QMUL School of Engineering and Materials Science

What QMUL School of Engineering and Materials Science does

The QMUL School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) is an academic department within Queen Mary University of London, headquartered at Mile End Road, London E1 4NS. It delivers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes alongside PhD studentships, organized around five research areas: Bioengineering, Intelligent Transport, Sustainable Engineering, Advanced Robotics, and Engineering and Materials Education. The school is part of the Russell Group, a network of 24 research-intensive UK universities, and is led by Professor Hazel Screen as Head of School, with Prof Oliver Fenwick serving as Director for Industrial Engagement and Professor of Electronic Materials.

SEMS conducts research spanning electronic materials, organic semiconductors, carbon materials, halide perovskites, advanced ceramics, composites, and biomaterials. Its proprietary technical capabilities include development of organic and perovskite thermoelectric materials, near-field microscopy and thermochemical nanolithography of conjugated polymers, advanced materials processing (cold sintering, flash spark plasma sintering), self-assembled monolayer interface control for OLEDs, transistors and memristors, and bioengineering innovation including an patented capsule endoscope. The school produces 200+ publications annually in high-impact journals such as Nature, Science, and Advanced Materials, and has secured granted patent protection on its capsule endoscope medical device.

SEM

Name

QMUL School of Engineering and Materials Science

Legal name

Queen Mary University of London

Website

https://sems.qmul.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

QMUL School of Engineering and Materials Science is a Russell Group academic department in London delivering undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programmes across bioengineering, intelligent transport, sustainable engineering, advanced robotics, and materials science research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Engineering

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Specialized Engineering Domains (EDAHAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL), Applied Research & Innovation Universities (EDAHAEAE), Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Engineering education
• Materials science research
• Postgraduate programmes
• PhD studentships
• Academic research

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The School delivers undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in engineering and materials science, coupled with internationally leading research across bioengineering, intelligent transport, sustainable engineering, advanced robotics, and engineering and materials education. It also runs PhD studentships and an Industrial Liaison Forum connecting academic research with industrial partners for placements and collaborative projects.

Product overview

The QMUL School of Engineering and Materials Science offers a unified portfolio of academic programmes and research activities. The educational offerings span undergraduate degree programmes, taught postgraduate programmes, and PhD studentships. Research is organized into five interconnected areas: Bioengineering, Intelligent Transport, Sustainable Engineering, Advanced Robotics, and Engineering and Materials Education. The school combines outstanding degree programmes with internationally leading research, leveraging extensive industrial connections to provide graduates with excellent employability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programmes Undergraduate degree programmes providing outstanding education coupled with research-informed teaching in engineering and materials science disciplines, for prospective students seeking a Russell Group university experience.
• Postgraduate Taught Programmes Taught postgraduate programmes providing first-class education with opportunities to engage with cutting-edge research across bioengineering, intelligent transport, sustainable engineering, and engineering education.
• PhD Studentships Doctoral research programmes and funded studentships offering opportunities to conduct internationally leading research in engineering and materials science.
• Bioengineering Research Internationally leading research in bioengineering, covering areas such as biomedical devices, tissue engineering, and biomechanics, including the patented capsule endoscope.
• Intelligent Transport Research Research focused on transportation systems, autonomous vehicles, and smart mobility solutions.
• Sustainable Engineering Research Research addressing sustainable engineering solutions, including renewable energy, environmental impact reduction, and eco-friendly materials.
• Advanced Robotics Research Cutting-edge robotics research including soft robotics, medical robotics, and autonomous systems.
• Engineering and Materials Education Research Pedagogical research focused on engineering and materials science education methodologies and innovation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Patented capsule endoscope technology granted patent protection
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant and minor.

• Industrial Advisory BoardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe School hosts two annual Industrial Liaison Forums during each academic year for industrial partners, staff and students. The forums facilitate collaboration, knowledge exchange, and industrial placements. Contact: Dr Oliver Fenwick.
• Paragraf Ltd.significantTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with Paragraf Ltd. on integration of MOCVD-grown graphene into OLEDs and memristors. Prof Fenwick has been working with Paragraf since 2019 on electronic device development.
• Women's Engineering SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Women's Engineering Society (WES) to support women in engineering and promote diversity in STEM fields.
• Russell GroupcoreOthersAs part of Queen Mary University of London, the School is affiliated with the Russell Group, a prestigious group of 24 research-intensive UK universities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Imperial College London Faculty of Engineering: Direct peer: top-tier UK Russell Group engineering school with comparable materials, bioengineering, and sustainable research areas, and a similar postgraduate/applied research model.
• University of Sheffield Department of Materials Science and Engineering: Direct peer: UK Russell Group materials and engineering school with comparable research in advanced ceramics, composites, and biomaterials, and similar industry collaboration intensity.
• University of Bristol School of Engineering: Direct peer: UK Russell Group engineering school with overlapping research areas in robotics, sustainable engineering, and materials, and a comparable industry-engagement model.
• UCL Engineering: Direct peer: another London-based Russell Group engineering faculty with strong materials, biomedical, and robotics research portfolios and overlapping student/industrial partner catchment.
• University of Oxford Department of Materials: Direct peer: UK Russell Group materials department with strong publication output and research in functional/electronic materials, directly comparable to SEMS's electronic materials portfolio.
• University of Southampton School of Engineering: Direct peer: UK Russell Group engineering school with comparable materials, transport, and bioengineering research, competing for research council and industrial funding.
• University of Manchester Department of Materials: Direct peer: UK Russell Group materials science department with comparable research in advanced ceramics, composites, and biomaterials, and similar industry partnership structures.
• University of Cambridge Department of Engineering: Direct peer: Russell Group engineering department with strong materials science, intelligent transport, and bioengineering research — competing for the same research grants and industrial partners.

Regional players

• King's College London Department of Engineering: Regional peer: another London Russell Group engineering department competing for the same London-based industrial partners and student pool, though smaller and more biomedical-focused.

Others

• Paragraf Ltd. Adjacent: industry partner of Prof Fenwick since 2019 on graphene integration into OLEDs and memristors — representative of the deep-tech industrial ecosystem SEMS engages with for commercialising materials research.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qmulsems
• YouTubeyoutube.com/qmulsems
• Facebookfacebook.com/QMULSEMS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/qmulsems
• Instagraminstagram.com/qmulsems

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about QMUL School of Engineering and Materials Science