Chemicals

The turnover of the chemicals sector in Yorkshire and Humber accounts for around 10% of the UK as a whole. Employing over 30,000 people spread across 180 sites, the chemicals cluster encompasses the 40 companies and 10,000 people working in chemical related industries such as oil refining, petro-chemicals, engineering services, and chemical distribution located on the Humber Bank.

The cluster includes companies involved in the manufacturing and processing of organic and inorganic chemicals and is home to world renowned companies such as BP, Novartis and Syngenta.

West Yorkshire alone generates over £2.2 billion of direct sales and 55% of products produced by the area's chemical industry are exported. 80% of the 230 chemical companies in West Yorkshire employ fewer than 50 people the industry makes products that are used in water treatment, plastics paper production, cleaning products, cosmetics and toiletries, agricultural products, paint, pharmaceuticals, textiles and adhesives and sealants.

The region's customers, employees, suppliers, research services and infrastructure are of high quality and significant levels of investment are being made to secure the future of the sector. Novartis recently opened its new £179.5m laboratory facilty, while the region has become fertile ground for new business start-ups.

To ensure a bright future for the sector, Yorkshire Forward has invested in a number of business support networks and Centres of Industrial Collaboration (CIC) >>>

Humber Chemical Focus (HCF): Humber Chemical Focus (www.humberchemical.co.uk) provides support and assistance for chemical-related industry looking to set up or expand in the Humber Region. They put interested parties in touch with relevant organisations, smooth the development process and ensure particular requirements are met fully from a single source solution.
Green Chemistry CIC

The Green Chemistry CIC:  The Green Chemistry CIC (www.greenchemcic.co.uk) is based at York University, but with some involvement from the University of Leeds, and can provide competitive, tailor-made solutions, which will enable chemical production that is more profitable, less wasteful, less damaging to the environment and more socially acceptable. The CIC acts as a one-stop-shop for companies to access the sustainable chemistry research activities at both the universities of York and Leeds.

Particle Science and Engineering CIC: The Particle Science and Engineering CIC (www.particletechnology.org), based at the University of Leeds, is a unique combination of world-class facilities and research knowledge, brought together to focus on industrial applications of particle and colloid technology. 

Centre for Assessment of Technical Competence (CATCH): CATCH is a pioneering new chemical facility featuring equipment that will allow companies to assess the competence of their workforce and develop skills for new recruits to enter the chemical industry. 

Process Industries Centre for Manufacturing Excellence (PICME): PICME (www.picme.org) is based in the North West, but it has a considerable engagement with regional companies, by applying lean manufacturing principles to process manufacturing. PICME, part funded by the DTI, has been set up specifically to help manufacturers of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics and rubbers improve their competitiveness and efficiency.

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