AN organisation helping businesses bring next generation products to market has announced a fresh academic partnership.

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is working alongside Durham University to help small and medium-sized companies accelerate work on goods capable of increasing strength and elasticity in apparatus.

Bosses say the collaboration, known as COAST, has the potential to have a real impact on the aerospace and automotive sectors.

The project will be delivered from CPI’s facilities on NetPark, in Sedgefield, County Durham, and a laboratory at the university.

Dr Robin Brinham, COAST project manager at CPI, said: “This ambitious project aims to support the development and growth of small County Durham companies.

“Combining research from Durham University with scale-up and testing facilities at CPI will provide a powerful springboard for the growth of this high technology industry in County Durham.

“We are proud to be a part of it.”

The partnership further strengthens the CPI’s links to the North-East, coming just a month after the organisation broke ground on the National Centre for Healthcare Photonics at NetPark.

Sitting alongside a sister National Formulation Centre, officials say it will provide open access facilities for firms and universities to develop light-based technology to diagnose and monitor acute and chronic conditions.

The CPI also runs the Darlington-based National Biologics Manufacturing Centre in Darlington, which provides firms with technical backing to research and develop potentially life-saving cures and vaccines, including cancer treatments and therapies for rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

Meanwhile, at the Wilton Centre, near Redcar, the body has spent money on new equipment to strengthen industrial biotechnology and biorefinery facilities, and last week revealed a new seven-year lease to continue using offices, laboratories and pilot plant space.