Paul Jones, owner and managing director of Bitrez Group Ltd, has been named Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 by the Royal Society of Chemistry.
The prestigious Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year award recognises the most exciting chemical science innovations annually, and the Royal Society of Chemistry’s annual prizes have recognised excellence in the chemical sciences field for more than 150 years.
The Royal Society of Chemistry’s annual Research and Innovation Prizes - of which the Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the Year is one - celebrate extraordinary individuals and their work across both industry and academia.
Paul Jones - who alongside his position at Bitrez Group Ltd holds senior roles with Chemical Processing Services Ltd and Anacarda Ltd - secured the prize for the creation of UK businesses that are globally recognised for innovating speciality polymers employing green chemistry principles.
Upon receiving the award, Paul said: “Thanks to the hard work and efforts of colleagues throughout the years, thanks to strong support and mentoring at key stages of my career, I have been very fortunate to have received generous recognition from several sources, all of which I am very grateful for. However, receiving recognition from the Royal Society of Chemistry is at the top: it ranks alongside receipt of the Queen’s Award for Innovation and is something I am extremely honoured to accept.”
Bitrez Group Ltd is a renowned designer and developer of polymer products and resins targeted toward reducing hazards and environmental impact.
Some of the sustainable work Bitrez Group does involves formulating products from annually harvested crops rather than fossil fuels. The firm processes products to a low hazard state before their use in the manufacture of coatings or composites.
One example of innovation within Bitrez Group was the development of a specialist cross-linking additive for packaging coatings, allowing the formulation of bisphenol A [BPA] free coatings. This innovation was developed in the wake of media and regulatory concerns about materials used in packaging coatings being a potential endocrine disrupter, causing birth defects and genetic disorders.
To respond to this problem, Paul and his company helped produce a resin that was safe and allowed the coatings industry to continue operating without an adverse knock-on effect for production or the food industry.
The Royal Society of Chemistry’s chief executive, Dr Helen Pain, commented: “All of us have experienced tremendous challenges in the last year and the chemical sciences community has been integral to how the world has responded on a number of levels. From developing vaccines for Covid-19 to continuing to work towards a more sustainable world, the contribution of chemical scientists has never been more tangible or important.
“In a recent review of our recognition portfolio, we committed to ensuring that our prizes reflected the incredible diversity and excellence of chemistry being carried out today. Mr Jones’ work is a prime example of what we are so passionate about and we are proud to recognise his contribution with this prize.”
