Shaping the future of polymer data through collaboration and open science
On 12 March 2025, more than 35 participants from across the UK gathered at Loughborough University for a one-day community workshop exploring the future of polymer data. The event brought together academic and industry representatives – from early-career researchers to senior scientists – to begin shaping a national vision for accessible and useful polymer datasets.
Through a mix of expert talks and interactive sessions, attendees explored three key themes: Polymer Data Use and Prediction, Generation of Polymer Data, and Polymer Data Storage and Retrieval. Insights gathered from these discussions will inform an upcoming white paper outlining next steps towards developing a dedicated polymer data repository and expanding engagement with the wider research and industrial community.
At Loughborough University, Professor Anna Croft and Dr Izzy Cooley are leading efforts to make polymer research data more accessible, reusable, and predictive. Their work combines experimental and computational approaches to understand and model key polymer properties – such as solubility, viscosity, and processability – helping researchers design and select new materials more efficiently. Through collaboration with PSDI, the team is developing open workflows and data standards that will enable scientists and industry partners to share and build upon polymer data in a consistent, FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) way. This partnership aims to lay the groundwork for a national polymer data repository, supporting innovation across materials science, manufacturing, and sustainability.
Event Photos
