The Henry Royce Institute and The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) are delighted to welcome Dr. Alan Partridge into his new role as Director of the Defence Materials Centre of Excellence (DMEx).
Alan is joining from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), where he was Executive Director, National Laboratories (Large Scale Facilities) and Head of STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
Commenting on his appointment as DMEx Director, Dr. Alan Partridge said:
“I am delighted to be joining DMEx at such an exciting time in its evolution. I’m impressed with the fantastic progress the Centre has already made, and look forward to building on the considerable momentum that the leadership team and the wider Partnership have already established.
“I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all the Partners within DMEx for responding wholeheartedly to the opportunities presented, and for sharing our ambition to develop the next generation of advanced materials systems for extreme physical environments, a defence challenge which has never been more important to the UK.”
Royce Chief Scientist and Interim DMEx Director during the initial operating capability phase, Professor Philip Withers said: “We’re delighted to welcome Alan to Royce and to DMEx. He brings an outstanding track record in the successful delivery of major research programmes, along with a deep understanding of the application of materials within the defence sector.
“Above all, Alan is a proven global leader, who has managed similar large scale programmes, and delivered complex and high-value science and technology activity. All of this means he is ideally placed to support the DMEx ambition, and foster its core values – to be Capable, Collaborative, Connected and Committed. It would not be possible to find a better person to work with our Dstl and our Partners including Catapults, Universities, Industry and other key Research Organisations.”
Centre of Excellence Associate Director (Dstl) Dr. Matthew Lunt said:
“We’re delighted to welcome Alan to the team to lead what is a fantastic partnership between Dstl, academia and industry, which is designed to create operational advantage for our defence sector, while supporting UK growth and prosperity.
“Alan’s proven track record in materials science will support us to not only propel the science required to develop and exploit new, and advanced materials, but also to develop the skills and capabilities required to continually improve and deploy them.”
Professor David Knowles, added:
“DMEx is a great example of what Royce must stimulate and deliver – major centres and programmes in materials innovation and translation addressing national challenges. This new centre will strengthen existing collaborations and build new collaborations across the research community, enabling the UK to deliver the technology and innovation required to support not just the defence sector, but its much wider supply chain.
“I am delighted that Alan is joining us to spearhead this important Partnership. He brings with him the credibility required to represent DMEx across a wide range of stakeholders including Dstl itself, Royce, a host of new Partner Universities and of course industry and research organisations. I very much look forward to welcoming Alan to our Leadership Team.”
About Dr. Alan Partridge
Alan previously had responsibility for the leadership and development of STFC’s Large Scale Facilities, including the ISIS Neutron and Muon facility, the Central Laser Facility and RAL Space, as well as having accountability for the strategic development of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory site and STFC’s wider strategy; including the coordination of STFC’s Defence and Security strategy.
Prior to joining STFC in 2020 Alan was the Engineering and Technology Executive of Rolls-Royce’s Rotatives and Transmissions businesses. Formerly, he was the Global Head of Materials with responsibility for leading the Rolls-Royce advanced materials development programme across five global sites, covering the Aerospace, Defence and Nuclear businesses.
Alan holds a number of Non-Executive Director roles including at the Diamond Light Source and Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. Alan’s earlier experience was as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Metals Technology Centre. He also held senior technical posts within Firth Rixson Forgings and the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. Alan graduated in Physics from the University of Liverpool, before completing a PhD in Materials Science at the same institution.
About DMEx
Dstl has set up a multi-million research partnership to develop ground-breaking new materials – the Defence Materials Centre of Excellence (DMEx). It is bringing 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. DMEx is researching, creating, and prototyping new materials that can perform under harsh conditions.
The Henry Royce Institute which operates from its hub at The University of Manchester leads the centre of excellence with 23 other partners from academia, industry, and research organisations such as the Catapult Network.
