London, 19 February, 2024 –Elementis, a global specialty chemicals player, has recently signed a partnership with the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry of Universidade Catolica Portuguesa.
"This partnership is an important opportunity for us to work together on the training of highly qualified human resources in a research environment, but also to develop new products in the area of sustainable chemistry," says Manuela Pintado, director of the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry. "As a research centre and associated laboratory, whose mission is also the transfer of knowledge and the impact on society, it is essential that we develop strategic partnerships like this that allow us to leverage the science we produce," she concludes.
Elementis recently announced that it will invest up to three million euros in a global centre of excellence and research & development (R&D) laboratory, which will open in the second half of 2024 in Porto.
"We are very excited about our partnership with UCP and recognize the enormous potential it holds. Through this collaboration, we will combine our formulation expertise with the advanced technology and analytical capabilities of the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry, to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions to the markets we serve,” explains Joe Lupia, Senior Vice President of Research & Development at Elementis. “We have the ambition to introduce 50 new products by 2026, and our new R&D centre in Porto will be instrumental in achieving this goal, emphasizing the importance of finding partners who share our vision and can enhance our initiatives”, says Lupia.
The partnership between Universidade Catolica Portuguesa and Elementis is based on: the support and attraction of talents; training; sharing best practices; the use of infrastructure and equipment of the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry; collaboration for innovation in the Personal Care and Performance Specialties segments; and internship opportunities for students.
The launch event of the partnership took place at the Faculty of Biotechnology of the Catholic University of Portugal on 16 February.