Research Areas

Our 10 Research Areas are led by our Research Area Leads and represent the strategic, collective research strengths and focus within Royce. Our Research Areas support the Government's industrial strategy through materials innovation.

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Advanced Materials for a Sustainable Society

Our Research Areas form part of a wider research framework through which we support materials communities and foster networks in these core areas to drive scientific impact. The Research Areas, each aided by a steering group, also interface closely with related research networks and institutes both nationally and internationally. The scientific direction of each Research Area is shaped through community engagement and captured though a research landscape document.

Such research is linked to both national and global initiatives, namely Transition to Zero Carbon, Sustainable Manufacture, Digital & Communications, Circular Economy as well as Health & Wellbeing – collectively described as Royce’s “Drivers”.

Our Imaging and Characterisation and Modelling and Simulation Research Areas have been established to cultivate networks around a range of cross-cutting approaches to materials research, and to support the uptake of related techniques and processes.

Our Research Areas

2D Materials

Maintaining the UK’s leadership in science and technology of two-dimensional materials and nanomaterials composites. Developing new high-performance and energy-efficient materials enabling new architectures and fabrication methods for electronics and optoelectronics devices.

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Atoms to devices

Through the deposition of precisely controlled thin films, the engineering of interfaces, and the ability to control doping on the nanoscale, Atoms to Devices enables the design of new devices and new technological solutions that underpin a breadth of societal applications.

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Chemicals Materials Design

Pioneering methods in computer aided design, machine learning, and robotics for materials discovery and characterisation. Accelerating innovation in the discovery and development of materials with desired properties and minimal environmental impact. Delivering faster and more sustainable synthetic methods to chemical, catalytic and biological materials.

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Material Systems for Demanding Environments

Providing material system solutions to address the needs of energy and transport sectors where conventional structural materials solutions fail, and enhance efficiencies by increasing operation temperatures, withstanding harsher environments and being able to predict with much greater certainty the life of components.

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Modelling and Simulation

The Modelling and Simulation Research Area aims to support UK materials researchers across academia and industry to access the power of materials modelling in understanding and improving materials. We support researchers who use modelling and simulations themselves, but also provide a route for new collaborations between industry and academia or between simulation and experiment.

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Advanced Metals Processing

Building on the UK’s strength in metals processing to provide the support needed to deliver innovative metals technologies and novel alloy solutions. Advanced Metals Processing is enabling the UK metal industries to transition to a resource efficient, zero-pollution, digitalised and agile future.

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Biomedical Materials

Accelerating the discovery, manufacture and translation of biomedical materials, enhancing the UK’s position as an international leader in the fields of biomaterials and biomedical systems and devices.

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Electrochemical Systems

Delivering substantial advances in efficient energy storage, new energy vectors, and chemical synthesis through novel electrochemical devices and systems.

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Nuclear materials

Increasing the UK’s existing economic strengths and competitive advantages in nuclear energy, and support its net-zero ambitions, by enabling innovation in research on radioactive materials, including an experiment with-modelling approach, via a co-ordinated network of national laboratories, nuclear user facilities, and expertise. Developing vibrant industry- and academic-led programmes which accelerate nuclear’s contribution to deep decarbonisation.

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Imaging and Characterisation

Our Imaging and Characterisation research area aims to provide and support access to the cutting-edge techniques applicable across the entire scope of Royce’s research areas. This includes the specific expertise needed to describe and quantify the structure and properties of such a broad range of advanced materials.

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Research Areas