Abstract
This research project was performed by Ulster University (UU) in partnership with the Northern Ireland Advanced Composites and Engineering (NIACE) Centre. It complements two other research projects running in parallel with each another, (1) Reviving Northern Ireland’s Textile Heritage and (2) A Green Carbon Fibre Opportunity in Northern Ireland. The projects have their own specific agenda but equally complement one another due to sharing common market streams and therefore, being challenged by the same market difficulties. Individually and in combination there is alignment to the Northern Ireland Executive’s Programme for Government (PfG) 2021 (1).
The economic, societal and environmental benefits of these projects and those proposed within this report, have (1) the required level of innovation and ambition along with scope to offer economic sustainability and inclusivity, to meet the tiered metrics for the Department for the Economy’s (DfE’s) Economic Vision of a ‘10X Economy’ (2), in addition to, aiding Northern Ireland on its trajectory to ‘Net Zero by 2050’ as part of The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (3), with the latter aligning with the Northern Ireland Energy Strategy – The Path to Net Zero Energy (4).
This project supports the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (DAERA's) Green Growth Strategy (5) and the Northern Ireland Energy Strategy’s vision to decarbonise, create new jobs and grow a green skills base (4).
A case for a natural fibre opportunity in Northern Ireland was established by the authors following their assessment of different fibre supply markets, and for their products too. Given the expertise at UU/NIACE for researching and commercialising high performance fibre-based composites, the report focuses on opportunities for utilising natural fibres in composites to create a more sustainable composite offering than is currently the case with traditional composites of carbon or glass fibre.
The authors are confident in their assessment and understanding of the markets, along with present-day market challenges, derived from (i) the public domain such as, research articles and press releases, (ii) purchased sources such as, market research reports, (iii) focused market networking, (iv) industry input, industry visits and secondments to relevant organisations and, (v) maintaining an active presence in the supply markets for fibres and their products, at both research and commercial levels.
The economic, societal and environmental benefits of these projects and those proposed within this report, have (1) the required level of innovation and ambition along with scope to offer economic sustainability and inclusivity, to meet the tiered metrics for the Department for the Economy’s (DfE’s) Economic Vision of a ‘10X Economy’ (2), in addition to, aiding Northern Ireland on its trajectory to ‘Net Zero by 2050’ as part of The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (3), with the latter aligning with the Northern Ireland Energy Strategy – The Path to Net Zero Energy (4).
This project supports the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (DAERA's) Green Growth Strategy (5) and the Northern Ireland Energy Strategy’s vision to decarbonise, create new jobs and grow a green skills base (4).
A case for a natural fibre opportunity in Northern Ireland was established by the authors following their assessment of different fibre supply markets, and for their products too. Given the expertise at UU/NIACE for researching and commercialising high performance fibre-based composites, the report focuses on opportunities for utilising natural fibres in composites to create a more sustainable composite offering than is currently the case with traditional composites of carbon or glass fibre.
The authors are confident in their assessment and understanding of the markets, along with present-day market challenges, derived from (i) the public domain such as, research articles and press releases, (ii) purchased sources such as, market research reports, (iii) focused market networking, (iv) industry input, industry visits and secondments to relevant organisations and, (v) maintaining an active presence in the supply markets for fibres and their products, at both research and commercial levels.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Commissioning body | Department for the Economy |
| Number of pages | 96 |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 21 Jun 2024 |
