The University of Warwick is a major beneficiary partner in two new EU Horizon Doctoral Networks, set to train the next generation of polymer scientists while addressing two pressing challenges facing modern society: food insecurity and the transition to sustainable transport.
Warwick will host five doctoral researchers across the two programmes, who will receive a coordinated research and doctoral education programme. The two networks - AGRIPOLYS and POLY4EV - together represent a combined budget of over €9 million shared across the network partners.
Warwick lead, Professor Remzi Becer, Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick said: "These two projects speak directly to the defining challenges of our time - how we feed a growing population and how we power a cleaner world. Polymer science might not make the headlines, but it underpins both. We are proud to be at the heart of research that will turn laboratory discoveries into real solutions for farmers, drivers, and the planet."
AGRIPOLYS: Developing biodegradable polymer materials to increase agricultural productivity and reduce environmental impact
Budget: €4.73 million
With nearly one billion people currently living in food insecurity, a figure expected to double by 2050, AGRIPOLYS aims to redefine how polymers are used in agriculture. Receiving the highest score from the EU Chemistry Panel at 99.6%, the project brings together academic researchers and industrial partners to design a new class of fully biodegradable macromolecules capable of delivering agrochemicals and treating plants and seeds in a controlled, sustainable way.
Unlike conventional plastics used in agriculture, which can persist harmfully in soil, AGRIPOLYS materials follow benign-by-design principles. The researchers will test formulations in greenhouse and semi-controlled pilot conditions, assessing how these novel polymers biodegrade and fragment in real-world environments.
POLY4EV: Creating new sustainable polymer materials to improve the performance and durability of electric vehicles
Budget: €4.56 million
POLY4EV targets the rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) market, developing polymer materials and additives specifically designed to boost the efficiency and longevity of EVs. The project focuses on three critical areas: lubricants, thermal management systems, and battery electrodes.
A standout innovation of POLY4EV is the plan to generate fluorine-free polymer binders for battery electrodes that can be processed using non-toxic solvents, a significant step away from the hazardous materials currently common in battery manufacturing. The programme combines experimental and computational expertise from leading academics and industry partners, including both established companies and SMEs, to build robust predictive models for how these new materials behave and perform in EV systems.
