Indian plastics industry has a great future: Dr Jacques Joosten

In this interview, Dr Jacques Joosten, MD, Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI), stresses on importance of collaborative research and DPI's keenness to establish partnerships with Indian firms

Last Updated : Dec 16 2015 | 5:01 PM IST

For the past 18 years, Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI), a Europe-based international platform for industry-driven collaborative research in polymer science and technology, has been initiating and coordinating industrially relevant pre-competitive research to support innovation in the field of polymers.

DPI’s international research programme has come to represent the best practice in industrial-academic collaboration. In this interview, DPI’s managing director, Dr Jacques Joosten, talks to Rakesh Rao about importance of collaborative platform for industry-driven research and how Indian companies could benefit by partnering up with Dutch Polymer Institute.

What is Dutch Polymer Institute?
Dutch Polymer Institute is a not-for-profit collaborative platform, connecting industry and academia. Our industrial partner base extends across the polymer value chain and includes producers as well as processors and (end-) users of polymeric materials. Our academic partners are leading polymer science groups at universities across the world. With our world-class research programme, we help our industrial partners to address challenges that extend beyond their individual research and innovation portfolios.

DPI is currently setting up a new research programme that will be rolled out in 2016. In this connection we are seeking to attract new industrial partners from complementary segments of the polymer value chain.

How long has DPI been operating in this field?
We have nearly two decades of experience in initiating and organising industrially relevant research programmes to cost effectively address the research and innovation needs of industry.

How is DPI research funded and who determines what is researched?
Dutch Polymer Institute is primarily funded by its industrial partners, though we utilise public funding opportunities to enhance our offering to our partners.

DPI’s industrial partners are in the driver’s seat when it comes to defining industrially relevant topics for our research projects. Once the topics have been defined, the best possible academic groups are carefully selected to execute the research, based on the advice of independent international experts. The research is carried out under DPI’s expert supervision and quality control. The DPI office manages our international network and the research programmes.

How do you view India as a potential market for polymers?
India has a thriving plastics industry and it is set to become one of the world’s largest plastics markets within the next few years. In the past, plastics use in India was largely limited to household consumer durables and packaging. Now, plastics are also widely used in infrastructure, health care and agriculture. The consumer market for automobiles and electronic goods - both major users of plastics - is also growing rapidly.

What are the main challenges and opportunities in polymer research in India?
An important challenge - and this is also an opportunity - is to work on integrating polymers in various sectors in a green manner and at the same time strengthen India’s knowledge base in the field of polymers. This will eventually boost India’s competitive edge and will create jobs and innovative start-ups.

In this growth scenario, talent scouting and technology scouting are important for India. Equally important challenges are how to find or define new applications in a broad emerging market, while at the same time reducing carbon footprint and achieving a general development towards green technology and products.

A major innovation effort, supported by intensive research, will be essential in order to introduce new or improved polymeric materials and plastic products that meet consumer and industry requirements, while at the same time overcoming environmental challenges. This is especially important in the light of India’s ambitious new ‘Make in India’ programme.

Can you elaborate on the DPI research programme?
Our research programme is characterised by the chain-of-knowledge approach, in which the scientific disciplines and competences of our academic partners are integrated. This stimulates cross-fertilisation and maximises knowledge utilisation, laying the basis for new inventions and triggering industrial innovation. In the new research programme, DPI intends to focus on the four areas of research - polyolefins, performance polymers, functional polymers & surfaces (including functional coatings), and polymers for oil & gas.

In addition to polyolefins manufacturing, the polyolefins programme addresses innovation in numerous applications in different sectors, such as packaging, automotive, transportation, consumables, electronics, building construction, etc.
The research in performance polymers is focused on structure-property-processing relationship is of importance for a wide range of applications - from electronic devices and membranes to transport (automotive, space) and construction.

The functional polymers programme focuses on research in the fields of polymer lighting and field effect transistors; polymers for information and communication technology; solar cells; and responsive materials, sensors and actuators for the electrical & electronics (E&E) sector. In functional surfaces, the focus is on organic coatings in general, aimed at developing fundamental insights that will lead to innovative coating technologies, for example in the automotive and building construction sectors.

The polymers for oil & gas programme includes two main application areas. First, high temperature and/or anti-corrosive polymeric materials for production, transport and storage of oil & gas products. Second, polymer solutions and/or emulsions for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and other subsurface drilling/recovery applications.

I would like to add that in each of these fields, there is also the possibility to set up - as part of the overall DPI framework - consortium based projects to address specific interests or needs of the participating companies.

Bio-based polymers are gaining traction. Do you have a focused research area for bio-based polymers?

At Dutch Polymer Institute, research on bio-based polymers is integrated in the approach of the various DPI sub-programmes.

How is intellectual property taken care of?
IP matters are taken care of in agreement between the academic and industrial stakeholders. IP rights are owned by the inventing university. The funding partners of DPI have the possibility to acquire relevant IP through the process of ‘right of first refusal’ on inventions from the DPI research programme

How would Indian companies benefit from participation in the DPI programme?
As partners in the worldwide DPI network, they will be able to interact with other companies with similar interests and have access to some of the world’s best academic groups in polymer science. Many of these groups are based in Northwestern Europe, which has been building a chain of knowledge in polymers for the past 100 years. Also, companies participating in DPI will have the possibility to second their scientists to DPI projects, enabling them to gain international experience.

By pooling resources, our industrial partners are able to jointly work on research topics of common interest and realise a higher and more broadly-based research volume compared with research in a bilateral framework. Partnership with DPI will also enable them to take advantage of complementary public funding opportunities (for example, European Union schemes) to address specific innovation needs. Furthermore, we could help Indian companies in the area of talent and technology scouting.

Which are the key industry sectors of interest to DPI in India?
We are particularly looking for industrial partners active in the automotive, oil & gas, telecommunications/solar cells, energy and coatings sectors.

Are you open to collaboration with Indian research institutes?
Dutch Polymer Institute seeks academic expertise worldwide and is happy to include recognised expert groups in India in its network to address industrial challenges faced by multinationals worldwide.

What is your message to Indian companies and academic institutions working in the field of polymer science and technology?
I would like to invite both industrial and academic players in India to come and talk to us about collaboration. The Indian plastics industry has a great future ahead of it and your academic institutions can support and boost new developments by creating a strong knowledge base in polymer science and technology.

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