Andrew Slark Email and Phone Number

Innovative Coatings and Adhesives for Recycling (I-CARE) - investigating new polymers which provide high performance in use and enable recycling of valuable materials.Smart Polymers with Advanced Properties - creating understanding of value to various applications, using expertise in both synthetic polymer chemistry and physical polymer science.Investigating new concepts, collaborating with academia & Industry, helping others develop.

Investigating and developing new coatings relating to security productsAdvising and organizing external research activities to develop critical understanding

Investigating opportunities for new polymers

Projects with market potential >20M Euros per annum, leading a team of up to 6 people• Invented, patented and developed novel thermoplastic polyurethane technology • Designed prototype products with strong health & safety benefits; managed complex projects requiring new polymer architectures, a new manufacturing method and a new application process • Collaborated with other (remote) platforms to create a new class of instant bonding cyanoacrylate adhesives for potential consumer and industrial applications • Contributed to the definition of new UV curable acrylic block copolymers by RAFT technology, suitable for pressure sensitive adhesive applications• Led collaborations with key industrial suppliers (Europe) and academic partners (UK, US, Australia) to both develop new materials and critical understanding of adhesive performance• Managed a team of people in different locations - the UK, Germany, Ireland and China; including a period of remote leadership following closure of the Slough site

• Assisted the integration of National’s polyurethane hot melt product portfolio into Henkel• Enabled the technology transfer of patented UV curable hot melt coatings into Henkel, leading to the commercialization of products for woodworking applications (forecast >10M Euros per annum) • Explored thermally reversible crosslinking chemistries; patented novel hot melt adhesives with unique processing advantages

• Delivered successful new products with value ~50M Euros over product lifetime via technical differentiation in construction, automotive, assembly and textile applications; contribution of new products developed to 28% of annual European sales • Achieved significant cost savings by changing the location of toll manufacture from the UK to Germany for the whole European polyurethane hot melt product range • Investigated new ideas to anticipate unmet customer needs; key concepts were demonstrated and patented, including isocyanate-free chemistry and UV curable hot melt coatings• Led collaborations with industrial suppliers of novel materials (in Europe and the US) and with key academic partners (in the UK, France and the US)• Built and developed a diverse team of 7 people (from UK, France, Spain, Czech Republic and China); enabled several promotions and coached several people in temporary roles to secure permanent positions

• Invented and developed novel UV reactive resins as a new product range with unique properties for customers in the speciality coatings and inks industries• Part of a team who won an ICI Innovation, Creativity and Excellence award for Product Innovation; investigated different routes to branched polymer architectures as a technology platform leading to several patents and new products• Leveraged cross-business technical synergies on polymer architecture with other ICI businesses, initiating and managing collaborations with UK academia

• Created key understanding of transport phenomena in dye/polymer surface coatings, leading to patented new products based on the selection and synthesis of polymers and dyes• Collaborated with the ICI Japan Technical Centre & steered contract research on dye synthesis in Zeneca Specialties• Constructed a network of ICI and academic contacts, initiating and managing several projects