Excellent interaction between the University of Oxford and SCGC researchers through visits and secondments to the CoE has created a reciprocal exchange of techniques and ideas. Professor O’Hare spent a sabbatical year at SCG in 2015/16. Furthermore, there has been outstanding interaction between the CoE and SCGC research teams with Oxford University’s technology transfer company Oxford University Innovation Ltd., ensuring that new developments are patented in a strategically advantageous manner.
The SCGC<>CoE Administration, IP and Publications Committee is composed of SCG Chemicals (SCGC), Oxford University Innovation (OUI) and SCG-Oxford Centre of Excellence (CoE) members and technical Sub-Groups. The Committee considers the Administration, IP and Publication Management of the CoE and meets monthly to manage alignment and exchange information in order to foster both wise and timely decision-making. The overall aim is to promote a sustainable partnership between SCGC, Oxford University Innovation and Oxford University.
Such mutual collaboration has led to the commercialisation of breakthrough technologies, bringing benefits directly to the economy and society with tremendous potential across a range of industries, e.g. chemicals, farming, cement-building material and packaging from the development of new packing materials that keep food safe and fresh; converting biomass waste into valuable feedstock materials; and the conversion of CO2 into renewal fuels.
In 2019, SCG Chemicals founded SENFI, a wholly owned subsidiary of SCGC, as a technology development centre, for scaling-up technologies invented at the CoE, based at Begbroke Science Park in Oxford.
SENFI focus is to enable and contribute to the advancements in sustainability and circular economy by unlocking new functionality and a step change in product performance by using functional materials as an active or additive ingredients in various formulations. SENFI's tailor-made inorganic materials can enhance product performance in various applications, including Life Sciences, Energy Materials, Food Packaging, Flame Retardancy, Catalysis, Adhesives and Composites. SENFI is composed of SENFI UK and SENFI Swiss GmbH. SENFI UK is a technology development centre of SCGC, and SENFI Swiss GmbH is a marketing and commercialisation centre based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
The CoE, Oxford University Innovation, SENFI and the SCGC Centre Research and Development (CRD) strive to transfer technologies from the CoE Labs to the market.
