A blueprint for materials

The UK’s Henry Royce Institute releases a National Materials Innovation Strategy.

Touching every corner of manufacturing, technology and processing, materials science is the cornerstone of modern technical innovation. From decarbonising energy systems to developing life-changing healthcare solutions, materials provide the foundation for progress. Yet, for too long, the benefits of materials innovation have been isolated within individual sectors, limiting the broader impact these advancements could deliver.

Following an extensive consultation to address the siloed nature of the materials sector, we have published the National Materials Innovation Strategy, the UK’s first-ever cross-sector approach to materials innovation. 

This strategy represents a call to action for the UK’s materials community – industry, academia, policymakers and innovators –  to unite around a shared vision of collaborative growth.

It is a blueprint for breaking down silos, fostering partnerships and accelerating the journey from material discovery to deployment.

This strategy is the culmination of over two years of intensive effort, driven by the Henry Royce Institute, the Materials Innovation Leadership Group and the entire UK materials industry. 

It is, at its core, a partnership endeavour, created in consultation with more than 2,000 experts from across the UK’s materials community – spanning over 270 businesses, universities, research organisations and government bodies.

The process has been a testament to the strength of collaboration. Bringing together such a diverse group has allowed us to identify not only the most pressing challenges, but also the opportunities that could yield the greatest impact.

Although the UK excels in materials research, bridging the gap between groundbreaking discoveries and real-world applications has been an ongoing obstacle. This strategy aims to tackle that bottleneck head-on, creating pathways to ensure our discoveries and innovations are rapidly scaled and translated across sectors.

Unlocking opportunities 

The strategy identifies 19 distinct innovation opportunities, with more than 40 priorities between them, each offering transformative potential. 
These opportunities have been identified as areas of high impact for the materials sectors through the expertise of the Materials Innovation Leadership Group and the economic analyses conducted alongside the strategy. 

Given the breadth, to bring focus, we have condensed these opportunities into six themes that will bring high-impact innovation and prosperity into the UK economy, as well as drive increased productivity and job creation. 

These themes represent the economic powerhouse behind the strategy – they capture the market pull, and the strategy highlights the barriers and opportunities required to realise their potential. They are:

Energy solutions – focusing on meeting the challenges of net-zero, developing advanced materials for renewable energy systems and efficient energy storage. 

Future healthcare – here materials innovation goes beyond biocompatibility to enable active medical solutions, such as bioelectronics and advanced implants. 

Structural innovations – to strengthen infrastructure, transport systems and the built environment through sustainable and resilient materials. 

Advanced surface technologies – to enhance product functionality, performance and longevity, supporting industrial innovations. 

Next-generation electronics, telecommunications and sensors – driving the future of high-performance connectivity, computing and quantum to enable faster, more efficient and robust systems. 

Consumer products, packaging and specialist polymers – materials innovation improves product sustainability, durability and efficiency, ensuring they meet the demands of a circular economy.

These themes demonstrate the vast opportunities materials science offers to revolutionise key areas of modern life.

Real impact

The impact of innovation across these themes is best illustrated by delving a little deeper into some of the tangible solutions these innovative materials are generating. 

First, advanced materials are revolutionising healthcare treatments for neural disorders. For example, graphene-based bioelectronic implants are currently under development and could be used to treat neural disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Graphene’s unique properties allow for thinner, more biocompatible, conducting and higher-resolution neural interfaces than traditional metals. This innovation is already being tested in clinical trials to aid precise brain surgery, and future applications could provide therapeutic options for conditions like Parkinson’s disease.

Second, advanced materials are enabling scalable green hydrogen production.

One of the essential components of electrolysers used in hydrogen production is iridium, a rare metal. This reliance on a large quantity of a scarce resource is a barrier to scaling hydrogen. To tackle this challenge, Worcester-based Teer Coatings is developing a coating that reduces the need for iridium in electrolyser catalysts. By improving the durability and performance of the catalysts, this material breakthrough has the potential to significantly scale up green hydrogen production. 

Lastly, materials innovations are helping to overcome barriers to offshore wind energy development. Wind turbines can interfere with radar systems, limiting the location of offshore wind farms. Nanocarbon structures are being developed to absorb radar signals to reduce interference and enable wind turbines to be deployed in more locations. This innovation supports the growth of offshore wind energy, a key component of the UK’s net-zero goals while maintaining vital national security functions.

These examples only scratch the surface of what materials innovation can achieve to address some of the greatest challenges of our time. However, the success of these initiatives depends on our ability to work together, leveraging insights and capabilities from across disciplines and industries.

Cross-cutting themes 

What truly distinguishes this strategy is the cross-cutting themes that have also been highlighted – the ‘foundations for growth’ that will bring the materials community together and lead to a step-change in the pace of discovery and translation.

Materials 4.0 represents transitioning to a digitally enabled materials sector. This will be underpinned by a materials informatics framework leveraging data, artificial intelligence and advanced digital tools. Its advancement across the sector will accelerate the pace of discovery, development and manufacture of new materials, as well as prolonging the in-service life of existing material systems.

Sustainability and the circular economy is another cross-cutting theme focused on designing materials and processes that minimise waste, reduce emissions and promote sustainable manufacturing practices.  

By prioritising these two key areas, industry has the potential to make significant advancements. Collaboration within the materials community will be essential to achieving this progress, particularly through the development of collective solutions and national focus.

Further to these areas, ‘Translation and manufacturing’ bridges the gap between research and commercialisation, ensuring materials innovations seamlessly transition from the lab to large-scale applications. 

Skills development will be crucial to build and maintain a robust talent pipeline that can safeguard the UK’s leadership in materials science and drive the projected growth. And policy, regulations and standards will result in an agile and supportive regulatory environment that fosters materials innovation across industries.

These priority themes reflect the interconnected nature of materials science and its applications. Whether we are developing low-carbon technologies, creating life-saving medical devices, or building the next generation of sustainable infrastructure, success will depend on our ability to integrate these themes into a cohesive national effort.

Laying the foundations

The National Materials Innovation Strategy is only the beginning. It lays the foundations for a decade of transformative growth, to position the UK as the go-to location for materials innovation. But achieving this vision requires more than a strategy – it demands collective effort.

A connected and collaborative materials innovation ecosystem will amplify the impact of our efforts, driving economic growth and delivering solutions to the challenges that define our modern world. Together, we can create a future where the UK doesn’t just lead in materials innovation, but sets the standard for how collaboration can drive meaningful change.

The strategy represents a rallying call to the materials community. Royce now invites any interested parties to join the strategy network and actively contribute to the future of a responsive and valuable materials innovation ecosystem.

More information can be found online.