Royce congratulates Professor Sir Peter Bruce FRS, Wolfson Professor of Materials at the University of Oxford, who was recently recommended to Her Majesty The Queen for the honour of Knight Bachelor (Kt) in the Birthday 2022 Honours List. This was in recognition for his visionary work and leadership in battery technology and sustainable energy.
As former Royce Core Area Champion for Electrochemical Systems (ES), Sir Peter helped to define the ES Research Theme and Vision for Royce from inception and continues to exploit the Royce funded experimental capabilities located in the Rex Richards building at Oxford. Professor Sir Peter Bruce is also founder and Chief Scientist of the Faraday Institution.
Batteries are fundamental to the portable electronic products we now take for granted and advances in battery technology hold the key to electric vehicles, a cornerstone of a net zero world. Peter Bruce’s vision that batteries and energy storage would become important for society and his decades of work on lithium batteries has given the UK a global leadership position. He has carried out pioneering fundamental research into lithium batteries and their materials, work that has led to patents and their commercialisation.
Sir Peter said:
I’m delighted yet also humbled to receive this honour in recognition of my research and leadership nationally and internationally. No one stands alone: I want to acknowledge the excellent students, postdocs and collaborators I have had the privilege to work with over the years. The fundamental science underpinning energy conversion and storage, to which I have dedicated my efforts, has a vital role to play in the energy transition to a low carbon society. I hope along the way I have inspired others to embrace science and its place in society.
Royce Chief Scientist Professor Philip Withers added:
“I can only add our congratulations to Sir Peter on this well-deserved honour. He has focused tirelessly on research into materials for energy and on nurturing the next generation of experts in this field. His influence on defining the Royce capabilities in this critical area has been significant. Most importantly, Peter’s pioneering, world-renowned research has potential to deliver a real step-change in battery performance which is fundamental to meeting our Net-Zero goals.”
