Welcome to the High Polymer Research Group (HPRG). Our mission is to promote polymer science, broadly defined, through the organisation of annual conferences which are currently held at Shrigley Hall Hotel in the Peak District, a picturesque part of Northern England. The HPRG is a non-profit-making charitable organisation that has organised the series of high-level international conferences extending over fifty years. The first 43 years of meetings were held in Moreton Hampstead, Devon. HPRG is led by a rotating council of trustees, drawn from academia and industry, with a leadership of the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. Council members take responsibility to arrange the scientific programme which is typically decided 18 months in advance.
The HPRG conference attracts active participation from academia and industry from around the world, with a diverse representation of age and experience. The conference is primarily structured around long-form presentations, followed by dedicated time for full and frank exchanges. No records or proceedings are taken nor published, so that novel and unpublished results can be freely discussed. Colleagues are requested not to make public reference to discussions that take place to allow a free exchange of views.
Since the first meeting in 1961, the HPRG meeting has acquired a number of traditions. On behalf of the council, I want to be clear that we are open to hearing from our community to see how we further improve the meeting and to gather suggestions regarding scientific topics that might form that basis of future meetings and possible improvements we could make. We are particularly keen for the next generation of polymer scientists worldwide to engage with the meeting and in response to feedback we have expanded a bursary scheme to assist first-time attendees and increased our engagement with early-career networks.
In 2026 our 64th meeting was entitled "Polymers in an Increasingly Challenging World", and brought together academic researchers and industrialists to explore the key role of polymer science in responding to contemporary global challenges. The programme encompassed a broad spectrum of themes, including sustainable polymers and formulations, along with the design of smart and responsive materials. Sessions explored the role of polymers in water purification and environmental remediation, the industrial innovations driving the production of new sustainable materials, and emerging applications of polymers in medicine and biotechnology. The conference also examined the digitisation and automation of polymer synthesis, next-generation polymer technologies with applications in energy storage and electronics, and the implications of polymers on human health, including the detection and impact of environmental nanoplastics.
In 2027 our conference will look at the topic of "Polymers in Motion". Please see our programme for more details, and if you are interested in joining our attendance list please join us, or contact myself directly.
Professor Matthew I. Gibson, FRSC, CCHEM
