It is one of five new centres that will be funded through the £25 million UKRI Accelerating the Green Economy programme.
The four-year project is in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University and the Compound Semiconductor Catapult in Scotland.
In Scotland, the electronics industry contains over 130 companies with 10,300 employees contributing to an annual turnover of more than £2.8 billion.
Professor Jeff Kettle from the University of Glasgow said: “The Centre will unite leading researchers to drive the industry’s transition toward a net-zero economy. Its primary focus will be developing solutions to reduce electronic waste, minimise reliance on critical raw materials (CRMs) and reduce carbon footprints.”
The REACT team has expertise across areas such as electronic materials, design, manufacturing and assembly, environmental impact, supply chain management and business modelling.
The centre has said it aims to collaborate with SMEs in the region to develop demonstrators and market-led solutions and provide skills training.
The Compound Semiconductor Catapult innovation centre, with a location in Glasgow, has said it will provide REACT with access to its equipment and expertise to assist in advancing compound semiconductor technology integration.
Professor Bing Xu of Heriot-Watt University said: “REACT will leverage its partnerships to translate research into practical applications, boosting both the region’s and the UK’s global competitiveness in the sector.”
REACT has said its key focus areas will be:
- Reductions in e-waste
- Improve energy efficiency
- Cost savings through the adoption of “greener” manufacturing processes
Professor Jason Love of the University of Edinburgh concluded: “REACT will bring together industrial partners as well as the supply chain of companies and proactively communicate to the wider public, driving change at a governmental level.”
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