A strategic approach to materials innovation
David Knowles FIMMM, CEO of the Henry Royce Institute, on plans to fuel the fire of materials research and innovation at the heart of UK society and the economy.
The UK Research and Innovation Strategy 2022–2027 – transforming tomorrow together states that we are at one of the most exciting times in the history of research and innovation in the UK. It highlights that the rate of discovery and technological advance is astonishing, and that we are at the centre of a new industrial revolution.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which is sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and supports the Henry Royce Institute for advanced materials, also stresses that the UK must capitalise on its research and innovation strengths. Investing wisely to secure competitive advantage in emerging technologies and creating opportunities for UK businesses in global markets are clear priorities.
Such competitive advantage, coupled with our drive for a more sustainable society, is entirely dependent on having the right materials that we can manufacture economically at scale. From delivering clean energy to ensuring a healthy population, both new and improved materials are the underpinning solution to many aspects of the challenges we face. They are a foundation capability that drives innovation and provides technical solutions for using our scarce resources more efficiently.
Given the UK’s 2050 net-zero commitments, timing is also critical – we need to deliver the required materials innovations in much shorter timescales and the clock is ticking. If that wasn’t enough, we also need to rely less on those critical materials that have supply constraints or environmental concerns.
National Materials Innovation Strategy
It is clear that to really drive and accelerate materials innovation, and translate our world-leading fundamental science into game-changing products, services and systems, we need a clearly articulated national strategy and delivery plan.
With the support of a new Materials Innovation Leadership Group, Royce has now kick-started this process, focusing on a number of priority areas and pulling together expertise from a range of organisations across the UK to accelerate the uptake of new materials research to solve real industrial and societal problems.
The National Materials Innovation Strategy is underway from a top-down perspective. We are drawing on the UK’s diverse industrial sectors to seek key opportunities that require innovation with circularity, sustainability, skills and the continued digital revolution (Materials 4.0) cutting through all opportunity areas.
The Strategy will build upon previous endeavours in materials research, development and innovation. However, a distinctive aspect of this renewed effort will focus on breaking down barriers between historic industrial sectors, research, development and commercialisation activities. Importantly, strategic sectors that have commonalities are being drawn together into clusters to discuss their materials challenges and to surface those key materials opportunities for the UK.
The focus at this early stage will not be specific materials, but rather the technology areas where innovation is required or will have a major impact. The output from these meetings will be used for deeper dives into relevant materials, and comparing and contrasting these requirements across traditional industrial sectors.
The output will then be used to shape strategy, define recommendations and interventions in industry and government.
The process will be complete towards the end of 2024 and will attempt to reach a consensus on the key interventions, such as where we direct time and resources (including public and private time and funds). Investment is not just needed in materials R&D, but in scale-up facilities, skills and education, regulation and standards to varying degrees.
A clear strategy has the potential to unlock national and regional growth. By decoupling the Strategy from sectors, we will hope to propose viable materials developments, which are sustainable across the economy. That is not to say sectors will not have an important say – of course their needs will be at the heart of the opportunities we define.
The Strategy will be aligned to key UK policy missions to meet priorities – from a healthy nation to greater security and resilience.
The UK is already active in a range of research from energy efficient technologies, novel biomaterials, to strong irradiation-resistant materials that operate effectively in extreme conditions such as fusion – we now have the potential to be world leading in translating the technology in these areas and many others.
It is now time for government, industry and academia to work together to help shape the future – to both develop and grow an innovative community of materials users, developers and manufacturers, to ensure it remains strongly rooted in the UK, and delivers long-term benefits to society as a whole.
