Materials Research Exchange 2018 : Media Invite
Media invite to attend The 2018 Materials Research Exchange & Investor Showcase (MRE2018) taking place on March 12 and 13, London
Media are invited to attend The 2018 Materials Research Exchange & Investor Showcase (MRE2018) taking place on March 12 and 13 at the Business Design Centre in London.
The UK is an acknowledged global hub of excellence in materials research and the importance of advanced materials as one of the technologies for future growth will propel the UK economy to future success. MRE2018 provides an excellent platform to develop commercial success of UK-generated materials innovation by showcasing the groundbreaking new materials and processes to industry to accelerate the process of taking these through to commercialisation.
Organised by the Knowledge Transfer Network and Innovate UK and supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), this unique two day exhibition and conference will showcase the richness of the UK materials research and investment opportunities, providing an ideal opportunity to absorb current trends and take a glimpse of future innovations. This is the ideal event to build links within the materials supply chain to strengthen the UK materials offer to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and End Users.
From metals, advanced composites, powders and textiles to graphene and polymers – innovations in advanced materials research have numerous applications across a wide range of sectors. Meet investors, inform and be informed by industrial strategy and network with the entire materials landscape, from academics to spin-outs to SMEs and product designers to manufacturers and users.
The 2018 Materials Research Exchange & Investor Showcase will include talks from investors, innovators and experts across the 2 days. The keynote panel speakers include:
·       Dr Ruth McKernan CBE, Chief Executive Officer, Innovate UK
·       Professor Philip Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, EPSRC
·       Rebecca Endean, Director of Strategy, UK Research & Innovation
Speakers for the opening morning Q&A session include:
·       Andrew Hosty, Chief Executive Officer, Henry Royce Institute
·       Deidre Fox, Director, Strategic Business Development, Tata Steel
·       Leela Biant, Head of Dept, Trauma & Orthopaedics, University of Manchester
·       Duncan Fitzsimons, Director, 7TH Design& Invention
·       Jacqui Murray, Interim Director, Faraday Challenge & Head of Advanced Materials, Innovate UK
·       Bryan Allcock, Chief Executive Officer, TRL9
The largest number of UK universities, research organisations and SMEs will be exhibiting to demonstrate the wealth of materials in development from both academic and industrial research groups. In addition, there will be a series of seminars and workshops demonstrating the scope of current developments in advanced materials including a technology focus on key application areas such as aerospace, robotics, automotive, energy, health, defence and sustainable construction, value creating opportunities provided by materials and design and engaging the creative industries.
Dr Robert Quarshie, Head of Materials at the Knowledge Transfer Network said:
“Advanced Materials research and innovation will be instrumental in the generation of long-term economic growth and jobs for the UK. However, to realise the potential of advanced materials the research needs to be converted into products. The 2018 Materials Research & Investor Showcase is an absolute must for anyone working in materials and users of materials. It is relevant to a much wider range of sectors, as it will provide a unique forum for increasing interactions between industry, researchers and policymakers from a range of disciplines and market sectors, across supply chains.”
Ben Walsh, Lead Technologist in Advanced Materials at Innovate UK   added:
“Innovation in Advanced materials is a UK strength – enabling technologies in sectors as diverse as automotive and electronics.  This exciting cross-sector conference will demonstrate the depth and breadth of UK materials research and demonstrate the opportunities available to companies to grow their businesses through the research and innovation support available.”
According to Simon Edmonds, Director for Manufacturing and Materials, Innovate UK, “This is an exciting time in advanced materials innovation. Starting in April, the formation of UK Research and Innovation will give the materials community a boost to help transfer knowledge from our world class universities to industry. Also, the UK Government’s commitment to raise research and development to the OECD average will see an unprecedented increase in innovation funding. Events such as MRE, and support from Innovate UK and its partners, are here to help the materials sector exploit this opportunity and become world beating.”
Chris Warkup, Chief Executive Officer of Knowledge Transfer Network added: “This our flagship event to showcase the UK’s outstanding research, development and innovations in materials is part of our wider engagement with the UK research base in support of business innovation and wealth creation. Owing to the multi-disciplinary nature of materials, coordination and alignment of materials research and innovation is strategically important and KTN provides a platform for increasing awareness, communication and coordination among key players. KTN is pleased to work closely to support innovation with the developers, producers and users of materials and to play an important role in helping them find the right partners for success.”
To register for a press pass please email carolinecarr@ccmarcomms.co.uk
See the full programme information at www.mre2018.co.uk