World-class collaboration is praised for helping businesses

A project which makes it easier for companies to access world-class expertise and accelerate innovation is praised.

CEAMS – Center of Expertise in Advanced Materials and Sustainability – acts as a bridge between academic research expertise, commercial exploitation and scale-up.

Although there have been breakthroughs in the development of advanced sustainable materials, there are many barriers to companies adopting them.

The innovation support offered through CEAMS helps companies overcome barriers to adopting advanced sustainable materials to improve carbon emissions and comply with industry regulations.

CEAMS gives companies access to the right experts to help with the research, commercialization and scale-up they need.

The partners of the project are High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC); CPI; Henry Royce Institute; The University of Manchester; Center for Manufacturing Technology (MTC); National Composites Center (NCC); Advance Manufacturing Research Center (AMRC); National Physical Laboratory (NPL); Rochdale Development Agency (RDA).

CEAMS’ work was showcased on a demonstration day at the newly renovated Rochdale Town Hall.

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Delegates heard first-hand from the co-founder of Chromition Digital Diagnostic Solutions about the practical difference CEAMS has made to his business.

Mark McCairn co-founded the company with Michael Turner in 2014 and its technology has enabled the rapid, accurate and cost-effective diagnosis of cancer in a single biopsy for the first time.

Mark McCairn, co-founder of Chromition

Being the core of Chromition something called Luminspheres, which can diagnose diseases like cancer earlier from just one cancer cell.

Chromition has six core employees and approached CEEAMS for help in late 2023 after hitting a roadblock.

McCairn explained: “Chromition is a materials developer and what we had to do was demonstrate those materials in a biological environment using various biological techniques.

“The University of Manchester has a wealth of expertise and equipment to do that, but we didn’t know how to access it. It is difficult to navigate and that is where CEAMS helped.”

In addition to the University of Manchester, Chromition now works closely with the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s national institute for advanced materials research and innovation.

McCairn commended CEAMS for identifying the help his company needed and urged other companies to follow suit.

“No matter how big or small your company is, working with CEAMS is valuable. They helped Chromition generate a data package to promote commercial discussions.”

Chromition recently received funding from Innovate UK to develop technology to detect breast cancer from a liquid biopsy, such as a blood sample.

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McCairn said: “Our ultimate goal with Chromition is for our technology to enable routine blood sampling and screening for cancer and detection at an earlier stage.”

He also said he hoped to base his business in Atom Valley, a well-connected innovation cluster, which brings together world-class research, manufacturing and materials on a plot of land in Greater Manchester.

“We’re really waiting for Atom Valley to be built to create a wet lab space for us to move into,” McCairn explains.

“I am very keen to support Atom Valley and see what opportunities are available for chemistry labs or materials science companies.”

The event also heard of Alasdair Wood, CEAMS Program Manager at CPI; and Joanne Taylor, Deputy Director, Apprenticeships and Future Skills at Hopwood Hall College.

For further information please contact: Michelle McHugh, Business Development Manager (email protected) / 01706 927045 / or visit: https://ceams.org.uk/