The BioComposites Centre (established in 1989) undertakes collaborative research to develop sustainable biobased technologies that minimise the impact of materials on the environment. The BioComposites Centre is a key partner in the BEACON project54 which was established with c. £8 million from the ERDF in 2007-13. The BioComposites Centre’s participation in BEACON used ERDF funding to strengthen the Centre’s research and innovation capacity, including infrastructure and equipment in pilot scale processing and increased R&I collaboration between academia and industry. In 2014 the BEACON project won the RegioStars Award in the “Sustainable growth: Green growth and jobs through Bio-economy” category. Improvements in R&I capacities via BEACON have acted as a stepping stone to leverage further funding from a variety of sources comprising Welsh Government, InnovateUK, UK Research Councils, and other EU-funded schemes, including a series of investments from the ERDF-funded SMART Expertise programme56 administered by the Welsh Government.