Swag直播鈥檚 new 拢1.7bn innovation district and neighbourhood opens the doors to its first building, while unveiling its new name as . The district has also announced its first customer, Sustainable Ventures, Europe's leading climate tech hub, which will officially move into the Renold Building in November. 

Previously known as ID Swag直播, Sister is a joint venture between Swag直播 and . The project will see the transformation of the University鈥檚 former North campus into a 4 million sq ft globally competitive innovation district and will help elevate Swag直播鈥檚 position as a national centre for science and technology.

Sister will specialise in advancing innovation across sectors including digital tech, health innovation, biotechnology, advanced materials and manufacturing. It will provide access to state of the art facilities, connecting early-stage high growth potential businesses with investors, while creating a collaborative ecosystem that enables UK and global businesses to benefit from cutting edge innovation. 

Driving economic growth and creating opportunities for local communities

Sister is primed to be a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity across the North of England, and is projected to contribute around 拢1.5bn GVA per annum to Swag直播. More than just a development project, the district aims to create a positive social impact through the generation of a large portion of high-quality employment opportunities, including over 10,000 on-site full-time equivalent jobs and accessible routes to education, training and apprenticeships for local people. 

Over 1,500 new homes will be delivered, alongside over 2 million sq ft of commercial, innovation, retail and leisure space. Within 9 acres of public realm space, Sister will also create a new civic square for Swag直播 and feature a variety of new and enhanced green spaces for local communities to access and enjoy.  

Reinventing a historic educational building for tomorrow's leading businesses

The opening  of the Renold Building marks the first phase of the ambitious 15 year project and is supported by funding through the Greater Swag直播 Investment Zone, of which the district is a key initiative supporting the growth of the advanced materials and manufacturing sector.

The 110,000 sq ft newly renovated building has been transformed into an innovation hub, celebrating its history as a purpose-built teaching facility and centre for science and technology excellence. To support the growth and scale-up of early-stage start-ups and spin-outs, the Renold Building will provide a range of low and no-cost coworking facilities, private office suites, as well as a community cafe and flexible event spaces accessible to local businesses and community groups. 

The first customer to move on site this November is Sustainable Ventures, which helps climate start-ups and entrepreneurs scale through investment, workspaces and venture support. Sustainable Ventures will expand its presence outside of its London headquarters, currently Europe鈥檚 largest climate tech hub, by occupying three floors of the Renold Building. 

It will be joined by a number of University innovation initiatives at the Renold Building, including the Turing Innovation Catalyst Swag直播, accelerating the growth of AI-start-ups;  the Christabel Pankhurst Institute for health technology research and innovation; and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst, a cross-sector collaboration to empower the growth of biotechnology businesses.

Following the opening of the Renold Building, Sister will soon announce plans for the district鈥檚 first major development zone, set to include new commercial workspace, a mix of retail and leisure facilities and new public realm spaces.  

A model for successful public-private collaboration

Sister is leveraging successful cross-industry partnerships to become a major economic enabler for the future of the city. The district is one of the key strengths in the GM Investment Zone, which will invest 拢160 million in projects that increase growth and innovation in the region over the next 10 years and sees central and local government work closely with businesses, higher education institutions and other local partners. Key to delivering Sister鈥檚 long-term economic impact is the city region鈥檚 strong local leadership and support from industry investment, including through the Bruntwood SciTech joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and Greater Swag直播 Pension Fund, now the UK鈥檚 largest dedicated property platform dedicated to the growth of the knowledge economy.

Why Sister?

The name, Sister, represents the close bond between industry and academia and expresses an ethos of collaboration, openness and the use of knowledge to solve problems. It builds on the heritage of the former academic campus, once home to the University of Swag直播 Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), and represents a vision to create an ecosystem of like-minded companies, institutions, districts and cities to drive innovation forward and help tackle some of the world鈥檚 greatest challenges.

Bradley Topps, Project Director, Sister and Chief Commercial Officer, Bruntwood SciTech, said: 鈥�Sister is founded on the belief that it takes a community to raise an idea and that although ideas may appear in a single mind, they flourish when people come together. This new district marks a new chapter in Swag直播鈥檚 history of science and innovation. Over the next 15 years, we鈥檙e dedicated to developing an inclusive space that connects talent, investment, education and enterprise, providing the perfect conditions for ideas to spark, collaboration to flourish, and world-changing innovations to scale.鈥�

John Holden, Associate Vice-President, Swag直播 and Executive Committee Member, Sister said: 鈥淭he opening of the Renold Building is a major milestone in the development of Sister, capitalising on Swag直播鈥檚 research, innovation and education capabilities to catalyse the growth of successful science and technology start-ups. Sister will be home to some of the most exciting businesses in the UK developing solutions to help tackle society's biggest challenges. We're excited to open the doors to a vibrant new innovation district that will drive growth for ambitious start-ups and scale-ups, attract new science and technology companies to Swag直播, and create new opportunities for our staff, students and local communities.鈥� 

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Swag直播 City Council, said: 鈥淭his is a significant moment for Swag直播. The fact that Sister will ultimately create 10,000 jobs and add 拢1.5 billion a year to the city鈥檚 economy underlines its scale and the sheer ambition behind this major new district. This development will add to Swag直播鈥檚 thriving innovation ecosystem and, true to the heritage of a site from which great ideas and innovations have previously sprung, will help keep the city in the forefront of future innovation.鈥� 

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Swag直播, said: 鈥淪ister will be a thriving innovation district at the heart of Greater Swag直播. With the Renold Building opening and welcoming its first occupier, we鈥檙e seeing the first signs of what this area will become 鈥� a home for start-ups, innovation-led businesses, universities, researchers and investors, where the clustering effect helps create jobs and opportunities. Sister is also a key site for our Investment Zone, which is supporting the growth of the advanced materials and manufacturing sector. Our city-region has been a centre of scientific and technological innovation for two centuries and places like Sister are where the next chapter of that story is written.鈥�

CEO of Sustainable Ventures, Andrew Wordsworth, said: 鈥淲e're thrilled to grow Sustainable Ventures' footprint in the UK by establishing a presence in Sister, at the heart of the UK鈥檚 second-largest tech ecosystem. This partnership empowers us to supercharge climate tech innovation across The North, bringing workspace, investment and a wealth of expertise to the region鈥檚 pioneering startups and entrepreneurs. The climate tech companies we鈥檝e supported to date have already created over 6,000 jobs and we hope to replicate that economic growth within the region over the next few years.鈥�

The renewed commitment will help Boots and No7 Beauty Company continue to break new ground in helping people care for their skin throughout their life, whether it is maintaining skin health, helping to combat skin ageing or supporting people through significant skin changes such as those resulting from the menopause. It will also further strengthen their market leading cosmetic science innovation pipeline, which has delivered product innovations generating waiting lists of up to 100,000 people, physical queues outside Boots stores and surges in visits to boots.com. 

The announcement was made at a special event held at the University, which celebrated some of the partnership鈥檚 most significant scientific milestones, including the launch of its biggest scientific breakthrough to date; the ground-breaking No7 Future Renew skincare range. The range was launched exactly one year ago this week and was developed following 15 years of research and development between scientists at both organisations, resulting in the discovery of a world-first super peptide blend formulated into a best-selling range and serum that is clinically proven to reverse visible signs of skin damage.  This innovation has taken the beauty industry by storm, with the Future Renew serum becoming a global bestseller and the biggest ever beauty launch in the UK.  In the UK, there were more than 500,000 transactions in the first four weeks, and a year later, one product is still sold every seven seconds.

The collaboration renewal also coincides with both institutions celebrating landmark anniversaries; with Boots marking its 175th anniversary and Swag直播 reaching its 200 year milestone in 2024.

Mark Winter, Managing Director, No7 Beauty Company, said: 鈥�We are incredibly proud of our longstanding partnership with the UoM鈥檚 Centre for Dermatology Research and excited for the next phase of our collaboration.  Scientific innovation is part of our DNA and by working with world-leading partners like the University of Swag直播 we are committed to using our unrivalled research expertise to be at the forefront of skincare and cosmetic innovation, developing ground-breaking, clinically proven, affordable products that work for everyone.鈥�

The event was attended by representatives from both institutions, including Ornella Barra, Chief Operating Officer, International, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc and Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor, Swag直播.  

from Swag直播 said: 鈥淲e are delighted to be able to continue our partnership with Boots and to pursue our shared aims of uncovering new insights into skin biology and applying this knowledge to repairing accumulated damage.鈥� 

, also from Swag直播  said: "Our longstanding partnership with Boots has enabled us to explore the depths of skin science while delivering real-world benefits to consumers through clinical translational research. We are thrilled to continue this collaboration, advancing innovation and enhancing skin health for all individuals."

Where it all began
The partnership was established twenty years ago by a small team of No7 and University of Swag直播 scientists. The ambition was to come together to create cutting-edge skincare solutions that could be taken from the laboratory straight to the high street.  One of the first innovations was the renowned No7 Protect & Perfect serum. The serum famously featured in a BBC Horizon programme in 2007, where the efficacy of the serum was verified by independent dermatologists, leading to the product selling out in Boots stores throughout the UK.

Fast forward to 2024 and today, the collaboration has caught the eyes of the scientific community and the Government.  It has also:  

• Led to 10 patents being filed, with more in the pipeline
• Resulted in over 100 academic publications including 60 peer reviewed papers published in scientific journals
• Helped to upskill thousands of beauty advisors and pharmacists within Boots stores
• Supported a UK talent pipeline of brilliant entrepreneurial scientists 鈥� many of whom are female
• Significantly raised the reputation of bioscience research in the UK and in particular in the North West
• Helped put No7 on the global map with distribution now extending to over a dozen countries including Australia, the Nordics and the US
• Created effective collaborations both in the UK and internationally with the likes of Imperial College London, Kings College, Newcastle, York and Liverpool universities, as well as internationally with Johns Hopkins.

Millie Kendall OBE, CEO, British Beauty Council, comments: 鈥淭he launch of No7 Future Renew was somewhat revolutionary.  The teams took a ground-breaking scientific discovery straight into an affordable, accessible skincare range available to all on the British high street, whereas traditionally you would see cutting-edge scientific innovations trickle down to high street products several years after launching in premium products or clinics. It is testament to the rigour and strength of the partnership between Swag直播, Boots and No7 Beauty Company that they have created truly world-leading skincare innovation together.鈥�

New era of discovery beckons
The renewal of the partnership establishes a ground-breaking five-year research programme that will explore peptides, clinical testing, skin immunology, and the skin microbiome. It includes a pioneering project to investigate skin across the pigmentary spectrum, aiming to develop more inclusive and effective technologies suitable for all skin tones. The project has already secured multi-million-pound funding from The BBSRC鈥檚 Prosperity Award, marking a significant investment in advancing skin science.

Samantha Dover, Mintel Category Director of Beauty and Personal Care research, said: 鈥淏eauty consumers are increasingly discerning and want to know more about the products they buy. This is exemplified by the 71% of UK adults who believe beauty brands should provide more scientific evidence to validate their claims. Showcasing the research and development behind a product can provide brands with a powerful point of difference in a crowded market. Moreover, partnerships that elevate and spotlight the R&D process will undoubtedly appeal to consumers who want brands to validate their claims, and therefore can build brand trust and loyalty.鈥� 

Investing in the next generation of British scientists
Throughout the partnership, Swag直播, Boots and No7 Beauty Company will support the next generation of scientists through the following initiatives:

• Funding from BBSRC Collaborative Training Partnership in 2021 to train 15 PhD students, addressing skills gaps in the UK bioscience industry.
• Co-investing with UKRI since 2019, with UKRI recognising the No7 Future Renew story as an exemplar of business and university collaboration.

An event is being held at Swag直播 on April 11^th (the one year anniversary of the No7 Future Renew launch) to celebrate the impact and success of the partnership and look ahead at the next phase. 

The collaboration will support the development of future engineering talent, as well as drive the development of innovative and sustainable power solutions.

As part of the collaboration, Swag直播 and Cummins will conduct cutting-edge research with the aim of accelerating product development of the latest generation of air handling technologies, such as e-turbos for fuel cells, together with fuel injection systems for hydrogen-based power solutions.

Academics and their students will explore the future use of hydrogen in power solutions as part of the collaboration, using world class engineering equipment, test cells and laboratories.

Students will also be given the opportunity to apply their learnings to a practical environment and gain valuable industry experience with Cummins. These placements will be open to all students, irrespective of academic discipline, aligning with the variety of roles available at Cummins.

Dr John Clark, Executive Director for Research & Development at Cummins, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 fantastic to announce our collaboration with Swag直播, with the partnership holding tremendous potential for both of us. It will provide students and researchers with the opportunity to work with an established, international manufacturer and actively contribute to the advancement of power solution technology. It will also help to drive the development of sustainable products, supporting our commitment to powering a more prosperous world.鈥�

Dr Louise Bates, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Swag直播, added: 鈥淭his partnership is a great opportunity for our research community to engage with an international company, developing widely-used technologies and groundbreaking solutions to real-world challenges. Swag直播 is committed to achieving the United Nations鈥� Sustainable Development Goals, and this partnership presents a very exciting platform for our two organisations to collaborate and address some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet. We look forward to growing our relationship with Cummins and witnessing what we can achieve together.鈥�

The Cummins Engine Components (CEC) site in Huddersfield designs, develops, produces and refurbishes air handling solutions, which are used globally in vehicles and machinery across various markets.  CEC is part of the international engine, power generation and filtration product manufacturer, Cummins, which employs 73,600 worldwide and generated $28.1 billion in revenue last year. This collaboration between Cummins and Swag直播, and the development of future air handling solutions for sustainable technologies, will support the manufacturer鈥檚 Destination Zero commitment.

Grant Shapps, The Secretary of State for the UK鈥檚 Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), has recently been on a visit to the Middle East, which included the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where he met representatives from a partnership between Swag直播 and UAE鈥檚 Khalifa University.

The ambitious Swag直播-Khalifa partnership is part of the Research & Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC-2D) which is looking at ways to apply graphene and related advanced materials to technologies that will help make our world more sustainable, including water desalination, emission-busting construction materials, energy storage and lightweighting applications.

Grant Shapps visited the state-of-the-art research facilities and on his , the Secretary of State said: 鈥淕raphene can be used in everything from touchscreens to reinforcing steel. Made first in Swag直播, its importance is now being realised around the world. I enjoyed seeing how Khalifa University is further developing graphene uses for the future, in partnership with Swag直播.鈥�

James Baker, CEO at Graphene@Swag直播, said: 鈥淚t was great to co-host the Secretary of State and the UK delegation on their visit to meet our partners at Khalifa University.

鈥淚t was a very positive meeting that focused on graphene products and applications. Our conversation covered the heritage of the right through to the creation of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, a Swag直播 facility set up in partnership with UAE-based Masdar to accelerate the commercialisation of graphene and related 2D materials.

鈥淲e also discussed our joint work with the RIC-2D programme and the ambitious commercial opportunities that are supporting the drive towards a sustainable future, including our latest project around creating membrane technology in support of clean water.鈥�

The Kahlifa delegation meeting the Secretary of State also included Professor Sir John O鈥橰eilly, President of Khalifa University; Dr Arif Al Hammadi, Executive Vice President; Dr Steve Griffiths, Senior Vice President for Research and Development and Professor of Practice; Fahad Almaskari, Engagement Director; Fahad Alabsi, Associate Director, Commercialization, RIC-2D Research Center.

During Grant Shapps鈥� visit to the region the . The Clean Energy Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has now been signed by the two nations and will support the .

Advanced materials is one of Swag直播鈥檚 research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships tackling some of the planet's biggest questions. #ResearchBeacons

NERD is a standalone company, spun out from , formerly Tier 2 partners of the GEIC and responsible for the initial development of Concretene, a graphene-enhanced admixture for concrete that saves significantly on CO2 emissions and overall project costs.

In December, to help drive the programme of research and development required to bring Concretene to full commercial use.

The Tier 1 agreement provides for use of a dedicated lab within the Masdar Building, state-of-the-art concrete testing facilities and access to the unrivalled academic and engineering expertise in nanomaterials housed at Swag直播, the home of graphene.

Co-founder of NERD Alex McDermott is a civil engineering graduate of the University and is excited about his return to North Campus to deliver what he hopes will be the start of a new generation of sustainable construction materials.

鈥淚鈥檓 a Swag直播 lad from Failsworth and I did my degree here, so it鈥檚 great to be back and helping to design solutions for an industry that urgently needs to decarbonise,鈥� he says.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking to build on the work we鈥檝e already done with the GEIC in lab trials and real-world projects and take Concretene on to the next stage of full commercial rollout. There鈥檚 still a journey to go on - R&D in this area is challenging - but the partnerships we鈥檙e building with the University and with high-profile industry clients give us the best chance of success.鈥�

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Swag直播, said: 鈥淲e have been working with Nationwide Engineering from the very beginning to help develop Concretene 鈥� and therefore delighted to welcome NERD to the GEIC as a Tier 1 partner. This is an important milestone in this ambitious project and one we can all be very proud of.

鈥淚n the past 18 months, we have rapidly gone from lab to pilot stage - and then scaled up to create 鈥榣iving labs鈥�, including a pioneering pour just outside the GEIC. But we are still at a relatively early stage along the road to commercialisation.

鈥淭his new Tier 1 partnership will greatly help Concretene achieve its full potential to deliver a game-changing material to help us build more sustainably in the future 鈥� we look forward to taking this programme to the next stage of delivery.鈥� 

NERD envisions a three-year journey to the roll-out of Concretene to the wider construction industry, alongside technical partner Arup 鈥� the globally renowned provider of engineering and design services for the built environment - and leading infrastructure bodies including Heathrow and Swag直播 Airports, Network Rail, National Highways and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

These early adopters will see immediate benefits through reductions in embodied carbon, while assisting in the programme of laboratory work and large-scale field trials that will ultimately prove the reliability and reproducibility needed for successful commercial deployment of Concretene.

Matthew Lovell, Director at Arup, said: 鈥淐ontinued innovation in the production of concrete and leaner design techniques are needed to support the construction industry鈥檚 journey towards net zero carbon emissions.

鈥淎rup is extremely interested in Concretene鈥檚 potential to support transformative change in the built environment. Imagine what concrete with both enhanced engineering performance and substantially reduced carbon impact could contribute to our industry.鈥�

Professor Bill Sampson, Chief Scientific Officer, GEIC, said: 鈥�I鈥檓 delighted to see Nationwide joining the GEIC as a Tier 1 partner. I look forward to working with them, with the support of academic colleagues from across the University鈥檚 Faculty of Science and Engineering, to better understand and deliver the full potential promised by graphene-enhanced cementitious materials.鈥�

Main picture: (l-r) Matthew Lovell, Director at Arup; Alex McDermott, co-founder NERD; Rob Hibberd, co-founder NERD; Dave Evans, Chief Financial Officer, NERD; Alan Beck, Head of Communications, NERD

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President & Vice-Chancellor of Swag直播, and Professor Sir John O鈥橰eilly, President, Khalifa University (pictured above) officially signed a contract between the two institutions during a VIP visit by a Swag直播 delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Senior officials from both universities were present at the signing (pictured below).

This international partnership will further accelerate Swag直播 and Abu Dhabi鈥檚 world-leading research and innovation into graphene and other 2D materials. The Research & Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC-2D), based in Khalifa University, is part of a strategic investment programme supported by the Government of Abu Dhabi, UAE. 

Growing international partnership

This partnership will support expediting the development of the RIC-2D at Khalifa University as well as help building capability in graphene and 2D materials in collaboration with Graphene@Swag直播, a community that includes the academic鈥搇ed National Graphene Institute (NGI) and the commercially-focused Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), a pioneering facility already backed by the Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company Masdar.

The historic agreement will bring together the vision of the two universities to tackle some of the globe鈥檚 biggest challenges, such as providing clean drinking water for millions of people and supporting a circular 鈥榞reen economy鈥� in all parts of the world.

Graphene 鈥� originally isolated at Swag直播, the global 鈥榟ome of graphene鈥� 鈥� has the potential to deliver transformational technologies. The focus of the Khalifa鈥揝wag直播 partnership will be on key themes, with a priority to meet the most immediate of global challenges, including  climate change and the energy crisis. These flagship areas are:

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;         Water filtration and desalination 鈥� graphene and 2D materials are being applied to next generation filtration technologies to significantly boost their effectiveness and efficiency to help safeguard the world鈥檚 precious supply of drinking water

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;         Construction 鈥� graphene is helping to develop building materials that are much more sustainable and when applied at scale can expect to slash global CO2 emissions

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;         Energy storage 鈥� applications are being developed across the energy storage sector to produce more efficient batteries, with greater capacity and higher performance, and other energy storage systems vital to a circular 鈥榞reen economy鈥�

鈼�&苍产蝉辫;         Lightweighting of materials 鈥� the use of graphene and 2D materials to take weight out of vehicles, as well as large structures and infrastructure, will also be a key to building a more sustainable future.

The investment is expected to be allocated towards joint projects. The full scope and budgets for projects under this new framework agreement remain to be determined in the months ahead. The proposal will see dedicated space for the Khalifa University鈥檚 RIC-2D within the GEIC, which is based in the Masdar Building at Swag直播, to deliver rapid R&D and breakthrough technologies. Researchers from Khalifa University will have dedicated lab space in the GEIC where they can work alongside Swag直播鈥檚 applications experts and access in-house facilities and equipment.

Knowledge exchange

As well as the research and innovation activity, the RIC-2D programme will support the development of people, including early-career researchers who will benefit from the real-world experience of working on the joint R&D programme. Also, there will be opportunities for post-graduate students, including the exchange of PhD students and researchers (see Fact File below).

Professor Sir John O鈥橰eilly, President, Khalifa University, said: 鈥淭his Khalifa University-University of Swag直播 collaboration is greatly to be welcomed. It has all the hallmarks of a most successful approach to inspiring and nurturing outstanding research, innovation and enterprise in graphene to be taken forward to the benefit of the wider community.鈥�

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President & Vice-Chancellor of Swag直播, said: 鈥淲e look forward to a long and productive partnership with Khalifa University that will realise the potential of graphene to address global challenges including water and energy security and, above all, sustainability.鈥�

Dr Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University, said: 鈥淲e are delighted to enter into this partnership with Swag直播 and encourage innovation in graphene through a pipeline of projects, as well as focus on transferring technology towards commercialization. Through this agreement, we will continue to not only focus our research activities on existing flagship projects in water filtration, construction, energy storage and composites but also expand to new areas. This combination of virtual and in-person collaborations will also include exchange of PhD students and sponsored labs within the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) at Swag直播.鈥�

Professor Luke Georghiou, Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Swag直播, said: 鈥淥ur excellent relationship with our partners in Abu Dhabi, including Khalifa University and Masdar, has been vital in the success of the world-leading graphene research and innovation activities at Swag直播, especially in driving forward the commercialisation of 2D materials in our facilities based in the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre. This new investment will deliver a game-changing step change in our lab-to-market ambitions - and will accelerate the translation of graphene in an unprecedented way.鈥�

Professor Hassan Arafat, Senior Director, RIC-2D, said: 鈥淭he overarching goal of RIC-2D is to be a catalyst for economic growth in the UAE, by enabling industrial and public entities within the country to utilize graphene and other 2D materials in new technologies that add economic value and solve pressing societal challenges such as water scarcity and greenhouse emissions. Therefore, the center will support a range of fundamental and translational research projects, in addition to commercialization and technology transfer activities. Graphene@Swag直播 has accumulated significant experience doing the same in the UK over the past decade. Hence, they were naturally identified as one of RIC-2D鈥檚 most strategic partners.鈥�

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Swag直播, explained: 鈥淲e have built a unique model of innovation for advanced materials in Greater Swag直播 by successfully attracting regional, national and international investment.

鈥淭he RIC-2D programme will be a significant funding boost for UK-based graphene research and commercialisation. It is set to significantly accelerate the work that is already happening in our ecosystem and help with the application and commercialisation of 2D materials at a rate much faster than you would normally expect for a revolutionary new material like graphene.

鈥淭his provides an opportunity to fast-track technologies that are urgently needed to tackle immediate challenges like climate change or the energy crisis. Swag直播 and Khalifa University will play a key role in connecting our ambitions by synchronising new research with key industry and supply-chain companies across a range of sectors.

鈥淥ur lab-to-market model will link up fundamental research with applied research and ultimately be part of a pipeline delivering new, market-ready technologies.  The programme will also provide industry-standard equipment and capabilities for the rapid scale-up and pilot production of prototypes.鈥�

Graphene@Swag直播鈥檚 world-class facilities and resources are supported by internationally renowned academics and industry-experienced engineers and innovation experts, working across a very broad range of novel technologies and applications.

James Baker added: 鈥淭ogether, these experts will focus on industry-led 2D material development and look to help companies design, develop, scale-up and 鈥榙e-risk鈥� the next generation of innovative products and processes,鈥�

Fact File - joint R&D programme

The joint R&D programme between Swag直播 and Khalifa University  will provide a pipeline of projects from the near to long-term to ensure that RIC-2D development activities remain world-leading and are based upon a strong scientific foundation.

Part of the R&D programme will focus on Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 1-3 鈥� i.e. early stage research and development - beyond which the research teams will collaborate with applications experts at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) in a bid to transfer the technology for commercialisation.

The shared R&D platforms are designed to support existing flagship projects, including those involved with water filtration, construction, energy storage and composites 鈥� but there will be an expectation to develop new streams. Finally, the R&D programme will produce high quality academic publications that will add to the prestige and international reputation of RIC-2D.

The joint programme will be a combination of virtual and in-person collaborations, through the exchange of PhD students and researchers and having Khalifa University sponsored labs based within the GEIC.

About Khalifa University of Science and Technology

Khalifa University of Science and Technology, the UAE鈥檚 top-ranked research-intensive institution, focuses on developing world-leading critical thinkers in science, engineering and medicine. The world-class university endeavours to be a catalyst to the growth of Abu Dhabi and the UAE鈥檚 rapidly developing knowledge economy as an education destination of choice and a global leader among widely acknowledged international universities.

For more information, please visit:

 is one of Swag直播鈥檚  - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons.

As the highest point in the Peak District (636m / 2,087ft), this new extension takes the NNR to 1,082 hectares in size (equivalent to 1,000 international rugby pitches), in recognition of the scientific research this area provides to help tackle the climate and nature emergencies.

The extended area includes an 鈥榦utdoor laboratory鈥� (consisting of scientific monitoring equipment such as dipwells, gauging weirs, and vegetation monitoring quadrats), created in 2010, which has enabled comparisons to take place between the impact of restored peatland against an unrestored control plot, providing valuable data to help improve understanding of the value of peat in natural flood management.

Three organisations, the National Trust, Swag直播, and Moors for the Future Partnership, have been studying the effects of this restoration work and the benefits that can help tackle climate change, creating a healthier habitat which attracts different wildlife associated with peatlands to help increase levels of biodiversity.

Professor Tim Allott from Swag直播 explains the importance of the control area: 鈥淭he control area has been central to our scientific understanding of restoration on the site 鈥� as without it we would not have been able to properly assess the impact of the restoration work in slowing the flow of water on hillsides and reducing flood risk downstream.  It also provides a 'museum' of the past damage on Kinder Scout. 

鈥淏y simply standing within this small remaining 鈥榠sland鈥� of bare peatland, you get a dramatic sense of the scale of transformation of this iconic landscape by looking across the newly restored, vibrant, and diverse habitat which surrounds it.鈥�

Craig Best, General Manager for the Peak District at the National Trust says: 鈥淲hen we started caring for Kinder in 1982 the mountain was a barren moonscape of bare peat, degraded by human activity over the centuries due to pollution, historical land management practices, high visitor numbers and climate change.

鈥淗owever, following almost 40 years of restoration work with our partners and volunteers, the NNR is being transformed into a plateau of healthy peat bogs rich in vegetation such as cottongrass, and sphagnum moss while creating a strong habitat for wildlife such as mountain hare, upland birds like the golden plover, and the vital invertebrates that make up the basis of the food system.  This work will continue alongside the activity on the extended area.鈥�    

Techniques trialled to help restore the peat bogs included covering bare peat with rich moorland vegetation and blocking gullies to help keep the moors wetter, which have helped increase the amount of carbon that can be stored as well as helping improve water quality as it filters into streams and reservoirs.

Monitoring data collected over the past decade, using the 鈥榦utdoor laboratory鈥� in the new area of the NNR, shows this work has reduced erosion of peat by 98 per cent within 18 months of revegetation. It also revealed how different combinations of restoration work has made a significant impact in slowing water flow from the moors to the valleys, to help mitigate flooding[1].

Craig added: 鈥淜inder has a rich history and was the backdrop to one of the mass trespass activities 90 years ago which led to open access to moorland and the creation of National Parks paving the way for millions of visitors to be able to escape city living and pollution to enjoy some of our most inspiring landscapes and connect with nature.   

Commenting on the new declaration, Oliver Harmar, Chief Operating Officer at National England said: 鈥淣ational Nature Reserves were established to protect some of our most important habitats, species and geology, to provide 'outdoor laboratories鈥� for environmental science and opportunities for people to enjoy nature. 

鈥淭hey are at the heart of our ambition to create a Nature Recovery Network, full of wildlife-rich sites that are bigger, better and more connected.  I鈥檓 pleased that this vision is very much alive at Kinder Scout, with the expansion demonstrating the power of collaborative action to drive nature recovery, including vital peatland restoration to capture and store carbon.

鈥淜inder Scout also holds a special place in our national history as the backdrop to the very creation of our National Parks and National Nature Reserves.  Today, NNRs, like Kinder Scout, are great places to be inspired and get hands on with nature 鈥� they鈥檙e free, open and available to all.鈥�

[1] The monitoring work on the Kinder Scout plateau undertaken by Moors for the Future Partnership and the University of Swag直播 represents a decade of data that has proved invaluable in understanding natural flood management (NFM) techniques. Since 2016, this monitoring has been financed under the EU Life-funded MoorLIFE 2020 project and has shown that:

路       Revegetation of bare peat led to a 98% reduction in erosion of peat into the streams, within 18 months.

路       A combination of revegetation, gully blocking and dense sphagnum planting led to a 65% reduction in peak flow (the time it takes for water to reach the valleys) during storm events, 10 years after initial revegetation (and five years after sphagnum planting).

路       A combination of revegetation and dense sphagnum planting led to a 2 hours 40 minutes delay in delivery of peak flow during storm events. These NFM benefits increases in bigger storms.

The company, chaired by Lord Jim O鈥橬eill and led by Chief Executive Duncan Johnson, is expected to begin deploying capital and making its first investments in innovative start-ups over the coming weeks.

Northern Gritstone has attracted funding commitments from a broad and diverse base of investors encompassing local authority pension funds, high net worth individuals, institutional investors and real estate investors active in the tech and science ecosystem of the region.

These include Greater Swag直播 Pension Fund, West Yorkshire Pension Fund, M&G, Columbia Threadneedle, Lansdowne Partners, Bruntwood and Greater Swag直播 Combined Authority as well as Andrew Law, the CEO of Caxton Associates, and Keith Breslauer, Managing Director and founder of Patron Capital, both in a personal capacity.

With plans to raise 拢500m overall, having hit this initial fundraising milestone the company will continue to welcome further backers over the coming months. Now that the first close has been achieved, Northern Gritstone plans to begin making its initial investments into its proprietary pipeline of world class science and innovation based businesses located in the North of England.

Having launched in July 2021, Northern Gritstone was founded by the Universities of Leeds, Swag直播 and Sheffield to support the commercialisation of science and IP-rich businesses originating from these three research-led institutions. Many of these opportunities are in the UK鈥檚 most exciting emerging sectors such as advanced materials, health technology, cognitive computation and AI.

Northern Gritstone was founded with the philosophy of 鈥榩rofit with purpose鈥�, combining attractive returns for shareholders with wider positive, societal and economic impact, including supporting Levelling Up and high-skilled job creation in the north of England.

It announced the appointment of its first Chief Investment Officer, Marion Bernard, in December and this month has added James Hadley to its leadership team as CFO, who brings more than two decades鈥� experience working in the financial services sector, including most recently as CFO at a tech-focused venture capital investor.

In its fundraising Northern Gritstone was advised by Lazard Venture and Growth Banking led by Garri Jones. Its legal advisers are Macfarlanes and Pinsent Masons.

Swag直播 Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Luke Georghiou 鈥� who is responsible for business engagement and commercialisation activities at the institution 鈥� said: "Northern Gritstone will transform the investment landscape for our spin-out companies and for the North of England more generally. 

"Our academic entrepreneurs, supported by the University鈥檚 Innovation Factory, have produced record numbers of spin-outs in the past two years. This huge potential can now be far more easily realised as the investments will enable them to scale-up businesses which are there to solve the world鈥檚 problems. 

鈥淭hese include new treatments for devastating medical conditions, transformative applications of data analytics to farming and exploiting the amazing properties of graphene across multiple applications to name just a few.鈥�

Commenting, Northern Gritstone Chairman Lord Jim O鈥橬eill said: 鈥淭he strong endorsement of Northern Gritstone we鈥檝e seen from investors is testament to the huge scale of the opportunity in northern England鈥檚 world class science and innovation hubs and the spin outs they are producing. By investing in Northern Gritstone, asset managers are directly buying into the brightest prospects for Britain鈥檚 future economy.

 鈥淭oday marks a significant milestone as Northern Gritstone continues to build its investor base allowing the company to deliver its philosophy of Profit with Purpose which underpins all we seek to do.鈥�

Northern Gritstone Chief Executive Duncan Johnson added: 鈥淭here is rightly huge excitement about the innovative, science-led spin outs emerging from our leading research universities and the ecosystems they support, and this has been reflected in our conversations with investors so far. We are greatly encouraged by both the size of our first close, and also the range and quality of investors that the Northern Gritstone proposition has attracted.

鈥淲hilst fundraising will continue, this first close and the backing that Northern Gritstone has received from investors so far, allows us to begin making our first investments shortly. It also importantly enables us, alongside our friends and colleagues in the wider northern venture ecosystem, to accelerate the development of a northern innovation hub to rival the UK鈥檚 Silicon Fen and ultimately Silicon Valley.鈥� 

Vector Homes, Genvida and Watercycle Technologies have signed new Tier 2 agreements, while Bullitt 鈥� designers of rugged tech for phones 鈥� and aerospace giant Airbus have re-signed, also as Tier 2s.

Our Affiliate Partner scheme is growing as well, with HDH Accountants added to the list.

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Swag直播, said: 鈥淭hese partnerships demonstrate some of the range of our application work here at the GEIC: from sustainable construction to DNA sequencing and advanced membrane technology.

鈥淲e look forward to working with our new partners and also with those renewing terms. As much as we like getting new partners, it鈥檚 just as important to ensure our existing partners are seeing success in projects and wanting to take that work forward.鈥�

Vector Homes

Swag直播-based uses graphene-enhanced recycled materials to produce the unique standardised components of its houses. The company鈥檚 products will have greatly reduced embodied carbon and will not contribute to deforestation, quarrying and mining.

The housing systems can be extended flexibly and are optimised for rapid maintenance, modification and technology incorporation.

Projects already lined up at the GEIC aim to take advantage of the expertise of the engineering staff and state-of-the-art equipment to push the technology forward alongside the firm鈥檚 supply chain.

Nathan Feddy, CEO and co-founder (pictured), said: 鈥淲e are delighted to be joining the GEIC at the centre of Swag直播's world-leading advanced materials ecosystem. This partnership is a fantastic opportunity to develop the materials and systems that will enable us to achieve our goal of cutting carbon emissions and the costs of construction.鈥�

Genvida

Hong Kong-based combines nanoscience and biotechnology, focusing on fourth-generation DNA sequencing technology. Its globally patented SONAS庐 platform (a solid-state nanopore sensor array-based technology) resolves the bottleneck in DNA sequencing and single-molecule sensing.

SONAS庐 streamlines each step in genome sequencing, from smart sample preparation to rapid and precise sequencing and single-molecule identification in a fully automated 鈥榣ab-on-a-chip鈥�. This enables real-time and on-site diagnostics with a cloud-based bioinformatics suite.

Dr Ka Wai Wong, co-founder and Vice President of R&D at Genvida, (pictured) said: 鈥淥ur partnership with the GEIC seeks to unleash the power of fourth-generation DNA sequencing and single-molecule sensing with graphene and 2D materials integrated solid-state nanopores.鈥�

Watercycle Technologies

Led by UoM alumnus Seb Leaper, Watercycle Technologies is a spin-out company from the University of Swag直播 developing water treatment and mineral recovery systems for a range of industries, including mining, desalination, textiles and others. The company is currently focusing on direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology to help reduce the environmental impact of established lithium extraction processes such as mining and chemical conversion.

• Watercycle Technologies in Swag直播 Evening News

HDH Accountants

Salford-based specialise in the technology and manufacturing sector, advising firms on business growth strategy with individually tailored plans. The firm joins our Affiliate Partner scheme, looking to build relationships within the growing innovation community at the GEIC.

Anthony Hurley, Managing Director of HDH, said: 鈥淛oining the GEIC has been an amazing experience 鈥� we鈥檝e met some amazing people and businesses and have been genuinely blown away by the opportunities and innovation happening here. 

"We鈥檝e already worked with several GEIC partners, providing everything from start-up advice, monthly finance and tax support through to supporting grant applications. Joining the GEIC has been great for our business and I鈥檓 looking forward to learning more and working with lots of other talented people in the future!鈥�
 

Graphene@Swag直播 offers a range of options for industrial engagement. You can explore the benefits of different membership grades on  or fill in the to get in touch directly. A full list of our partners is available on .

Advanced materials is one of Swag直播鈥檚 research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

The partnership, which has seen the launch of and subsequent development of the high-performance graphene-enhanced footwear, is now in the spotlight for its success in taking fundamental research to a successful global hit product.

Officially launched in 2018, the collaborative partners announced that they had been able to develop a graphene-enhanced rubber through a research project which began behind the scenes in 2016.

They developed G-GRIP rubber outsoles for running, hiking and fitness shoes that in testing outlasted 1,000 miles, are scientifically proven to be 50% harder wearing, and deliver the world鈥檚 toughest grip.

Subsequently, graphene was infused into the midsole foam as well, to provide superior and long-lasting energy return that supercharges feet. The G-FLY foam midsole was launched in 2021.

Aravind Vijayaraghavan, Professor of Nanomaterials at Swag直播, said: 鈥淭his partnership is an excellent example of how a university research group and a SME can collaborate closely to take cutting edge technology from lab to market at a rapid pace. It demonstrates the significant benefits that graphene can bring to everyday products and impact our daily lives.鈥�

Now Innovate UK has honoured the recently completed between the two organisations with the highest possible grade of 鈥極utstanding鈥�. The project has set the bar high, resulting in not only a world-leading product range, but also a highly effective partnership that is boosting the University鈥檚 commercial reputation 鈥� and that of a fellow northern brand.

inov-8 founder Wayne Edy said: 鈥淭his powerhouse forged in Northern England has taken the world of sports footwear by storm. We鈥檙e combining science and innovation together with entrepreneurial speed and achieving incredible things.鈥�

Graphene is the lauded atomically thin material, first isolated from graphite by Swag直播 scientists, leading to the award of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. At just one atom thick it is lightweight yet incredibly strong, meaning it has many unique properties. inov-8 was the first brand in the world to use the material in sports footwear, and both G-GRIP and G-FLY are patent-pending technologies.

That footwear has since gone on to win multiple awards. The TRAILFLY G 270 and TRAILFLY ULTRA G 300 MAX were both named 鈥楾rail Running Shoe of the Year鈥� in the Runner鈥檚 World UK Gear Awards for 2020 and 2021 respectively. Graphene-enhanced shoes have also been worn by athletes to set records, especially over ultramarathons distances. Damian Hall wore them to set a new fastest time for the 185-mile Wainwright鈥檚 Coast to Coast trail in 39 hours and 18 minutes, as did Jasmin Paris to famously win the 268-mile Spine Race outright and set a new record time that still stands.

The ongoing research and innovation has now also seen the KTP Associate, Dr Nadiim Domun, hired by inov-8 as a Senior Materials Engineer to retain his expertise and to continue the graphene technology development through close collaboration with Swag直播.

Graphene has the potential to change lives in so many ways. Athletic equipment is just one current success story for the versatile material. Water filtration, aviation and consumer electronics are among the many applications that are exciting scientists, product developers and the public the world over.

2021 saw Swag直播 placed at the top of the table for the UK's Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and become partner of choice for innovation in businesses.

Victrex, Molymem and Survitec have signed up to become Tier 2 partners, offering access to labs, world-leading equipment and expertise in engineering solutions for graphene and other 2D materials.

Ivan Buckley, Director of Business Engagement for Graphene@Swag直播, said: “We’re delighted to welcome our new partners to our growing list of industrial collaborations.

“The GEIC was created to help companies take innovation rapidly from lab to market and these product areas and services – from advanced polymers and membranes to life-saving equipment and advice on R&D finance – show the range of possibilities across graphene and other 2D materials that we are able to accommodate with our engineering and business expertise.”

“We look forward to working closely with our new and existing partners to build fruitful partnerships and successful products and applications.”

Victrex

Lancashire-based Victrex is a manufacturer of high-performance materials, specialising in thermoplastic polymers.

The company focuses on six core markets - aerospace, automotive, energy, electronics, manufacturing and engineering, and medical - and is looking to address sustainability challenges with advanced materials engineering across those sectors. 

Dr John Grasmeder, Chief Scientist at Victrex, said: “Victrex is delighted to have partnered with Graphene@Swag直播, as this will enable us to work together to accelerate innovation and create global opportunities for sustainable, graphene-containing high-performance materials. We look forward to a successful collaboration with the GEIC and its partners.”

Molymem

A spin-out from Swag直播, Molymem has developed a membrane technology using 2D material molybdenum disulphide (MoS2), aimed at a range of industrial processes for purification, reducing fouling and minimising the use of harsh chemicals for cleaning.

Molymem co-founder Dr Mark Bissett is also a senior lecturer in nanomaterials at Swag直播. He said: “As a University of Swag直播 spin out, it is logical for Molymem to be based within the GEIC as this allows us access to facilities to scale up our technology.

“We have been working with the GEIC for over two years now, and are working with a variety of commercial partners to use our technology to solve their specific needs in filtration and the removal of pollutants from water.”

Survitec

Survitec and the GEIC have partnered in order to promote new and novel materials for use in life-saving equipment. This partnership will allow Survitec to continue to achieve its vision as being the most trusted company for critical safety and survival equipment.

“We’re excited to have kicked off multiple projects with the team at the GEIC and look forward to realising some of the opportunities we have identified together to ultimately satisfy Survitec’s purpose of ‘existing to protect lives’,” said Martin Whittaker, Survitec CEO (Aerospace and Defence).

“As demand for new and novel materials increases in support of 6^th-generation aircraft and other next-generation platforms, the partnership with GEIC epitomises Survitec’s commitment to working closely with world-leading academic and industrial institutions.”

Meanwhile, Counting King - an expert in finance and tax credits for R&D - has taken affiliate membership and Applied Graphene Materials - a producers of high-quality graphene nanoplatelets and dispersions - has taken advantage of our deal that allows members of (also a Tier 2 partner) to enjoy certain benefits of GEIC membership.

Graphene@Swag直播 offers a range of options for industrial engagement. You can explore the benefits of different membership grades on  or fill in the to get in touch directly. A full list of our partners is available on .

Advanced materials is one of Swag直播’s research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

Concretene uses graphene – the revolutionary 2D material discovered in Swag直播 – to significantly improve the mechanical performance of concrete, allowing for reductions in the amount of material used and the need for steel reinforcement. This can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 30% and drive down costs, meaning Concretene is both greener and cheaper for developers.

At Mayfield, it has been used to create a new 54x14-metre mezzanine floor, which will become a roller disco at the popular Escape to Freight Island attraction in Mayfield’s vast site, a former railway depot.

The installation is the first ever commercial use of Concretene in a suspended slab and marks an important step towards testing and developing it as a widely-used building material, allowing it to be used as a substitute for concrete on an industrial scale.

The Concretene pour builds on Swag直播’s reputation as a city of world-leading innovations dating back to the Industrial Revolution, and reinforces Mayfield’s return to prominence in the city amid a .

• MP attends showcase for Swag直播's emissions-busing concrete
• GEIC hosts first exterior pour of graphene-enhanced Concretene
•  (YouTube video)

The material has been developed by the University of Swag直播’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) and Nationwide Engineering, an innovative company co-founded by a former University of Swag直播 civil engineering graduate, Alex McDermott.

“This is a huge milestone for the team, as not only is this our first commercial, third-party use of Concretene, but also the first suspended slab as used in high-rise developments.”

“As world leaders in graphene-enhanced concrete technology, the interest from the international building industry has been beyond expectations, as looming legislation is forcing significant carbon reductions throughout construction.”

“Our partnership with the University has fast-tracked the development of Concretene, going from lab to product in 18 months,” added Nationwide Engineering co-founder Rob Hibberd.

Less material, less time

Concretene has great potential to address the construction industry’s need to lower emissions, by reducing the amount of concrete required in construction projects by as much as 30%. It also offers efficiency savings by slashing drying time. Pours of Concretene to date have achieved the equivalent of 28-day strength in just 12 hours.

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Swag直播 at the University, said: “We’re delighted to play a part in this exciting project at Mayfield, showcasing how our research can translate into real-world outcomes for sustainability that can be adopted by business and make a major contribution to the city region’s ambitions for net-zero by 2038.

“This Swag直播-based technology can also contribute to levelling up by positioning our region as a global R&D centre for sustainable materials for the construction industry – attracting investment, creating new businesses and offering high-wage jobs.”

Arlene van Bosch, Development Director, U+I, added: “Our ambition is for Mayfield to become an exemplar sustainable neighbourhood, where people and planet come first. Innovations such as the use of Concretene are central to realising our vision – we want to push the boundaries of design and construction to create the most environmentally-friendly place possible.

“It’s been brilliant to collaborate with Nationwide Engineering, the GEIC and our partners at Broadwick Live and Escape to Freight Island, who are doing an amazing job of making Mayfield the beating heart of Swag直播’s cultural life.”

The pour of the suspended slab at Mayfield marks a significant step towards testing and developing Concretene as a widely-used building material, allowing it to be used as a substitute for concrete on an industrial scale. Graphene for the pour at Mayfield was provided by , a Tier 1 partner of the GEIC.

Leading cause of emissions

Production of cement for concrete is one of the leading causes of global CO2 emissions, producing around 8% of total global emissions.

Most commonly, graphene is a material extracted from graphite but it can be derived from many different products, including recycled plastics or biomass. This makes Concretene a game-changer in the race to lower the industry’s whole-life carbon footprint.

The use of graphene in concrete produces 6.3kg of CO2 per tonne of concrete – a 21.94kg reduction per tonne compared to traditional steel reinforcement. The total estimated reduction in CO2 emissions for this floor slab compared to a traditional concrete solution is 4,265kg.

Advanced materials is one of Swag直播’s research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

Haldane, who will operate as a Permanent Secretary as part of the civil service, will report to both the Prime Minister and Michael Gove, who last week was appointed to run the new Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities following a Cabinet reshuffle.

Haldane will be on secondment from his job as Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts for six months, and will now play a key role in defining and delivering the flagship policy.

In an  with Alliance MBS earlier this summer, Haldane discussed how productivity, skills and devolution were key to the levelling-up agenda, and said you could not tackle levelling-up in isolation from all three.

However he said bringing the three elements together was much easier to do locally than nationally. "What you need to be doing is joining up policies around education, health, transport and business support at the local level."

He added that success in levelling-up also came down to "delegating powers, people and finances" and that further devolution was essential. "You need to craft local plans that speak to local problems and devolution is an essential pre-requisite for making progress on levelling-up."

Professor Jones, who is also the author of more than 190 scientific papers in materials physics will focus on connecting the University to the wider innovation and policy agenda in the Greater Swag直播 region. He is already the independent science advisor for Innovation Greater Swag直播.

Before moving to Swag直播 in 2020, he was Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Sheffield University from 2009 to 2016, was a member of EPSRC Council from 2013 – 2018, and chaired Research England’s Technical Advisory Group for the Knowledge Exchange Framework. He has written extensively about science and innovation policy, and was a member of the Sheffield/Swag直播 Industrial Strategy Commission. He is the author of and is also active on .

Swag直播 is already a significant international player in working to help develop organisations through academic expertise and turning its own research into businesses. Recently the University, alongside the Universities of Leeds and Sheffield, launched Northern Gritstone – a new investment company that is looking to raise £500m of capital.

Alongside Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General, The University is also developing ID Swag直播 – a £1.5bn innovation district in central Swag直播. This year, University is top for the value of funding received from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), being awarded £98 million of competitive Research & Innovation Grants.

This role in regional innovation sits alongside the University’s commitment to the local community. Swag直播 is part of a civic university agreement with the other higher education institutions in the city-region. This outlines a number of priorities agreed in partnership with the elected Mayor, Greater Swag直播 Combined Authority and local authorities.

Professor Jones said: “Swag直播 is the original civic university and in keeping with the nature of the city has always had a pioneering spirit. My role is to work with the people in our region, whether working in enterprise or policy, who can benefit from our world-leading expertise. This is very much about listening to those people and developing shared solutions, so I am keen to speak to as many of them as possible.”

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of Swag直播, said: “Richard is a leading researcher and highly influential and respected authority on innovation, policy and civic engagement, and this new role will put him at the centre of this important aspect of our University’s strategic aims. I am often told that our University’s close connections and partnerships are part of what makes the city-region so successful and having Richard in this role can only enhance that.”

Nationwide Engineering, Tier 2 partners of the GEIC, relaid parking bays on the service road adjacent to the Centre on Thursday 2 September, using its graphene-enhanced Concretene product as a ‘living lab’ to test performance in exterior conditions.

Graphene provides sustainability benefits by producing denser, stronger concrete, which allows for the removal of approximately 30% of the volume of material used and removal of all steel reinforcement from the floor slab, while achieving comparable or improved performance to standard concrete. This enables reductions both in carbon footprint and in cost for users.

These tests will help towards the development of standards and certification for Concretene to enable roll-out to the wider building industry supply chain.

In May, Nationwide Engineering undertook at the Southern Quarter gym in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

“Now we are exploring the use of Concretene in road and pavement design to provide a concrete with a higher wear resistance, lower water porosity to prevent frost and salt damage and an increased wear resistance," said Rob Hibberd, director of Nationwide Engineering. "This will provide a longer life-span to the road and require less maintenance.”

The University welcomed guests from the Greater Swag直播 policymaking community, including representatives from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and MIDAS, Swag直播’s inward investment agency.

Attendees watched the pour and then took part in a discussion session afterwards in the GEIC on the potential for Concretene to deliver significant benefits in the race to achieve net-zero. Concrete production currently accounts for 8-10% of worldwide CO2 emissions.

Tim Newns, CEO of MIDAS, said: “It was a really exciting morning outside the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre in Swag直播 – the home of graphene – where we saw the first outdoor pouring of Concretene. From a low-carbon, net-zero or environmental perspective, this product could be a real game changer.”

Graphene for the pour was provided by GEIC Tier 1 partner Versarien, offering further evidence of the collaborative approach to projects through , one that enables rapid scale-up and route-to-market for engineering applications using 2D materials.

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Swag直播, added: “It was great to continue to build on our partnership with Nationwide Engineering and other GEIC partners in undertaking a further graphene concrete pour outside the GEIC.

"We were pleased to welcome key stakeholders from across government and Greater Swag直播 and will continue to collaborate on how graphene can support the sustainability challenge and move towards net-zero. This will lead to further exciting developments over the coming months and towards the acceleration of a key graphene application and in the creation of a supply chain based in Greater Swag直播.”

Discover more about Concretene and the GEIC:

 (YouTube video)

Advanced materials is one of Swag直播’s research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

Following a decade of consistent and dedicated support for businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the university, the achievements realised by colleagues across the University has put the University at the top of Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) ranking, the institution announces today. This ranking demonstrates Swag直播 is the partner of choice for businesses that want to drive informed innovation for commercial advantage.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) bring together academic institutions, with innovative businesses, to facilitate the transfer of knowledge between academia and business to deliver transformative change. KTP projects are funded by UKRI through Innovate UK - the UK's innovation agency - who manages the KTP programme and facilitates its delivery through a range of partners including the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN). The programme provides a grant contribution towards total eligible project costs of up to 67% to support collaborative projects between Academia and UK businesses - to translate and apply research and expertise to drive innovation in business.

Led by the University’s Knowledge Exchange Team, the University has secured £25M to support over 100 projects with a range of SMEs and large business partners over the past 10 years. Through delivery of these projects, Swag直播 academics have used their knowledge to support strategic commercial innovation for the benefit of UK plc, providing an ongoing and vital contribution at a time when the world is faced with the challenge of economic recovery following the pandemic.

Professor Luke Georghiou, Deputy President and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Swag直播 said: "Being recognised by Innovate UK as the top institution for KTPs is fitting recognition of a decade's hard work from Swag直播. 

"Swag直播's KTPs have attracted over £25m funding to support businesses delivering real-world innovation, like inov-8 who are pioneering the use of graphene technology and Jackson Lees who are applying artificial intelligence (AI) powered tools to provide cost-effective and consumer-focused delivery of legal services.

"Topping Innovate UK’s KTP table is a testament to the hard work of the Knowledge Exchange team and academic researchers across UoM and is making us an innovation partner of choice for business."

Fiona Nightingale, Senior Knowledge Transfer Adviser of the Knowledge Transfer Network said: "As the nominated Knowledge Transfer Adviser for Swag直播, I am absolutely delighted that Swag直播 has attained the top position as the University with the most active KTPs in the UK .This is a well-deserved result that reflects the hard work and exemplary support provided by the University’s outstanding Knowledge Exchange team and the academic involved in delivering the projects.

"The KE team supports academics, companies and graduates at every step of the process, from finding the right expertise, developing a partnership, applying for funding and supporting a KTP project throughout its life.

"The Swag直播 region punches above its weight in terms of participation in KTP and this is a fitting outcome following lots of dedicated effort to support business innovation."

There are ongoing opportunities to develop Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and if you are interested in developing a partnership please contact Swag直播’s Knowledge Transfer Team here [ke@manchester.ac.uk]

On 14 July, we welcomed Lord Grimstone of Boscobel Kt, Minister for Investment jointly at the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Lord Grimstone’s trip to the city-region included discussions with Mayor of Greater Swag直播 Andy Burnham and a look around the new hub building for , the UK’s national institute for advanced materials research and innovation, based at Swag直播.

At the GEIC, Lord Grimstone was given a tour of our labs and shown graphene-enhanced innovations taken from lab to market, including the inov-8 running shoe, now a bestseller, plus a graphene-enhanced concrete (Concretene) that was recently .

“[Graphene@Swag直播 is] helping companies commercialise new technologies, products and processes that exploit the remarkable properties of graphene and other 2D materials,” said Lord Grimstone. “These innovations will help us drive clean growth and encourage greener investment from around the world.”

James Baker, CEO at Graphene@Swag直播, said: “We introduced the minister to a range of our industry partners, including large international companies to start-ups and SMEs from our local area. There were some great discussions on how we can support these companies and, in turn, how our materials work in Swag直播 can support the government’s levelling up agenda in the North West.”

On 29 July, we entertained two visiting parties, one from the German Embassy to the UK, another from the British Deputy High Commission in Chennai, India.

German Ambassador Andreas Michaelis and Frau Heike Michaelis were joined by representatives from the and on a wide-ranging tour of the city-region, taking in Salford’s Media City and a number of manufacturing sites.

When visiting the GEIC, the party were shown around the Composites Lab and the High Bay, where staff talked through some of our ground-breaking work around low-emissions concrete and anti-corrosion coatings for steel (pictured below).

Andreas Michaelis (above, far left) said: “Swag直播’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre is one of the world's leading graphene research centres. Many thanks to the team for offering me a fascinating look at the innovative work they are doing and illustrating the many potential areas of application for this 'wonder material'."

Later the same day, Oliver Ballhatchet MBE - the Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai, representing the UK in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry – was accompanied by Shehla Hasan, Executive Director of the Swag直播 India Partnership, and Paul Battersby from MIDAS – Greater Swag直播’s inward investment agency – as part of a tour given by Paul Wiper, Application Manager and leader of the GEIC’s Bridging the Gap programme, which supports local SMEs pioneering graphene innovation. This programme is funded by the European Regional Development Agency (ERDF).

Among the facilities shown was the lab that Paul manages (pictured above), specialising in chemical vapour deposition (CVD) with advanced equipment for growing few-layer and monolayer graphene and other 2D materials.

“It was a pleasure to showcase the GEIC’s capabilities and world-class equipment with Oliver and we hope for future collaborations,” said Paul.

Top image (l-r): Lord Grimstone; James Baker, CEO Graphene@Swag直播; Prof Luke Georghiou, Deputy President and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Swag直播; Professor Richard Jones, Chair of Materials Physics and Innovation Policy; Tim Newns, CEO of MIDAS Swag直播

Nationwide Engineering, Nanoplexus and Grafmarine have become Tier 2 partners of the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), the three very different businesses showcasing the application expertise being developed in our labs and pilot-scale trials (see individual details below).

A Tier 2 Partnership gives participating firms access to GEIC labs, equipment and expertise, plus a managed, low-risk and collaborative approach to explore the possibilities of graphene and other 2D materials from proof of principle through to pre-production.

These new agreements form part of the rapidly expanding innovation network for graphene and 2D materials at Swag直播, with sustainability-focused applications demonstrating viability and market impact.

Expanding ecosystem

James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Swag直播, said: “It is great to add our latest Tier 2 partners to the broadening list of industry partners being developed through the GEIC and the Graphene@Swag直播 ecosystem.

“The range of different businesses, supply-chain and application areas really shows the breadth of the markets being addressed through graphene and 2D materials. I look forward to seeing our new and existing collaborations and partnerships further develop into new products and applications in the near future.”

The new recruits

Nationwide Engineering
A construction and civil engineering firm, based in Amesbury, Wiltshire, whose new product Concretene – a graphene-enhanced additive mixture – is making an impact around sustainability in the building trade.

The ad-mixture strengthens the concrete by up to 30%, allowing large volumes of material and steel reinforcement to be removed from the process, reducing emissions and costs.

A world-first pour for this engineered concrete solution in a commercial setting – more than 700m² at the Southern Quarter gym in Amesbury – has proven how the product fits into existing batching equipment and processes and can make a significant contribution to reducing the carbon footprint in construction in the UK and worldwide (see video below).

Co-director and founder Alex McDermott said: “After two years working with the GEIC to develop this revolutionary graphene-enhanced concrete, we are delighted to show our long-term commitment by becoming a Tier 2 partner.”

Nanoplexus
A spin-out from Swag直播, developing a platform technology based on decoration of 2D material aerogels for novel catalysts, composites and energy systems.

The firm aims to enable scalable and sustainable clean energy infrastructures through a cost-effective material that can be applied in catalyst-based systems such as fuel cells and carbon sequestration units.

Nanoplexus is currently producing and working with a new class of 2D material, known as MXene, and has taken lab space in the GEIC to scale up production, helped by funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) .

CEO Jae Jong Byun commented: “Joining the GEIC as a Tier 2 partner enables us to access state-of-the-art facilities that streamline the commercialisation process, especially for capital intensive start-ups like ours. The GEIC ecosystem allows us to network with experts and potentially look for collaborations that can broaden Nanoplexus’ scope.”

Grafmarine
A renewable energy business developing a new type of integrated solar power generation and storage system, to turn any surface into a power generating and storage cluster. The technology is capable of being deployed in any scale clusters and is modular, scalable and future updatable.

As the marine sector edges towards zero emissions, Grafmarine’s energy deck will challenge the reliance on heavy marine fuels in propulsion and port power by providing an alternative source of renewable energy. The firm is currently engaging with marine development partners in several key sectors, before manufacture in 2022/3, with a target to provide a vessel with full renewable propulsion power within 3-6 years.

Martin Leigh, Technology Director, said: "As a Swag直播-based SME, Grafmarine is delighted to partner Graphene@Swag直播 in the development of energy storage materials. We look forward to be part of graphene's wider commercialisation success into the future, as we continue to develop our advanced materials."

Graphene@Swag直播 offers a range of options for industrial engagement. Find out more in the of our website, or fill in the to get in touch directly.

Advanced materials is one of Swag直播’s research beacons - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons