Industrial access to facilities

STFC's institutions can support industry by providing access to advanced facilities and an extensive range of scientific and technical expertise.

Given the unique nature of the Council’s portfolio of large facilities, equally unique solutions to industrial problems can be supplied by either individual facilities or more often by cross facility collaborations. The following facilities are available to solve industrial problems:

• ISIS (link opens in a new window): world-leading materials science research with neutron and muon beams from clean energy and the environment, pharmaceuticals and health care, through to nanotechnology, materials engineering and IT. Access is free for UK industry if in partnership with a UK university or public sector research organisation. For complete control of intellectual property, beam time can also be purchased.
  Contact: Uschi Steigenberger.
  
  
• Central Laser Facility (link opens in a new window) (CLF): provides access to large scale laser systems for researchers. It operates Vulcan, a Petawatt (10¹⁵W) laser, and Astra-Gemini which is soon scheduled to be one of the most intense lasers in the world. The CLF also operates an array of other tuneable state-of-the-art lasers for research in fundamental and applied science and engineering.
  Contact: Izhar Ul-Haq.
  
  
• ATC Innovations (link opens in a new window): applies its expertise in astronomical technology design & build to wider commercial problems. Typical application examples include environmental monitoring hyperspectral-cameras, bio-medial infrared imaging, space-based systems, and security & defence optical spectroscopy.
  Contact: Julian Dines.
  
  
• Space Science and Technology Department (link opens in a new window): Europe’s largest such department providing satellite and ground based instrumentation, testing and data analysis for Earth observation, astronomy and planetary science. Includes the Radio Communications Research Division (link opens in a new window).
  Contact: Chris Bee.
  
  
• Particle Physics Department (link opens in a new window): co-ordinates and supports particle physics research in the UK and around the world including CERN (link opens in a new window).
  Contact Norman McCubbin.
  
  
• Computational Science and Engineering (link opens in a new window): centre of excellence for high performance computing, including hosting of systems and equipment, hardware and software research and applications development in modelling and simulation across all sectors of science and engineering.
  Contact: John Bancroft.
  
  
• Microelectronics Support Centre (link opens in a new window): design, procurement, testing and commissioning of new devices and systems.
  Contact: John McLean.
  
  
• Micro & Nanotechnology Centre (link opens in a new window): providing comprehensive micro and nano research & development facilities to universities, industry and other STFC departments.
  Contact: Justin Greenhalgh.
  
  
• Innovations Technology Access Centre (link opens in a new window) (I-TAC): based on the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus, I-TAC is a unique, fully equipped space for innovation, research and development, providing flexible access to laboratory space, “hot-labs” and £3m scientific equipment.
  Contact: Martin Morlidge.