UK Advanced Materials: call for evidence
Updated 22 June 2022
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Foreword / introduction
In 2021, the Prime Minister unveiled plans to ensure the UK’s world-leading science and ideas turn into solutions for public good, as part of ambitions to become a global science superpower.
Supporting this, we launched our Innovation Strategy, which stated that the next decade will be one that features significant change. With the climate emergency and our net zero target – as well as the pace of technological innovation – the 2020s are a pivotal moment for the UK’s future prosperity.
Advanced Materials are part of one of the Strategy’s 7 tech families.
This call for evidence will gather insight into this interesting area using open questions. Following the end date, BEIS officials will assess responses with our external Advanced Materials Scoping Group.
Why we are consulting
In July 2021, the new Innovation Strategy highlighted Advanced Materials as part of one of the 7 technology families of UK strength and opportunity. This call for evidence wants to gather insight into this interesting area.
Find out more about Advanced Materials:
- UK Research and Innovation (UKRI): The (other) magnificent seven
- UK Innovation Strategy: leading the future by creating it
General information
Consultation details
Issued: 10 February 2022
Respond by: 18 March 2022
Enquiries to: advancedmaterials.unit@beis.gov.uk
Audiences: Industry, specialist trade organisations, academia, translational research centres, regulation bodies, the innovation ecosystem and other interested parties.
Territorial extent: UK-wide. We welcome international submissions, however.
How to respond
Please read and respond to the questions, referring to the question number/s in your response.
Email your response to: advancedmaterials.unit@beis.gov.uk.
When responding, please state whether you are responding as an individual or representing the views of an organisation.
Your response will be most useful if it is framed in direct response to the questions posed, though further comments and evidence are also welcome.
To be considered, submissions must be:
- accessible from Microsoft Office applications
- in an accessible format (using Arial or other sans serif font, size 12)
Confidentiality and data protection
Information you provide in response to this consultation, including personal information, may be disclosed in accordance with UK legislation (the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004).
If you want the information that you provide to be treated as confidential please tell us, but be aware that we cannot guarantee confidentiality in all circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not be regarded by us as a confidentiality request. We will process your personal data in accordance with all applicable data protection laws. See our consultation privacy policy.
We will summarise all responses and publish this summary on GOV.UK. The summary may include a list of names or organisations that responded, but not people’s personal names, addresses or other contact details.
Quality assurance
This consultation has been carried out in accordance with the government’s consultation principles. If you have any complaints about the way this consultation has been conducted, please email: beis.bru@beis.gov.uk.
Call for evidence questions
Advanced Materials are part of one of the UK Innovation Strategy’s 7 tech families.
By their nature – at the frontier of scientific progress – this is an ever-changing area. We therefore do not seek responses that try to define Advanced Materials.
We welcome answers on a wide range of topics, such as commercialisation, regulation, skills, research and innovation, promoting exports and dual-use technologies. Please do not consider these examples as our priorities.
Important: Critical Minerals are not in scope for this call for evidence. The UK’s Net Zero Strategy has committed to publishing a Critical Minerals strategy.
We have selected these questions to be as open as possible rather than leading any answers.
1. Are there any challenges and/or opportunities for UK Advanced Materials?
2. What lessons, if any, from other countries and companies could we learn from?
3. What are the strengths of UK Advanced Materials?
4. Are there any specific gaps in UK Advanced Materials capability that you would like to share?