Groundbreaking National Materials Innovation Strategy launched at the Houses of Parliament

Urban Foresight was proud to attend the launch of the National Materials Innovation Strategy at the Houses of Parliament this week, unveiling the UK’s first cross-sector strategy for materials innovation.  

We have played a pivotal role in developing this pioneering initiative, which has been facilitated by The Henry Royce Institute to futureproof the UK’s lead in materials innovation. Advancing materials innovation is essential to driving progress across all key strategic sectors in the UK, enabling the breakthroughs required to tackle today’s challenges. Without a national strategy for materials, the UK risks falling short of its net zero targets and broader sustainability goals. 

We collaborated with the Henry Royce Institute to deliver the Materials Innovation Strategy Framework, and supported the launch of this first phase of the National Materials Innovation Strategy. We also designed the Materials Futures: Growing the UK’s critical capabilities in materials innovation consultation document aimed at academics, researchers, and government.  

We facilitated workshops with key industry groups and led the writing and design of the final promotional strategy document. 

The strategy, shaped by over 2,000 experts, highlights six key areas for transformative impact, including energy, healthcare, and infrastructure, and calls for greater collaboration to accelerate progress. 

The UK’s pursuit of solutions to major challenges like finding new healthcare solutions, enhancing national security and resilience, and improving transport and infrastructure relies on advancing materials innovation. Projections suggest that investment in this field could double materials-specific jobs by 2035, up from 52,000 people nationwide. It is estimated that these jobs currently add £4.4bn in GVA to the UK economy. 

The strategy launch featured distinguished speakers, including Lord Patrick Vallance, Minister for Science at Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Allan Cook CBE, Chair of the Materials Innovation Leadership Group, Professor Julia Sutcliffe, Chief Scientific Advisor for the Department for Business and Trade, and Professor David Knowles, CEO, Henry Royce Institute. 

Emma Clement, Principal Consultant at Urban Foresight, remarked: “Attending this landmark event was an honour. Materials innovation is an inspiring field full of potential for addressing today’s challenges and ensuring a sustainable future. Our experience in shaping impactful public-facing materials and strategies has been instrumental in delivering this strategy.” 

This project builds on our long-standing collaboration with the Henry Royce Institute, including our leadership in developing the Materials for Bioelectronics in Healthcare Strategy and Action Plan.  

You can read the full National Materials Innovation Strategy here.