polymer and Plastics guide launched to help North/South industry collaboration
InterTradeIreland today announced the launch of its latest publication, ‘A Simple Guide to the Polymer & Plastics Industry on the Island of Ireland’, a sector that is important to both economies on the island, employing the equivalent of 5.4% of the island’s total manufacturing employment and with an estimated annual turnover of £2.5bn/€2.9bn.
The Guide provides an overview of the industry on the island including training and careers information, public sector supports, case studies, market information and helpful industry resources and is aimed at businesses currently involved in the sector or those that are considering working with the Polymer and Plastics industry as a supplier, partner, academic partner, customer or potential employee.
Part of the All-Island Polymer & Plastics Network’s range of initiatives, the guide was developed in association with Plastics Ireland, the Northern Ireland Polymer Association and the Polymer Processing & Research Centre at the Queen’s University, Belfast.
Aidan Gough, InterTradeIreland Strategy and Policy Director commented: “The All-Island Polymer and Plastics Network seeks to encourage innovation, benchmarking, and knowledge transfer initiatives that support the development of the sector across the island. All-island collaboration amongst business enables firms to combine resources, to gain knowledge, achieve economies of scale, acquire technologies, skills and resources and enter markets that are otherwise beyond their reach. InterTradeIreland is committed to facilitating such collaboration North and South for the mutual benefit of both economies.”
Chair of Plastics Ireland, Kenny O'Brien welcomed what he described as an “invaluable publication” and stressed the importance of the links with academia and industry and the pivotal role played by state agencies in the development of the polymer and plastics industry on the island of Ireland, “I would like to thank InterTradeIreland and the members of the All-Island Polymer and Plastics Network for their support and work in putting this excellent publication together.”
Chair of the Northern Ireland Polymer Association, Hugh Ross commented that the publication is an” excellent compendium of the polymer activities on the island and will prove to be an important resource not only to the industry but also in stimulating interest among younger people wishing to join this dynamic manufacturing sector .It will also highlight the importance and the urgent need for much closer partnerships between academia and government agencies across the island, to develop a more strategic and targeted approach in supporting the research and development needs of this important industry sector.”
Hard copies of the publication are available from InterTradeIreland on request or can be downloaded in PDF from.
For further information on the All-Island Polymer and Plastics Network visit: polymernetwork.com
