The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Minister of State for Universities, Science and Cities, officially opened our new state-of-the-art Advanced Composite Materials Facility last week.
Supported by over £3 million in funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the new facility is developed in collaboration with University spin-out Ilika Technologies.
The facility, which is unique to the UK, will aim to develop and manufacture radically new and advanced materials for semi-conductor electronics, data storage, photonics and energy harvesting, conversion and storage.
Professor Brian Hayden, Director of the new Laboratory and a founder of Ilika Technologies and Graeme Purdy, CEO of Ilika joined Vice-Chancellor, Professor Don Nutbeam, in welcoming Mr Clark who was joined by representatives from the UK’s leading research councils. Amongst the group was Professor Phil Nelson, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) here in Southampton and now Chef Executive of the EPSRC.
From the new Laboratory, the group then engaged in a Life Sciences research showcase followed by a tour of key facilities in the Institute of Life Sciences before visiting the Boldrewood Innovation Campus.