The progress made on the first year of the AIMPLAS-UV Chair is presented.

The AIMPLAS-UV Chair, a joint initiative between the Universitat de València and the Technological Institute of Plastics (AIMPLAS), was highlighted at the special supplement on Institutional and Business Chairs 2024 of the journal “Las Provincias”.  The collaboration, born this same year, aims to strengthen the connexion between the university and the plastic sector,  addressing key challenges such as sustainability and innovation in plastic materials.

Led by professor José Badia, from the Universitat de València’s Department of Chemical Engineering, the Chair focuses on training, research and transfer of knowledge.  Amongst its primary activities the following stand out: the research projects, the aids to specialised training and the promotion of young talent through a contest to reward Bachelor's Final Projects (TFG) and Master’s Final Projects (TFM).

The exposure of this initiative on local media reinforces its condition of communication bridge between the university, the territory and the society. This approach creates a link between the Chairs’ actions and the local needs, raising awareness and promoting social participation around the plastic sector’s challenges and opportunities.

In addition, the Chair’s focus is on raising awareness and promoting a paradigm shift in people’s perception of plastic, aligning its efforts with those of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Therefore, this space is stablished as a strategic link between the academic field and the industrial sector, becoming as a catalyser for a plastic industry more sustainable and innovative.