Overview
We’re proud to support the entire materials community – from pioneering start-ups building their first prototypes and global manufacturers seeking continuous product improvements, to materials science researchers in our UK Higher Education Institutes and Research Technology Organisations (RTOs).
When you collaborate with Royce you gain direct access to our UK-wide world-class facilities, our deep expertise and a national partnership dedicated to accelerating materials innovation.
Our flexible collaboration model also includes strategic foresighting, PhD project partnerships and tailored training opportunities – all with the aime of driving progress and tackle the materials challenges that will deliver economic and societal challenges.
Collaborate to Innovate
Industry Research Partnerships
Royce offers a range of collaboration models to suit your needs – from short-term, commercially sensitive research projects to long-term strategic partnerships. Our flexible approach allows you to engage in ways that best fit your project scope and timescales.
Through our UK-wide infrastructure, you can “make, test, and characterise” materials, supporting every stage of your R&D journey and your engagement with the with the broader UK manufacturing landscape. Our Research and Business Engagement Team works directly with you to understand your objectives and align them with Royce’s technical capabilities. Together with our Facilities Managers and Application Scientists, we identify the expertise, equipment and funding options to advance your materials innovation.
Our Collaboration Programmes
Royce leads or is a partner in a number of major national and regional programmes which have been designed to foster results-driven partnerships between industry and the research community. These offer the funding and expertise to support companies in:
- de-risking early-stage innovation
- Accelerating time-to-market for new materials
- Scaling-up from lab to commercialisation
- Connecting with a community of materials experts across the UK
These programmes recognise that translating materials science into commercially viable products is complex and requires a bridge between academic insights and industrial implementation.
Key Programmes include:
The Centre for Expertise in Advanced Materials (CEAMs)
The Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub (SMI Hub)
The Foundation Industries Sustainability Consortium (FISC)
The Defence Materials Centre of Excellence (DMEx)
The Royce Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP)
Our flagship ICP programme supports collaborative projects between academia and industry, focusing on materials science challenges. Projects must include at least one business and one university or research and technology organisation (RTO). These exciting collaborations see researchers working closely with industry partners.
Facilities Access Schemes
Our three flagship Equipment Access Schemes – Student, Research and SME offer fully funded access to Royce facilities, supporting researchers at all career stages, doctoral and research master’s students from any UK university as well as SMEs, spinouts, and start-ups.
Royce offers a research platform to meet every need – from experimental techniques to improving understanding of the performance or failure of materials or materials systems
Training Collaborations
Royce developments partnerships with industry leaders such as Bruker, Verder Scientific and Zeiss, who not only contribute equipment to our portfolio, but actively engage in our training delivery. These collaborative training courses also provide the opportunity to both promote and develop the capabilities of their instruments with the broad materials community.
Materials Accelerators
Royce leads two collaborative Accelerator programs designed to help academics and early-stage technologies navigate the innovation pipeline (from concept to commercialisation), access funding for translational research, including proof-of-concept and prototype development and engage with industrial mentors and investors.
MATcelerate ZERO is an industry-driven accelerator for university-developed materials innovation that tackles the challenges of net-zero.
The Royce Hydrogen Accelerator (RHA) is connecting the UK’s business, research and innovation ecosystem for hydrogen materials with a broad, international investor base to provide access to funds and boost the potential for the UK to become an influential player in the global hydrogen market.
Royce Secondments
Royce facilitates secondments that allow industry scientists to gain valuable new skills and deepen their expertise. These placements offer technical skills development and they also provide opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange with Royce researchers from diverse backgrounds and expert domains. Participants also benefit from exposure to a wide range of research activities and projects across Royce, fostering a broader understanding of cutting-edge developments in a particular field.
Student Collaboration
For postgraduates, Royce is of course a research partner, however it also acts as a launchpad to the future through through a range of collaboration activities, including a national conference, technical training and two dynamic entrepreneurship programmes – Wilbe Become a Science Founder and Cambridge Judge Business School EnterpriseTECH.
Through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training Developing National Capability for Materials 4.0 with the Henry Royce Institute we offer a range of exciting doctoral projects involving all aspects of Materials 4.0, and offer flexible and inclusive pathways, including part-time study and the opportunity to study whilst at work if sponsored by your employer.
National Materials Innovation Strategy
Royce has facilitated a National Materials Innovation Strategy (NMIS) designed to engage with the materials community to ensure a much more strategic approach to materials innovation. The Strategy represents the UK’s first integrated approach to accelerating materials innovation and reinforcing the nation’s competitive edge in materials. Launched in January 2025 and facilitated by Royce, this 10-year roadmap outlines a clear vision to transform the way materials are discovered, scaled and deployed across key industrial sectors.
This activity is enabling much-needed Cross-Sector collaboration and is breaking down silos by connecting industry, academia, and government to drive materials innovation at scale.
Ready to collaborate?
Our team is here to explore opportunities with you – whether you’re looking to solve an immediate technical materials challenge or build a long-term innovation partnership through one of our major programmes, we can act as the catalyst for materials development and commercial success.
