A new research centre has been launched at Keele University to bring together leaders from industry and academia in the materials science and innovation sector.

Building on the region's historic and existing strengths in material science, innovation, and manufacturing, the Advanced Materials Technology and Engineering Centre (AMTEC) has been set up by Keele and partner companies.

Partner companies include Lucideon and the Applied Materials Research, Innovation, & Commercialisation Company (AMRICC) Centre.

The goal is to connect colleagues working in advanced material discovery and design, with partners working in testing, translation, commercialisation, adoption and skills.

Dr Peter Matthews, Director of AMTEC, said: "AMTEC exists to be a capability provider to Staffordshire, the West Midlands and beyond, providing innovation, research, facilities and a talent pipeline.

"We offer a unique capability across the length scales from molecules and nanomaterials right through to a full campus scale test bed.

"I'm honoured to lead the centre in its first steps, and delighted to work alongside my fabulous colleagues to deliver the capabilities for our region."

Keele's own expertise spans structural materials, biomaterials and energy materials, with applications ranging from healthier lives and new medical technologies to sustainability, clean energy and industrial decarbonisation.

AMTEC aims to boost the impact of this research by enabling closer links with industry and other Midlands universities, to build on these distinctive strengths and raise the national and international profile of the area.

A launch event was held at Keele last week in partnership with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The event aimed to bring together representatives from across the material science sector and outline the vision for the new Centre including industry partners and research funders, and materials scientists from Keele, other UK universities, and from overseas.

Professor Mark Ormerod, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, added: "Our new Advanced Materials Technology and Engineering Centre (AMTEC) is a really exciting development for Keele, building on our existing longstanding strengths in materials research and the exciting development of engineering education and research at Keele, with our first cohort of undergraduate engineering students starting their degrees at Keele in literally a few days' time."

The long-term goal of AMTEC is to help promising ideas move from research and theoretical stages to demonstrators, investment and adoption.

Keele says increasing the speed at which these advanced materials can move from the theoretical to the practical will support better health, environmental sustainability, stronger businesses, high-value jobs and rising wages, while giving the Midlands a stronger voice in national and international opportunities.

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