Visiting PhD students get an insight into careers in formulation technology

The students visited CPI’s Coxon Building at Netpark, Sedgefield in County Durham where staff gave them an overview of CPI and their approach to innovation, with a focus on science and technology relating to formulation and materials. As an area of technology with many challenges, students learned about the techniques used at CPI to help companies during the innovation process. These included increasing research productivity through the use of high throughput experimentation, scaling-up a manufacturing process, and the use of digital technologies in the manufacture of formulated products. 

There was also an opportunity to visit the labs at CPI to see first-hand some of the cutting-edge capability in action, and a poster session was held over lunch which showcased some of the project work CPI technical staff are currently working on. This provided a valuable opportunity for the students to chat to multi-disciplinary staff about life at CPI and the wide range of projects undertaken. The visit was completed by some careers talks, giving a flavour of the types of roles available in industry. 

The SOFI2 PhD course provides training to the next generation of SOFI science and enterprise leaders by delivering a rich programme of industrially integrated post-graduate training. Combining expertise from the Universities of Durham, Edinburgh and Leeds, industry and central facilities, the CDT delivers a comprehensive training programme and a wide choice of research projects in this key area of science that underpins a significant proportion of the UK’s manufacturing industry.

This visit was just one of the ways in which CPI is currently supporting the CDT. Caroline Kelly, Technology and Innovation Officer at CPI, delivered an interesting lecture on ​‘What is a Formulation’ during their training week. Graeme Cruickshank, CPI’s Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, recently presented to the cohort on the subject of innovation and CPI’s approach to it. Graeme set the students a formulation innovation challenge about water purification, and will return to judge the results in December 2019.