The work the UK’s Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) has done in catalysing industrial decarbonisation in the UK, has been recognised. This recognition has been shown in the form of IDRIC being awarded £1 million in new funding, to enable their work to continue.

This funding that has been awarded to the company, came from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation. This money will provide IDRIC with the opportunity to continue sharing their knowledge, supporting skill development and also continuing to provide key evidence to policymakers. Altogether the funding they will receive will enable them to continue with their efforts of accelerating industrial decarbonisation.

The work that IDRIC has put into this goal is very clear, as currently the company is involved with a variety of CCUS research projects. These include working on decarbonising the UK’s largest industrial clusters. IDRIC has agreed that for the next twelve months, they will be part of the co-delivery of an ‘Industry Net-Zero Innovation Roadmap’ and a ‘Frontiers Report’ which will cover both technologies and social sciences. These will all be tailored to the needs of the community.

IDRIC was started in 2021 and since its launch, the insightful business has made multiple large contributions to the UK’s road to net zero. They have done this through supporting research projects, industry engagement activities and finally, policy initiatives. Alongside this, IDRIC has also funded one hundred research projects that span across thirty-four universities, which ultimately created an industrial decarbonisation ‘Knowledge Hub’ which has been extremely helpful for research projects and cluster activities. These research projects and cluster activities can be found across the Black Country, Humber, Scotland, Northwest, South Wales and Solent. Furthermore, IDRIC has had a focus on supporting policymakers that are at UK and developed levels, the company has carried out skills and training programmes and has also developed initiatives that promote equality, diversity and inclusion for academia, industry and government.

Director of IDRIC and UK Decarbonisation Champion, Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer, commented, “IDRIC’s values and mission align with the UK Government’s commitment to support and drive Net Zero goals. In a short space of time, IDRIC has demonstrated its standing internationally as a multi-disciplinary, mission-driven research and innovation centre. Now is the time to really leverage IDRIC’s convening power and engage with our network of academic, industry and government partners to realise the full benefits of the work done so far towards decarbonising Britain’s industrial heartlands. During this critical time for driving forward action towards the UK’s net zero goals, IDRIC will deliver key outputs that have been co-created with the communities of the industrial clusters to enable long-lasting economic growth and societal benefits, and moreover, to build the foundations for the new green industries of tomorrow.”

Deputy Director of Cross Council Partnerships, from EPSRC, Lucy Martin, added, “IDRIC will use the next 12 months to maximise the impact of the research and innovation delivered so far, while laying groundwork for the future research agenda and maintaining engagement across academia, industry, policymakers and other critical stakeholders. Through innovation and collaboration their work will pave the way for a cleaner, greener future.”