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Innovating materials manufacturing
Professor David Knowles explores how the National Materials Innovation Strategy is shaping the future of manufacturing
From energy systems to healthcare and civil infrastructure, materials innovation underpins modern manufacturing and the society it shapes. In early January, the National Materials Innovation strategy- the first-ever cross-sector strategy for materials innovation- was launched to accelerate materials development cycles and unlock untapped potential in the UK to become a leader in materials innovation and manufacturing.
Facilitated by The Henry Royce Institute with support from ScotChem, Perspective Economics, and Urban Foresight, the strategy is a call to action for UK manufacturers to embrace nextgeneration materials and processing techniques. By fostering collaboration across sectors, it aims to maintain the UK’ s position as a global hub for materials innovation.
Impact on manufacturing
Steered by the Materials Innovation Leadership Group and informed by input from over 2000 industry experts, including materials manufacturers and users, the strategy addresses key manufacturing challenges such as supply chain resilience and the need for more sustainable materials. As a result, the strategy aims to accelerate materials innovation to help deploy real-world applications including next-generation manufacturing technologies within the next decade, driving economic growth for the manufacturing sector, and increasing productivity.
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