The Cranfield Materials Innovation Summit is a two-day conference bringing together leading researchers, industrial innovators, policymakers, investors, and technology developers to explore how advanced materials can drive the UK's future prosperity, competitiveness, sustainability, and security.
The summit is built around the complete materials innovation journey, from fundamental scientific discovery and emerging technologies through to industrial deployment, scale-up, qualification, and commercial impact. It reflects the growing national and international focus on accelerating the translation of materials research into real-world solutions across sectors including aerospace, energy, healthcare, electronics, defence, and manufacturing.
Day 1 focuses on Materials Discovery, showcasing breakthrough research and emerging technologies that could transform society over the coming decades, including AI-driven materials discovery, quantum materials, advanced composites, additive manufacturing, fusion materials, next-generation batteries, healthcare materials, and adaptive materials.
Day 2 focuses on Materials Deployment, exploring how materials innovation can address strategic industrial challenges through sustainable aviation, space technologies, future energy systems, critical materials resilience, circular economy solutions, defence applications, and pathways to industrial adoption and economic growth.
Aim
To establish a national forum that connects the UK's materials research and innovation ecosystem, accelerating the journey from scientific discovery to industrial deployment and supporting the development of materials solutions for net zero, national resilience, technological leadership, and economic growth.
Objectives
• Showcase world-leading advances in materials science and engineering.
• Identify the breakthrough materials technologies that could transform industries and society by 2040 and beyond.
• Strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, government, research organisations, and investors.
• Explore how AI, digitalisation, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies are reshaping materials innovation.
• Address major industrial challenges in sectors including aerospace, space, energy, healthcare, defence, and advanced manufacturing.
• Promote discussions on critical materials, supply chain resilience, sustainability, and the circular economy.
• Highlight challenges and opportunities associated with scale-up, qualification, certification, and commercialisation.
• Showcase Cranfield University's outstanding capabilities in materials research, testing, characterisation, and innovation.
• Develop a shared vision for how materials innovation can contribute to the UK's long-term competitiveness and prosperity.
• Deliver Materials 2035 Roadmap
Expected Outcomes
Participants will gain insight into the latest advances in materials research and emerging technologies, build new collaborations across sectors, identify opportunities for future research and innovation partnerships, and contribute to discussions on the materials breakthroughs that will shape the UK's future industrial landscape.
By bringing together leaders from across the materials ecosystem, the Summit aims to strengthen the UK's position as a global leader in materials innovation and accelerate the translation of discovery into societal and economic impact.
Event Programme
| 09.00-09.30 | Registration & Coffee |
| 09.30-10.00 | Opening of the event: Materials Innovation @Cranfield |
| 10.00-10.30 | Materials Discovery in the Age of AI: What Will the World Look Like in 2040? |
| 10.30-11.00 | Quantum, Photonic and Electronic Materials |
| 11.00-11.30 | Tea/Coffee and networking |
| 11.30-12.00 | Advanced multifunctional composites |
| 12.00-12.30 | 3D and 4D materials printing |
| 12.30-13.30 | Lunch and Exhibition: Five Materials Moonshots showcase |
| 1.30-14.00 | Materials for Fusion and Future Nuclear Energy |
| 14.00-14.30 | Next Generation Battery Materials |
| 14.30-15.00 | Tea/Coffee and networking |
| 15.00-15.30 | Materials for Healthcare and Human Performance |
| 15.30-16.00 | Self-healing, Adaptive and Sustainable Materials |
| 16.00-16.30 | Panel Discussion – 'Materials 2050: Which Breakthroughs Will Change the World?' |
| 16.30-17.30 | Cranfield Materials Innovation Experience: Laboratory tours |
| 17.30 | End of Day 1 |
Cost
Free to attend.How to register
Please complete the registration form.
