Work with us
Scientists in the Edinburgh Complex Fluids Partnership specialise in understanding interactions between components in soft materials and complex fluids and how they influence product performance and manufacturing challenges. We bring business and academics together at the forefront of complex fluid science and work across multiple fields associated with our academic research and world-class facilities.
Our partners are companies (from start-ups through to multinationals), research institutions and scale-up centres. We work on research to solve industrial challenges and embed innovation. Funding comes in a variety of forms e.g., contract research (privately-funded), collaborative research (a few partners, often partly public-funded) and academic research (publically-funded).
Lowering the barriers to collaboration
At ECFP we understand there are many real and perceived barriers for industry to work with academia. We work hard to identify and reduce these barriers to make it as easy as possible for your business to access the R&D expertise you need. Below are 5 ways we help facilitate easy collaboration:
Tailor-made collaboration
Every project is unique. We offer a bespoke package to suite your scientific, budget and IP requirements.
We move at your speed
We have a dedicated team of post-docs ready to work on your project.
Help with finding the right funding
ECFP has lots of experience finding funding, in particular to assist SMEs access research and development.
Two-way dialogue & understandable science
Regular communication, presentation of results in way appropriate to client, focussed on delivery of understanding
Mutually beneficial Intellectual Property arrangements
Clear and reasonable IP arrangements between partners are an essential part of building and maintaining successful collaborations. We operate through IP terms that reflect the ambitions of our partners, ensuring advancements get to market and benefit the wider world.
Who we work with
ECFP works with a wide range of industry partners across many different sectors. A key benefit of working with us is our ability to identify and translate process and formulation solutions between sectors.
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Modes of engagement
ECFP works with industry in a range of different ways depending on the needs of the project or the business.
Feasibility Studies & Consultancy
Feasibility studies tend to be smaller scale projects carried out over a period of several months. They are ideal for an initial exploration of the soft matter science underpinning a particular product or to determine the suitability of a new technique, formulation, or process for further testing.
Through our consultancy services, companies benefit from bespoke advice from our leading academics to help them make informed decisions with regard to product development and innovation. Consultancy projects are often privately funded and specific to a product or process. They can extend from a single day’s guidance from one of our academics to a longer-term project for a postdoctoral researcher or student.
Collaborative Research
Alongside our large programme of academic research, we also undertake long-term industry-led work where the research goals are defined by a company or consortium. These projects are usually larger in scale compared to feasibility studies and are carried out over an extended period of time, often several years.
Innovation & Incubation
Technologies emerging from our academic research can find useful application in the market place. ECFP supports development work within our laboratories to advance the Technology Readiness Level of new innovations using our technologies, including validating prototype instruments or novel formulations. This work may be carried out in partnership with companies of all sizes.
