A pioneering new research collective, designed to spearhead the UK's world leading, cutting-edge 3D nanoscale metamaterials science, will be led by the University of Exeter, it has been announced.
Researchers in Exeter have been selected to host MetaHUB, which will develop new forms of engineered materials – designed at the nanoscale – for use in everything from medical sensors to healthier food colourings.
MetaHub will be supported by £19.6 million in public and private backing, announced by Science Minister Lord Vallance on a visit to the University of Exeter's Streatham Campus.
While £10.5 million comes from UK Research and Innovation's ESPRC, the hub has secured a further £4.5 million in private investment - showing the value of cutting-edge research as a driver of investment into all corners of the country, in support of the Plan for Change.
The total programme, which includes co-investment from universities, industry partners, and national institutions, means MetaHUB will help drive the UK at the forefront of a transformative field set to redefine the interaction of energy, light, and information with the world around us.
Speaking at the University of Exeter, Science Minister Lord Vallance said: "The work happening here in Exeter is a prime example of how cutting-edge research can attract private investment and drive economic growth, in every corner of the UK, which will be critical to our economic mission at the core of the Plan for Change.
"Our backing for the MetaHub is an investment, for both today and for tomorrow. We are securing the UK's leadership in the high-potential field of metamaterials, a new class of materials specially engineered to have new and useful properties. This work is paving the way for future products and innovations that will deliver jobs and growth, in the years ahead."
Metamaterials are 3D engineered structures with properties not found in nature, allowing unprecedented control over light, heat, sound, and even the mechanics of materials. MetaHUB's mission is to use these capabilities to deliver practical solutions in areas that include:
- Green energy: Developing low-energy AI computing, enhanced communications, harvesting waste heat, and renewable power technologies.
- Sustainable design: Creating modular, longer-lasting, recyclable and resilient devices from non-toxic, earth-abundant materials.
- Environmental remediation: Advancing detection and clean-up of forever chemicals, polluted soils, and carbon capture.
- Healthcare innovation: Pioneering early diagnosis technologies for conditions such as cancer and dementia.
In addition to science and technology, MetaHUB places sustainability and circularity at the heart of its research. The team will work closely with the sustainability and circular economy communities to ensure outcomes are practical, ethical, and scalable.
MetaHUB will be directed by University of Exeter's Professor Alastair Hibbins, bringing together a multi-disciplinary team of top-tier scientists from the Universities of Cambridge, Cardiff, St Andrews, Southampton, and King's College London.
Professor Alastair Hibbins, Director of MetaHUB said: "We are incredibly excited to have won this EPSRC funding for a new hub in Metamaterials. Over the next 5 years, we are committed to pioneer brand new science and pursue novel routes to fabrication and scale up of 3D nanoscale metamaterials. Underpinning all of our activities will be the drive to ensure the materials we design and build are sustainable, and that the technology we develop and commercialise, will solve global challenges in health, energy, communication, computing and environmental sensing.
"We thank the EPSRC, Dstl, and all our key partners for supporting the vision for Metamaterials that has emerged from the community - via the UK Metamaterials Network. We're so pleased that Metamaterials research has been recognised as an area of national importance, and we can't wait to get to work alongside our community to help advance the UK's future prosperity and security."
MetaHUB builds on Exeter's decade-long leadership in metamaterials research, including the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Metamaterials, the Centre for Metamaterial Research and Innovation (CMRI), and major research initiatives like TEAM-A, A-Meta, and Meta4D. The UK Metamaterials Network, jointly led by Prof. Hibbins now has more than 1000 members, and is shaping national policy in this critical area of advanced materials science.
Professor Nick Stone, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Exeter said: "As DPVC responsible for Physics, I am delighted to see the award of such a prestigious Hub on Metamaterials to Exeter; recognising the strong leadership role Exeter Physics and Engineering have had in advancing the fundamental science and societal impact of Metamaterials in the UK over the last decade."
Professor Ion Sucala, Head of Engineering, University of Exeter added: "We are delighted to see the success of our joint Physics-Engineering MetaHUB proposal. This success comes at the ideal time for our department as metamaterials is an area critical to our advanced materials strategic direction of growth."
With this landmark investment, and the collaboration with around 40 partners (including STMicroelectronics, PepsiCo, QinetiQ, Leonardo, WaveOptics, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, and the Henry Royce Institute), MetaHUB cements the UK's strategic position in the global race to master metamaterials and unlock their potential for economic, environmental, and social transformation.
The MetaHUB announcement has been welcomed by its lead partners, with Professor David Knowles, CEO, Henry Royce Institute saying: "It is fantastic to see this HUB awarded to such a strong team who have already engaged with Royce, ensuring we make full use of the complementary capability invested in the Institute.
"Metamaterials are one of the emerging classes of materials which have the potential to be transformational - delivering solutions to the challenges identified in the wider National Materials Innovation Strategy which was launched back in January 2025. Establishing this hub is essential in accelerating their manufacture and translation into commercial reality at the pace which is necessary for them to deliver both societal and economic impact in line with the ambitions of the emerging industrial strategy."
Building on the commercial potential of MetaHUB, Andy Price, Module & Optics R&D Director for Imaging Subgroup at STMicroelectronics said: "ST welcomes the establishment of the MetaHUB research hub and team to enhance metamaterial research and their applications, a technology area where ST has a unique position. As the global leader in the industrial manufacture of metasurface lenses, we believe this initiative will drive collaboration and advance approaches on the development of further innovative mass market products for a sustainable future."
