Henry Royce Institute

Name

Henry Royce Institute

Legal name

The Henry Royce Institute

Website

https://royce.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advanced Materials Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Advanced materials research
• Materials science innovation
• Industrial collaboration funding
• National research infrastructure
• Hydrogen materials accelerator

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: Primary funding from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI). Since launch, ICP has awarded more than £18.8 million in funding to over 300 partner organisations.
2. Collaborative Research Grants: Funding programmes including Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP) rounds, Metamaterials ICP, and Hydrogen Accelerator funding. Round 6 awards up to £4 million; Round 5 awarded £6.6 million from EPSRC and Innovate UK.
3. Hydrogen Accelerator Investor Connection Services: Zero-cost service for innovators to verify technical and market potential before connecting with investors. For investors, provides curated pipeline of de-risked opportunities with independent technical assessments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The Henry Royce Institute is the UK's National Centre for Research and Innovation in Advanced Materials, operating a hub-and-spoke model that coordinates over £200 million of facilities and 700+ academic, technical and research staff across nine founding partner institutions. It provides UK academia with free access to state-of-the-art research facilities, training courses and services, and supports businesses of all sizes with flexible, collaborative R&D spanning short-term commercially sensitive research through to long-term partnerships. Its funding programmes (notably the Industrial Collaboration Programme and the Royce Hydrogen Accelerator) channel government grants into industry–academia–RTO projects to accelerate translation of advanced-materials research.

Product overview

The Henry Royce Institute operates as the UK's National Centre for Research and Innovation in Advanced Materials, functioning as a hub-and-spoke model with its hub at the University of Manchester and partner institutions across the UK. Rather than a single commercial product, the Institute offers a portfolio of interconnected programs and services including: the National Materials Innovation Strategy (NMIS) as the overarching strategic framework; the Royce Hydrogen Accelerator (RHA) for hydrogen materials technology translation; the Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP) and its Metamaterials extension as flagship funding initiatives; Equipment & Facilities Access providing over £200 million of research infrastructure; and Training & Skills Development including PhD student sandpits and the annual Royce Hydrogen Conference. Services are delivered to both academia (access to state-of-the-art facilities) and industry (flexible research partnerships). The Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) platform at Liverpool incorporates AI, robotics and machine learning for digital materials discovery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Royce Hydrogen Accelerator (RHA): Specialist body fully focused on hydrogen sector, connecting investors with verified materials innovations for the hydrogen supply chain.
• Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP)

Products and services

• National Materials Innovation Strategy (NMIS) A comprehensive consultation, structure and plan developed by the Henry Royce Institute to drive UK economic growth through advanced materials innovation. Subsequently integrated into the UK Modern Industrial Strategy as a 'frontier' technology and targeted at government, industry and academic stakeholders shaping national materials strategy.
• Royce Hydrogen Accelerator (RHA) A specialist body fully focused on hydrogen supply-chain materials solutions, providing innovators with zero-cost technical and market validation and introducing them to investors through a curated, de-risked deal pipeline. For investors it offers independent technical assessments and sector-specialist insight to complement due diligence.
• Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP) Royce's flagship funding initiative providing grant funding for R&D and innovation sprint projects that catalyse partnerships between industry, academia and Research Technology Organisations (RTOs). Round 5 awarded £6.6 million via EPSRC and Innovate UK; Round 6 offers up to £4 million in collaborative funding. Since launch it has awarded more than £18.8 million to over 300 partner organisations.
• Metamaterials Industrial Collaboration Programme A specialised extension of the core Industrial Collaboration Programme focused on accelerating translation of metamaterials innovation, enabling universities and RTOs to collaborate with industry partners on sprint projects of £50,000 to £130,000 in total project costs.
• Equipment & Facilities Access Coordinated access to over £200 million of advanced-materials facilities across nine partner institutions, with over 700 academic, technical and research staff, providing a joined-up framework that can deliver beyond the current capabilities of individual partners or research teams. Available to UK academia free of charge and to industry through collaborative engagement.
• Services for Academia State-of-the-art research facilities, training courses and services open to all UK academics, technical professionals and research students regardless of institution, supporting materials research, skills development and collaboration across the UK academic community.
• Services for Industry Flexible, tailored support for businesses of all sizes to overcome materials challenges and accelerate technology translation, ranging from short-term commercially sensitive research through to long-term partnerships with academic and RTO partners.
• Training & Skills Development Royce programmes covering PhD student sandpits, workshops, partner-led training activities and broader materials-science skills development, innovation training and outreach for the UK advanced-materials workforce.
• Royce Hydrogen Conference Annual conference (fourth edition in 2026 at Imperial College London White City Campus) bringing together researchers, industry innovators, policymakers, investors and system integrators to explore how materials innovation can support hydrogen technology development and deployment. Free to attend with optional lab tour.
• Royce PhD Student Research Sandpit Two-day immersive in-person research sandpit where PhD students from different materials-science backgrounds work together on an industry-led Grand Challenge, applying structured creativity tools to develop collaborative research proposals. Free to attend, with accommodation and catering provided for participants travelling from outside Greater Manchester.
• Data Curation Services Data management and curation services supporting the UK materials research community, providing structured handling of research data assets generated through Royce-aligned projects and facilities.
• Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) Platform Flagship centre for materials discovery at the University of Liverpool, hosting Royce platforms that use pioneering methods in computer-aided design, machine learning and robotics for materials design and characterisation — a core component of Royce's digital materials discovery capability.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £18.8 million awarded to 300+ partner organisations through Industrial Collaboration Programme
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, significant and minor.

• University of ManchestercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2014Home of the Royce Hub Building (headquarters). Leads four research themes: 2D Materials, Biomedical Materials, Nuclear Materials, and Materials Systems for Demanding Environments. Hosts the National Graphene Institute adjacent to Royce facilities.
• University of SheffieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads Advanced Metals Processing research theme. Home to the Royce Discovery Centre taking materials concepts from basic principles through to industrial feasibility.
• University of LeedscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution championing Atoms to Devices research theme alongside Imperial College London.
• University of LiverpoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads Chemical Materials Design research theme. Home to the Materials Innovation Factory (MIF) with major investment in Digital Materials Discovery including AI, robotics, and computer-aided design for materials design.
• University of CambridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution leading Materials for Energy Efficient IT research theme. Hosts Centre of Advanced Materials for Integrated Energy Systems (CAM-IES).
• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads Energy Storage research theme, championed by Professor Peter Bruce. Active in Faraday Institution battery research projects.
• Imperial College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads Atoms to Devices research theme alongside University of Leeds. Co-leads Nuclear Engineering EngD with Manchester. Host venue for Fourth Royce Hydrogen Conference 2026.
• UK Atomic Energy Authority (Culham Centre for Fusion Energy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Nuclear Materials component of the centre, contributing expertise in fusion energy materials research.
• National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Nuclear Materials component with facilities at Cumbria. Co-organiser of NTPMI nuclear training events. Partner for Workington Laboratory access.
• Faraday InstitutionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK's independent national battery research institute. Multiple Royce partners received £42m in Faraday funding for energy storage research including battery life extension, system modelling, recycling, and solid-state batteries.
• National Physical Laboratory (NPL)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with Royce on universal standards and materials verification methods for Engineering Biology and broader materials science. Supports tribology and materials characterisation community.
• HICOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHydrogen-focused investment group. CEO Christopher Hartnoll stated the RHA has been a great partner in helping spot promising hydrogen startups with sector knowledge and early-stage insights adding value to their pipeline.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer Society: Germany's leading applied research organisation operating a national network of 76 institutes across diverse technology domains including materials science. Direct peer to Royce through its hub-and-spoke national applied-research coordination model, industry-contracted R&D services, and public co-funding model, though at significantly larger scale and with a broader industrial mandate.
• High Value Manufacturing Catapult: UK Catapult centre network member focused on advanced manufacturing, with seven centres delivering collaborative R&D between academia and industry. Closest UK peer to Royce's ICP funding model and industry-academia partnership programmes, with overlapping customer base and Innovate UK funding lineage.
• National Physical Laboratory (NPL): UK's national measurement institute and a strategic partner of Royce, working on universal standards and materials verification methods. Comparable as a UK government-funded national laboratory delivering measurement science and standards — overlapping with Royce's characterisation, tribology, and materials verification capabilities.
• SINTEF: Norway's largest independent research institute, conducting contract R&D for industry and public sector across materials, energy, and applied sciences. Comparable national-scale applied research organisation with similar industry-contract R&D model and materials science focus, though operating commercially across broader sectors.
• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): Dutch applied research organisation delivering contract R&D across materials, energy, and industrial innovation with public and private funding. Comparable as a national applied-research body with industry-services business model, hub-and-spoke structure, and government-funded core plus commercial contract revenues.
• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation): Australia's national science agency operating multiple research facilities and delivering industry-applied R&D across materials, energy, and manufacturing. Comparable as a national government-funded applied research organisation with multi-site infrastructure, industry partnerships, and similar translational R&D mandate.
• CSEM (Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique): Swiss public-private R&D organisation delivering applied research across materials, microtechnology, and energy. Comparable as a publicly co-funded applied research institute bridging academic research and industrial commercialisation, with a materials and energy focus similar to Royce's hydrogen and energy storage themes.
• Battelle Memorial Institute: US non-profit applied science organisation managing national laboratories and delivering contract R&D across energy, materials, and national security. Comparable national-scale contract research operator coordinating large facilities for government and industry clients with a materials science portfolio.
• Faraday Institution: UK's independent national battery research institute and a named strategic partner of Royce, with £42m in joint funding allocated to energy storage research. Direct thematic peer for Royce's Energy Storage theme (Oxford/Peter Bruce) and comparable UK national institute model for translational energy materials R&D.

Emerging players

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): US Department of Energy national laboratory focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency R&D, including hydrogen and energy storage materials. Comparable as a national laboratory with a hydrogen materials portfolio and energy storage research focus that overlaps with Royce's Energy Storage and Hydrogen Accelerator themes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

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Frequently asked questions about Henry Royce Institute