Sustainable Manufacturing: Royal Recognition for Environmentally Friendly Materials Manufacturer

Many of us are becoming more and more aware of the increasing need for a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to manufacturing. The use of single-use materials, such as plastics, has gained widespread media attention this year. One company that is seeking to address these issues is Chip[s] Board®.

Chip[s] Board was developed by co-founders Rowan Minkley and Robert Nicoll in response to the environmental impacts of readily disposable materials. Working across a range of design and fabrication projects, the founders were both overwhelmed by the lack of value materials were given and sheer disposability they held after such short lifespans.

Inspired to find a new solution they sought to develop a new material that, if treated in the same disposable manner, wouldn’t have the enormous environmental impact currently generated by material disposal. Their solution is to use potato waste to create a new material that can be used in a variety of applications – from building materials to the fashion industry.

Having previously worked with the Central Research Laboratory, a hardware accelerator based in west London (with whom Mathys & Squire work closely with to provide IP support and advice), the team at Chip[s] Board have gone on to win three awards in three consecutive nights. Their most recent accolade awarded by the Royal Academy of Engineering Launchpad Final and was presented by HRH The Princess Royal. The Launchpad competition is an initiative set up to encourage young younger generations to start and grow their own engineering businesses. Not only is this recognition in and of itself valuable, but the team also win a cash prize and membership of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Hub.

Rowan Minkley, CEO of Chip[s] Board commented, “winning the LaunchPad award and receiving such a respected accolade from the Royal Academy of Engineers has given us the necessary backing to take this company from lab scale prototypes to a globally produced material. It’s amazing to see how many people are ready to support material innovations to bring circular economy to the industry”.

Dr Andrew White, patent attorney and Managing Associate at Mathys & Squire added that, “it’s fantastic to see Chip[s] Board winning so many awards and for gaining recognition for their unique and environmentally-friendly product. My colleague Matt Morton and I have worked with the team for a few months now helping them to develop an IP portfolio. They are a real pleasure to work with and it’s fantastic to see their continued growth and expansion. We look forward to continuing our work with Chip[s] Board and helping them on their journey to success”.

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