At the end of 2024, the Defence Materials Centre of Excellence (DMEx) celebrated its first year of operations with an event at the Royce Hub Building.
DMEx brings together world-leading researchers from Dstl, industry, research technology organisations and academia to develop the next generation of advanced materials systems for the defence of the UK. It is researching, creating, and prototyping exciting new materials that can perform under harsh conditions.
With 80 people in attendance across all the DMEx partners as well as from The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) which set up the programme, key highlights from the last 12 months were shared, both within DMEx and how its work aligns with the drivers of the wider Royce remit, as well as the recently published National Materials Innovation Strategy.
Key milestones for the first year of DMEx include:
- Reaching Full Operating Capacity
- Building strong working relationships across the DMEx partnership; from academia, industry, and research organisations
- 30+ research projects in progress, with several projects being a collaboration across multiple partners
Speakers at the event gave an insight into plans for Year Two of DMEx. There will be a continuation of its projects already in progress, as well as many delivering on quality technical outputs. Plus, many more new projects will commence, building on DMEx’s research portfolio.
The event also gave attendees an opportunity to network with peers and to learn more about each of DMEx’s key research themes: Air, Effectors, Land, Maritime, and Space.
DMEx Director, Professor Alan Partridge, said:
“This was a fantastic opportunity to come together and celebrate the great progress that has been made across this important national joint Royce – Dstl Partnership. DMEx is strengthening existing collaborations and is also building new ones to deliver the materials and the technologies which we need for the defence sector and its all-important supply chain.”
Dstl Associate Director Matt Lunt, said:
“The event celebrated an important milestone in DMEx’s life and allowed us to reflect on the successes and challenges of its first 12 months. If anything, 2024 showed us that us coming together as a highly capable partnership to deliver materials S&T for the defence, security and prosperity of the UK is more important than ever. Going into year two, we’ll work with you to continue to build our DMEx partnership and deliver our ambitious vision.”
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