Step into the future of materials science at Cranfield University’s premier Materials Innovation Showcase, where cutting-edge research meets industrial impact. This high-energy event will spotlight the latest breakthroughs in multifunctional materials, extreme environment operations, advanced characterisation, and sustainable materials engineering, brought to life by Cranfield’s world-leading researchers and innovators.
This inaugural showcase will feature a special focus on hydrogen technologies, aerospace advancements, energy storage and transport, and defence materials, highlighting Cranfield’s pivotal role in enabling the UK’s transition to clean energy and resilient infrastructure. Explore how novel materials including CMCs, biomaterials and vitrimers are driving innovation in aerospace, energy, automotive, and national security sectors.
Expect interactive exhibits, live demonstrations, and thought-provoking talks from academic and industry leaders with applications insights. Discover how Verder Scientific’s advanced instrumentation is powering precision and progress across the materials landscape – from lab to operation and onwards to a zero-carbon future.
Whether you’re a researcher, student, policymaker, or industry professional, this is your chance to connect, collaborate, and be inspired by the future of materials science looking ahead to 2050.
What to expect
Get ready for two days of breakthrough science you can feel. Dive into hard‑hitting research from Cranfield’s world‑leading labs, with rapid‑fire academic and industry presentations that showcase the innovations pushing aerospace, energy, defence, and sustainability forward. Experience live demonstrations, show‑and‑tell sessions, researcher poster sessions, innovative commercial research success stories, and exclusive facilities tours that reveal the technology behind Cranfield’s biggest research wins. Explore standout student posters from the Centre for Materials and the Magan Centre for Applied Mycology, and sharpen your innovation strategy by discussing with our team how Cranfield’s research gives you scalable solutions with real‑world impact.
What we’ll drive into at Science to Solutions
Explore a dynamic showcase of next‑generation materials research, where Cranfield University’s scientific excellence meets Verder Scientific’s precision technologies. Across two days, you’ll journey through breakthroughs shaping aerospace, energy, defence, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing.
⚡ Energy Storage & Future Transport
Uncover how advanced materials, coatings, and characterisation techniques are revolutionising energy storage systems and enabling cleaner, more efficient transport technologies. From thermal energy storage challenges to high‑temperature corrosion resistance, you’ll see how research is pushing performance and durability to new heights.
🚀 Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) for Aerospace & Space
Step into the world of high‑temperature, ultra‑lightweight ceramic matrix composites. Discover how new manufacturing methods are unlocking CMCs for extreme environments in aviation, spaceflight, and high‑speed propulsion—driving lighter engines, hotter turbines, and more resilient systems.
🔋 Hydrogen Storage, Transport & Testing
Hydrogen is central to a net‑zero future, and this showcase highlights the emerging materials, metamaterials, and safety technologies enabling its adoption. Explore innovations in lightweight hydrogen storage systems, permeation‑resistant coatings, and state‑of‑the‑art hydrogen testing methods that deliver true operational insight.
🔥 Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs)
See how advanced multilayer TBC systems are being engineered to survive the punishing conditions of next‑generation turbines and hypersonic vehicles. Discover how new coating architectures improve wear resistance, thermal insulation, and hydrogen protection—all critical to future aerospace and energy platforms.
🛡️ Lightweight Armour & Protection Systems
Experience the science behind high‑performance armour: impact‑resistant composites, hybrid structures, and energy‑absorbing materials engineered for defence and security. Learn how Cranfield’s research pushes weight reduction without compromising protection.
♻️ Vitrimers & Reprocessable Polymers
Enter the world of self‑healing, recyclable polymers redefining composite manufacturing. Vitrimers bring repairability, circular lifecycle potential, and high‑temperature stability—unlocking sustainable solutions across energy, automotive, aerospace, and electronics.
🧪 Biomaterials & Mycology
Discover how bio‑derived materials—from fungal mycelium to engineered biopolymers—can deliver lightweight, sustainable, low‑carbon alternatives for construction, packaging, insulation, and more. Explore a rapidly growing frontier in regenerative and environmentally conscious design.
⚙️ Rubber & Polymer Materials
Dive into advanced elastomers, novel polymer formulations, and enhanced characterisation techniques shaping performance under fatigue, dynamic loading, and harsh chemical conditions. Essential for aerospace seals, energy systems, automotive components, and industrial applications.
❄️ Extreme Environments & Extreme Cold
Explore materials designed to thrive under the harshest conditions: ultra‑high temperatures, cryogenic systems, corrosive atmospheres, and intense mechanical loading. Discover how engineered surfaces, coatings, and composites ensure reliability where failure is not an option.
✨ Atomic Layer Deposition & Plasma Deposition
See how atomic‑scale precision manufacturing enables next‑generation coatings, thin films, and engineered surfaces. From hydrogen‑resistant layers to nanoscale electronics and high‑performance sensors, ALD and plasma technologies are redefining what’s possible in material design and device fabrication.
April 15 2026
