New Business Secretary announces £95m funding for super-materials of the future

Business Secretary Grant Shapps has announced a £95m boost to develop the super-materials of the future, supporting research and innovation in advanced materials at the Henry Royce Institute, headquartered in Manchester.

The Business Secretary visited the Royce Institute yesterday, in his first official trip since assuming the role at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, allowing him to emphasise his “strong belief” that R&D investment key to turbocharging economic growth, as well as celebrating Manchester’s position as an “industrial powerhouse”.

The significant cash injection, awarded via the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), cements the UK’s position as world-leader in advanced materials, and follows an initial £258m government investment made over the course of five years.

Advanced materials, including biomaterials, smart materials and nano-engineered materials, possess unique properties enabling superior performance to their traditional counterparts, and are “critical” in a wide range of industries including health, transport, energy, electronics and utilities.

Activities supported by Royce and backed by government funding, have included 3D bioprinting for healthcare uses such as tissue engineering in regenerative medicine, turning waste materials into sustainable plastics, and new materials to enable quantum technologies.

One project also brought together academia and industry to advance knowledge of how Zirconium alloy insulation can improve the safety and cost-efficiency of highly radioactive fuel used in nuclear reactors as well as reducing their carbon emissions.

This technology could be essential to the success of Britain’s future nuclear fleet, which the government aims to ramp up in order to boost energy security and slash bills.

The funding announced this week will advance the Institute’s work to support early-stage research in these materials by providing financial backing, access to research facilities, and opportunities for collaboration between businesses and researchers.

The Business Secretary commented: “Growing an economy fit for the future means harnessing the full potential of advanced materials, making science fiction a reality by supporting projects from regenerative medicine to robots developing new recycling capabilities, right across the country - including here in the heart of Manchester.

“Today’s £95m investment will do just that, bringing together the brightest minds across our businesses and institutions to help future-proof sectors from healthcare to nuclear energy.”

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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