A new £5.5 million centre in the Glasgow region aims to support the transition to net zero while driving substantial UK economic impact. By promoting circular economy practices to reduce waste and emissions, the centre could help reshore supply chains and unlock new opportunities for manufacturers.

The ReMake Value Retention Centre (RVRC) will be located within the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the University of Strathclyde – the operator of NMIS, in partnership with the University of Exeter and the University of Sheffield. The centre is funded through UKRI’s ‘Accelerating the Green Economy’ programme.

While much of the focus around net zero has been on the transition to renewable energy sources, nearly 45% of global CO₂ emissions come from what me make and use.

In sectors, such as energy and transport, around 70% of emissions are locked in during raw materials extraction and initial processing meaning that it’s essential to extend product life for as long as possible to maximise value while preserving the earth’s precious resources.

The RVRC will focus on ‘high integrity’ sectors critical to national infrastructure including aerospace, marine, wind, nuclear, industrial and power generation. It will adopt a system-wide approach, addressing challenges through business models, policies, standards, culture, skills, and investment along with metallic and composite based circular manufacturing technology and inspection processes.

Partnering with organisations from the private, civic, and public sectors, the new centre will explore how components such as aeroplane structures, energy systems, and industrial equipment can be reused or remade, aiming to keep products at their highest value instead of sending them to landfill.

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Stephen Fitzpatrick, director of the Digital Factory at NMIS, said: “The RVRC will tackle one of the biggest current manufacturing challenges and bring significant economic impact to the UK. We’re decoupling economic growth from negative environmental impact and expect this work will grow local businesses, reshore supply chains and launch new manufacturing companies.

“Focusing solely on the energy transition won’t achieve net-zero since a large portion of global emissions comes from extracting and processing manufacturing materials. To mitigate the projected 500 million tonnes of material demand that we will need to dig out of the Earth over the next decade, we must embrace a circular economy, reusing materials and remaking existing products.

“This challenge requires collaboration across industries and organisations. The RVRC will drive system-level change, making reuse, remaking and repurposing viable for critical sectors.”