Alusid Limited

Company description

ALUSID is a University of Central Lancashire spin-out company set up to realise the commercial opportunities of an Eco-material - developed through two AHRC awards: . The Aesthetic of Waste - an investigation of the creative and commercial potential of kiln cast re-cycled mineral waste. . Design to Manufacture: Realising the creative and commercial potential of a unique aesthetic 'Eco-material' The company was set up with £260,000 venture capital, secured by commercialisation partners Frontier IP. The University has Licensed the IP to ALUSID. Currently the company employs 3 permanent staff, including Dr Alasdair Brenmer who is Operations Manager. Professor David Binns is seconded to ALUSID, as Creative and Technical Director. The company has a board of 3 directors: Tony Attard OBE - Chairman, Neil Crabb (Representing Frontier IP), Dr John Lonsdale (Representing UCLan). The Company has now established a fully operational pilot factory in Preston. Company address: Unit 6, Astra Business Park, Roman Way, Preston PR25AP The company was launched at the 100% Design International Design Fair at Olympia in London in September 2015. The University of Central Lancashire has licensed the IP to ALUSID and is currently patenting the new material (SilicaStone), developed through the AHRC funded research and now manufactured by ALUSID. RE: HGF Ref. P138508US / MAH; US Patent Application No 14/439,576; Composite Material; University of Central Lancashire. In 2016 Alusid won a IChem E Global Award in the category 'Best New Start-up Company' In 2018, ALUSID won the Design Guild Mark Award in the 2D surface material category and the Jonathan Hindle Prize awarded to the most outstanding design in any year. https://www.designguildmark.org.uk/awardees/jonathan-hindle-prize In 2018 ALUSID received a further £1.3 million of private investment funding. "Frontier IP, which specialises in commercialising university intellectual property, announced that portfolio company, Alusid Limited (the "Company" or "Alusid"), has raised £1.34 million through a private funding round to support the design, planning and location of a new factory to transform its production capacity". http://otp.investis.com/clients/uk/frontier_ip_group/rns/regulatory-story.aspx?newsid=1187709&cid=2001

AluSiD develops technology to produce tiles and construction surfaces from recycled materials.

Project impact

Manufacturing of a unique range architectural surfacing products - 'SilicaStone' - made from recycled ceramic, glass and mineral waste. The notable impacts of the material to be manufactured by the Spin-out company include: • made from between 97 - 100% recycled waste; • converts 'low value' waste into a 'high value' product; • avoids any cementateous or toxic, synthetic polymers, common to many current 'green' composite products; • low levels of embodied energy and carbon emission: • requires lower firing temperatures than conventional ceramic tiles; • utilizes locally sourced waste (avoiding excessive transportation of raw materials); • all manufacturing waste (trimmings, sludges) can be re-introduced into the raw material input stream (Zero Waste, Closed Loop Manufacturing); • can be recycled at end of life and re-introduced into the raw material input steam (Cradle to Cradle Design Paradigm, End of Life Manufacturing).