The Henry Royce Institute (Royce) recently launched the National Materials Innovation Strategy at the House of Commons, marking a pivotal moment for the future of the UK’s materials sector. The event gathered policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to discuss how an integrated approach to materials science can address critical national challenges, boost economic growth and secure the UK’s position as a global leader in innovation.
The launch featured a distinguished line of speakers, beginning with a welcome and introduction by The Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Professor Dame Julia King, who sponsored the event. Lord Patrick Vallance, Science Minister, followed with ministerial remarks, emphasising the government’s commitment to advancing materials innovation.
Professor David Knowles, CEO of the Henry Royce Institute, shared the vision behind the National Materials Innovation Strategy, while Professor Julia Sutcliffe, Chief Scientific Advisor for the Department for Business and Trade and member of the Materials Innovation Leadership Group (MILG) which oversaw the Strategy, provided valuable insights into the report’s broader implications.
Pete Raby, CEO of Morgan Advanced Materials, offered an industry perspective, and Allan Cook CBE, Chair of the MILG concluded the event, underscoring the importance of collaboration and maintaining momentum in driving the strategy forward.
The National Materials Innovation Strategy
The National Materials Innovation Strategy outlines a bold vision for leveraging materials science to tackle the UK’s most pressing challenges, from decarbonising energy systems and enhancing national resilience to revolutionising healthcare, embracing the opportunities from the digital revolution and advancing the circular economy. Materials innovation lies at the heart of solutions for a sustainable future, driving progress in areas such as hydrogen economy, fusion power, bioelectronics, and low-energy electronics.
Developed through extensive collaboration with over 2000 experts, the Strategy seeks to accelerate the journey from discovery to deployment. It also emphasises the UK’s leadership in materials science, a sector contributing £45 billion annually to the economy and employing over 635,000 people. Recognising its critical role in areas like defence, energy, the built environment, communications and telecommunications, the strategy positions the materials sector as the essential fabric for national resilience.
Lord Patrick Vallance (left), The Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Professor Dame Julia King, Professor David Knowles, Allan Cook CBE, Professor Julia Sutcliffe, Pete Raby (right).
Professor David Knowles, Royce CEO said:
“It was fantastic to launch the UK’s first cross-sector strategy for materials innovation, spotlighting collaboration as the key to staying ahead.
With a focus on transformative approaches through ‘Materials 4.0’ and ‘sustainability by design’, this united approach promises to propel the industry forward. Huge thanks to our inspiring speakers and the 170+ attendees who braved the cold to witness this exciting milestone at the House of Commons. The real work starts now of course!”
Opportunities for Innovation
The strategy does not advocate for specific technological solutions but instead identifies 19 innovation opportunities across six key themes: energy, healthcare, infrastructure, surface technologies, electronics and sensors, and consumer products and polymers.
Key focus areas that feed into these innovation opportunities include public and private investment in R&D, scale-up facilities, skills deployment, regulatory standards, and digitisation; Materials 4.0 is expected to pay a significant role in enabling rapid innovation.
Additionally, the strategy aligns with the UK’s net-zero commitments by 2050, presenting a framework for actions over the next decade to maintain the UK’s global leadership in materials innovation and deliver transformative societal and economic benefits.
The Next Steps for the Strategy
To bring the National Materials Innovation Strategy to fruition, the next phase focuses on translating plans into action through collaboration between government, industry and academia.
One critical step will be the development of an outline business case and detailed implementation plan, ensuring a clear roadmap to progress. Central to this effort is the establishment of a national materials innovation leadership group, tasked with coordinating activities and driving the strategy’s execution.
Additional attention will also be needed to assess and address gaps in infrastructure to create a more connected and efficient innovation ecosystem, particularly in areas such as scale-up, manufacturing and translation. These measures aim to maintain the UK’s leadership in materials innovation while fostering economic growth and societal benefits.
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The National Materials Innovation Strategy was developed under the guidance of the Materials Innovation Leadership Group and produced in partnership with ScotChem and Urban Foresight.
