University of Glasgow to lead £1.4m UK electronic materials network

The University of Glasgow is set to lead a new £1.4 million UK-wide research network aimed at strengthening the UK’s electronic materials capabilities, improving supply chain resilience and supporting innovation in sustainable electronics.

The Responsible and Resilient Electronic and Electromagnetic (RaRE) Materials Network Plus will bring together more than 50 partners from academia, industry and government, with over £1 million in additional partner support.

The initiative is one of four new national research networks announced as part of the National Materials Innovation Programme, funded by the UK Government and delivered by Innovate UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

As the UK’s first network dedicated to electronic materials, RaRE aims to address the disconnect between applied materials research and electronics design and integration. It will support greater collaboration between researchers and industry, helping to develop solutions to supply chain challenges and advance more sustainable electronic technologies.

Led by Professor Mahmoud Wagih at the University of Glasgow, the network brings together expertise from the Universities of Glasgow, Oxford, Southampton and Loughborough, alongside a wider group of industry and research partners.

A key focus will be connecting researchers working across advanced connectivity, quantum technologies and next-generation power electronics, creating stronger links between materials research and emerging electronic systems. The network will also support knowledge exchange in areas including semiconductors, heterogeneous integration, interconnects and system design.

Alongside its research ambitions, RaRE will focus on strengthening the UK’s electronic materials community, creating opportunities for skills development, career progression and collaboration across academia, industry and the public sector.

The initiative has clear relevance to several of the core technology areas within Scotland’s Critical Technologies Supercluster, particularly semiconductors, quantum, and sensing & connectivity. Its focus on the materials underpinning emerging electronic systems also reflects the importance of collaboration across these technologies.

The University of Glasgow’s leadership of RaRE highlights Scotland’s contribution to UK-wide efforts to advance electronic materials research, strengthen technological capabilities and support the development of more resilient and sustainable electronics.

Read the original announcement: https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_1298948_en.html