Researchers from the University of Sheffield are supporting a new national roadmap designed to establish the UK as a world leader in metamaterials innovation.
The roadmap, published by the Metamaterials Strategy Action Group and convened by the UK government, identifies priority areas for action to help the UK capitalise on its research community and become a world-leading hub for materials innovation and development.
What are metamaterials?
Metamaterials are advanced materials whose benefits come from their engineered structures rather than their chemical composition. They have potential applications including managing extreme temperatures and heat recovery, next-generation augmented reality optics, advanced biosensing, more efficient solar energy, and wireless power transfer.
UK's competitive position
The UK is currently first in the world for metamaterials research impact. However, the roadmap warns that without a coordinated national approach—particularly in scale-up, manufacturing capability, and market translation—the UK risks losing its competitive advantage internationally.
The roadmap establishes a shared national mission: to accelerate the commercialisation and industrial adoption of metamaterials over the next decade, whilst maintaining world-leading excellence in research. The UK Metamaterials Network will support the whole metamaterials ecosystem in translating UK research into scalable manufacturing, resilient supply chains, and high-value economic impact.
University of Sheffield's role
Dr Simon Pope, Lecturer in the University of Sheffield's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, is the Space and Aviation Challenge Lead for the UK Metamaterials Network. He said: "Metamaterials have extraordinary properties that could bring huge advances in technologies for a wide range of industries, such as communications, aerospace and healthcare. In the UK, we are at the forefront of this exciting field and now this roadmap gives us a plan for how we bring universities and industry together to continue both the fundamental research, commercialise the new advances and establish a strong manufacturing base."
Chris McDonald MP, Minister for Science, Innovation and Investment, said: "Metamaterials represent a significant opportunity to strengthen the UK's technology and industrial base, supporting economic growth, and solving societal challenges. Realising this opportunity will depend on our ability to translate cutting-edge research into commercially viable products and new industrial solutions. I welcome the publication of the Metamaterials Commercialisation Roadmap and its vision for accelerating innovation, attracting investment and building the partnerships needed to position the UK at the forefront of the transformative potential of metamaterials."