News

The government-sponsored Technology Strategy Board has announced that it will invest £20m to develop technologies, products and systems incorporating clever technology and know-how.

Pataks Foods and McCain Foods are among the group of partners working on a project to develop ready meal packaging that is funded by the scheme.

Their objective is to develop intelligent and flexible packaging to enable high quality domestic microwave cooking of multi-component ready meals.

Pataks Foods and McCain Foods will work with API Group, Optek Systems, The Needham Group, Leeds University and Uvasol, who will lead the project.

A second packaging project will investigate farm produced ultra-thin lightweight packaging made from plant-based materials including cereal and oilseed straws.

Bangor University will lead the project with partners Ciba UK, the Co-operative Group, C-Tech Innovation, Farmcare, Imperial College London, Paragon Flexible Packaging, Sintamesh, University of Reading and Valueform.

Science and innovation minister Ian Pearson said that manufacturing accounts for more than 50% of UK exports and is a "vital part of the UK economy".

Technology Strategy Board chief executive Iain Gray agreed that there were some "great examples of manufacturing technologies and innovation happening here in the UK" and added that the investment will "maintain its place" as a leading manufacturer.