Industry experts, academics from across the region, and the local community gathered to celebrate the launch of PlastIC, an important new research centre for plastics innovation and curation at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB).
The new initiative brings together the design history expertise of AUB’s Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP) and the cutting-edge capabilities of AUB’s Innovation Studio thanks to a £1.6 million grant for research into Plastics Innovation awarded to AUB in 2024 from Research England.
Professor Christian McLening, the Director of the PlastIC Research Centre and Director of Research and Development at AUB, introduced the new research centre to attendees with a welcome speech:
“PlastIC will lead groundbreaking research that combines scientific expertise with design insight. This is where material culture meets innovation, where the past informs the future, and where heritage and sustainability come together. At PlastIC, we’re exploring plastics in ways that matter – not just for today, but for generations to come.
“Our focus is on understanding how plastics behave, degrade, and endure, while also providing critical insights to the heritage and manufacturing sectors. From preserving artefacts to helping industries make smarter, more sustainable material choices, we’re tackling challenges that cross disciplines and borders."
"PlastIC is ideally and uniquely positioned to unite the cultural and scientific aspects of plastics. By combining the unparalleled design history expertise from MoDiP with the network and manufacturing knowledge from the Innovation Studio, PlastIC can build something truly distinct.
“We have a fantastic team of experts now in place who are ready to innovate and collaborate. We’ve got our lab up and running: Our new materials lab is ready, equipped to test, identify, and explore plastics in all their complexity and the research has started. We’ve begun diving into key projects that will shape the future of plastics conservation and lifecycle design.
Among the attendees of the launch event on Wednesday 29 January was Connor Winter, Founder of Circular11, a Christchurch-based innovation hub that transforms waste-bound plastic into low-carbon fencing, furniture, and landscaping products for the construction and estates sectors.
Connor explains, "We’ve already worked with AUB on many projects across different departments, but until now, we’ve had to partner with universities further afield for any polymer work.
“We’re building a world first recycling technology with the mission to increase recycling rates globally, and we hope that through our partnership with AUB and PlastIC, we’ll be able to accelerate our technology and give students real world experience in tackling real world problems."
Christian adds, “We’re looking forward to connecting with partners, collaborators, and those as passionate as we are about innovation and preservation. Whether you’re from the heritage sector, manufacturing, or academia, there’s a place for you in this journey.
“Here’s to the exciting work ahead—together, we’ll create a better understanding of plastics and their role in our world!”