P&G joins Britest

Procter & Gamble (P&G) has become the latest international company to join Britest in order to collaborate in the development and deployment of innovative process solutions.

The consumer products giant has collaborated alongside Britest for the past five years in IMPULSE - a major European Union Framework Seven programme. Led by industry, the IMPULSE research programme has focused on the development of radical process innovation in chemical and pharmaceutical production technologies.

In joining Britest, P&G gains access to a range of proprietary 'toolkit’ of innovative process design techniques that have been developed through unique collaborations amongst industry and academic leaders.

Britest's tools and methodlogies cover a range of areas from strategic business processes, project steering, reaction and physical processing and whole process analysis. They are used in the design of new plant and processes and for problem solving on existing plants/processes. Britest's tools and methodlogies employ a multi-disciplinary approach to managing knowledge and gaining ‘whole process understanding’ across functional teams. 

P&G's decision to join Britest follows successful demonstration of Britest’s tools and methodologies at their European research facilities. It is envisaged that Britest’s tools will complement and add value to P&G's own internally developed process tools and help the company identify new opportunities for process innovation across its international sites.  

With its strong focus on formulation and physical processing in the consumer products sector, P&G will add a new dimension to Britest’s existing industrial focus, providing valuable engagement with a new/dynamic industry sector.

Sue Fleet, Britest CEO said: “I am delighted to welcome P&G as a member of Britest and I look forward to working with Jose Vega and his team in helping them deliver process innovations and gain tangible value from their membership. With a shared vision for open collaboration, I am sure P&G will make a valuable contribution to Britest’s technical innovation programme and particularly our physical processing priority area”.

Jose Vega, R&D Director at P&G said: “Through our participation in IMPULSE, we have enjoyed a highly successful collaborative partnership with Britest and built a strong relationship with the team. P&G shares Britest’s collaborative approach as it matches well our own P&G Connect & Develop Strategy. We look forward to working with the other industrial and academic partners in driving sustainable manufacturing solutions through improved process understanding”

1st June 2010