Advanced materials

Supported by a skilled workforce, industry expertise, and a world-leading R&D ecosystem, the UK is at the cutting edge of advanced materials innovation and manufacturing. Worth £81 billion and contributing £45 billion to the economy annually, the sector offers investors a unique opportunity to tap into this growth by driving innovation, scaling next-generation materials manufacture, and locking into supply chains to access global markets.

Opportunity highlights

There are several opportunities for investors to grow and thrive within the UK’s advanced materials market.

Energy solutions

Develop cost-efficient, high-performance battery chemistries and materials to capture growing demand from the global shift to electrification. Additional opportunities lie in developing high-efficiency solar PV (photovoltaics), specialised energy-harvesting technologies, and innovative solutions for hydrogen transport, storage, and utilisation. Investors can also position themselves at the forefront of sustainable energy innovation by advancing materials for heat exchange, energy storage and recovery, as well as next-generation nuclear fuels.

Future healthcare

Revolutionise healthcare with next-generation breakthroughs such as biocompatible materials for targeted therapies, and long-term implantable bioelectronic materials for interfacing electronics with the body. 

Structural innovation

Accelerate advanced composite technologies, such as polymer matrix composites, ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), and metal matrix composites (MMCs) for defence and civil manufacturing sectors. Further growth potential exists in additive manufacturing and low-carbon construction technologies.

Next-generation electronics, telecommunications and sensors

The UK’s leadership in quantum technologies, power electronics, and advanced connectivity technologies is creating a strong demand for the materials powering these sectors - from wide bandgap semiconductors to speciality optical fibres, advanced polymers, and high-performance superconductors.

Consumer products, packaging and specialist polymers

Capitalise on rising demand for speciality polymers such as sustainable elastomers and bio-based, recyclable, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly packaging materials across fast-moving consumer goods, while aligning with the UK’s commitment to sustainability.

Advanced surface technologies

Innovate within one of the world's most advanced surface engineering industries by developing surface protection material systems and tribology solutions for demanding and hostile environments.

Commercial maturity

Develop and scale your innovations within a robust advanced materials ecosystem. This comprises over 2,700 companies, employing over 630,000 people and adding £45 billion to the UK economy every year - around 2% of the total.  The advanced materials sector is offering valuable growth opportunities around the UK.  90% of businesses are SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), and 70% of the sector is located outside London and the South East. Over the past four years, advanced materials companies have secured more than £8 billion annually in combined public and private funding to support innovation. This sustained investment is driving strong demand for materials-related roles, with job opportunities expected to at least double by 2035.

Key UK assets

The UK’s advanced materials capabilities are distributed nationwide and deeply embedded within advanced manufacturing clusters, with Catapult centres and research-intensive universities playing a key role in developing localised supply chains.

Glasgow City Region

Anchored by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre (LMC), the Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC), the region excels in composites, lightweight structures, photonics, and quantum materials. These purpose-built, industry-led centres of international standing enable rapid translation from research to production, supporting both SMEs and multinational manufacturers.

Belfast City Region

One of the UK’s most tightly integrated advanced materials ecosystems, Belfast in Northern Ireland combines cutting edge research with strong industrial deployment, underpinned by a highly skilled engineering workforce. World class facilities such as the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) at Queen’s University Belfast enable full scale prototyping, automated manufacturing, and real time digital optimisation across sectors including aerospace, defence, energy, and marine.

The Midlands

This English region is home to globally recognised centres such as Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), and the Applied Materials Research, Innovation, & Commercialisation Company (AMRICC), the Midlands leads in lightweighting, metallurgy, ceramics, and battery materials. Its deep integration with automotive, rail, energy, and aerospace supply chains supports rapid adoption of innovation and reduces commercial risk.

Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor

With two of the world’s leading universities, this ecosystem benefits from an exceptional skills base, strong venture creation, and close connectivity between science parks, laboratories, and industry. National scale research infrastructure, including Culham Centre, the national synchrotron at Harwell, and Cambridge’s graphene and nanoscience facilities, supports seamless progression from fundamental research to spin out and industrial collaboration.

South West England

Home to the National Composites Centre, the South West hosts strategic partnerships with Airbus, Rolls Royce, and Vestas, driving the development of next generation composite technologies for aerospace, defence, and clean energy. Exeter has also emerged as a centre of excellence in metamaterials, with the £19.6 million MetaHub facility, launched in May 2025, providing opportunities for collaboration in advanced nanoscale materials research and design.

R&D capability

The UK’s significant R&D strengths are built on academic excellence, global leadership in standards and regulation, and a dynamic start up ecosystem. Extensive multidisciplinary research in advanced materials is supported by cutting edge equipment, facilities, and technologies, including AI and robotics, at leading national institutes such as the Henry Royce Institute, National Graphene Institute, National Physical Laboratory, Materials Innovation Factory, and Catapult centres. Programmes that connect these capabilities, including the £42.5 million Defence Materials Centre of Excellence, further strengthen collaboration and drive innovation across the sector.

Business and government support

Advanced materials is recognised as one of the frontier industries within the advanced manufacturing sector in the UK Industrial Strategy 2025, signaling strong government support and potential for growth.

In 2026, the Government launched a major £80 million National Materials Innovation Programme (NMIP), to drive the translation and adoption of materials innovations across key industrial sectors, offering businesses certainty and confidence to invest and expand. NMIP builds on the work of the Henry Royce Institute’s National Materials Innovation Strategy, published in January 2025, which had the input of over 2,000 experts.

Talent

Built around world‑leading universities, doctoral training centres and supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the primary investor into advanced materials expertise for the government, the UK has a deep and resilient skills base in advanced materials. Industry‑embedded centres of excellence, such as AMRICC in the Midlands, AMRC in Sheffield and AMIC in Belfast, reinforce translational skills and further strengthen the talent pool. There are over 630,000 people actively employed in materials innovation, providing businesses with access to a broad skills base and extensive collaboration opportunities.