Wolverhampton Firm Forges Partnership with University College Birmingham.

Wolverhampton non-stick coating specialist Cooper Coated Coil has announced a new partnership with University College Birmingham (UCB). Cooper Coated Coil is providing a bursary to enable the University’s food technology department to undertake an independent research project starting in July. The collaboration will enable the University to provide extra financial help to food technology students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Students at UCB will be invited to design and develop a project to investigate the performance of non-stick bakeware. In addition to a bursary, Cooper Coated Coil will provide its own GlideX bakeware plus a range of imported bakeware pieces for use at the University.

Kevin Tranter, Managing Director of Cooper Coated Coil, said: “We are really pleased to be embarking on this partnership with UCB. We know that our GlideX bakeware is the best in the world when it comes to roasting, but we’ve never had the opportunity to independently test its performance in baking before. The students at UCB will put our bakeware through rigorous tests and compare it to imported competitor ranges.

“The kitchens and bakery at the University use bakeware all day, every day, for a wide variety of purposes. It’s the perfect place for this kind of investigation. At Cooper Coated Coil, we provide the highest quality products for our customers, and UCB will help us to continue to do that. We are also delighted to be able to give something back to the students in return in the form of a bursary.”

The research project is scheduled to start in early July and will continue throughout the summer. Cooper Coated Coil and UCB hope that the programme can expand at the start of the next academic year with baking trays for the University’s bread factory. This is an excellent opportunity to investigate the performance of non-stick coatings in an industrial and commercial setting.

Paul Kitchen, Project Manager at University College Birmingham, said: “University College Birmingham is delighted to be working with Cooper Coated Coil on this important project. UCB has some of the best facilities in Europe for this kind of investigation. Our collaboration is a further example of how industry and the University can work in partnership together to enhance the student experience and improve career prospects – as well as supporting growth in our Midlands industry.”

Cooper Coated Coil hopes that this initial collaboration will be the start of a long-term relationship with University College Birmingham. The company has plans to release a consumer range of bakeware in the UK and the USA over the next few months. UCB’s research will be integral to this plan.