In this next in the series of Talking Points, Sir Peter Gregson, Henry Royce Institute Chair, reflects on some key themes arising from the October Governing Board Meeting which took place at Royce Partner, the University of Sheffield.
This meeting of the Royce Governing Board received formal confirmation of EPSRC’s commitment to fund the Phase 2 proposal. This is a huge achievement and is testament to the efforts of everyone involved in the development of this National Institute. This success was further endorsed by a visit to the Royce Hub building in Manchester from The Right Honourable Grant Shapps MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on 3 November.
The Governing Board also approved the appointment of Project Management Consultant Ramone Johnson as Board Apprentice; this appointment has been facilitated by BURN which has partnered with Board Apprentice to widen the pool of board-ready talent by placing high-calibre, diverse professionals as board apprentices.
An Influential Community
Royce Affiliates from across the UK joined forces to showcase the Institute’s capability at the biennial Materials Research Exchange 2022. Under the theme Collaborate to Innovate, research from sustainable manufacturing to materials for the commercial realisation of Nuclear Fusion was on display. There was a strong focus on university-industry collaboration underpinning greater knowledge sharing, problem-solving and innovation within the advanced materials community.
Powered by Partnerships
Royce has announced its participation in the Innovate UK ECONOMISER programme to develop a network of scale-up centres to increase competitiveness and reduce carbon emissions in our critical Foundation Industries. As the first major activity within the new Foundation Industries Sustainability Consortium (FISC), this project seeks to deploy the outcomes of today’s research to dramatically improve the pressing sustainability challenges posed by these strategic UK industries.
Excellent Facilities
Thanks go to all Royce team members for making everyone feel so welcome in Sheffield. This meeting gave GB members the opportunity to visit the advanced metal processing facilities in the Royce Translational Centre and see the fabrication of prototype components, from space applications to electric car parts.
Royce Partner the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has recently completed a £10m extension of its world-leading Materials Research Facility (MRF) at Culham Science Centre in Oxfordshire. New facilities include 12 shielded research rooms for high-end analytical instrumentation together with extensive laboratory space for the development of neutron tolerant materials to deliver fusion energy as a safe, sustainable, low carbon energy supply
As Royce progresses into Phase 2, we continue to evolve as a key National Institute – growing an influential advanced materials community, strengthening partnerships that deliver results and widening access to excellent facilities for universities and industry alike.
