Reimagining materials and manufacturing together

Now is the time to reimagine manufacturing together. The UK has clear potential to become a world-class destination of choice for advanced low-carbon manufacturing.

Materials and Manufacturing Vision 2050

The UK has clear potential to become a world-class destination of choice for advanced low-carbon manufacturing. Now is the time to reimagine materials and manufacturing together.

Materials and manufacturing play a vital role in the UK economy through driving innovation, exports, job creation, productivity and growth. These sectors must also adjust to meet climate change targets, adopt new technologies and adapt to changing customer demands.

Innovate UK’s 2050 vision document is a re-imagination of materials and manufacturing together. It’s a document that delves into the challenges and opportunities that lie in front of the UK materials and manufacturing sectors in the coming decades.

Expression of Interest now open

Innovate UK is now inviting expressions of interest from those looking to rapidly find innovative solutions to tangible materials and manufacturing challenges.

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With more than 170 recent references analysed and more than 120 stakeholders consulted, this is one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind.

This document is a long-term view highlighting that:

  • UK manufacturing faces urgent challenges such as climate, resilience and productivity
  • UK manufacturing offers incredibly exciting opportunities and is a great career option
  • UK has the talent and innovation infrastructure to realise its vision of being world-class

To support businesses and academia on this journey Innovate UK and its partners are funding various complementary programmes.

Each programme is designed to:

  • Inspire – to improve awareness and expertise and to make the opportunity visible and compelling
  • Involve – to bring relevant organisations and people together and to build aligned communities
  • Invest – convene resources and to facilitate research, innovation and investment.

Have your say

We know that a vision of the future will not be exact and we invite you to challenge us where you think we are wrong. It’s not intended to be a prescriptive road map of activity but it will help us to shape our decisions on what to support and where to invest. We will be making regular updates to the Vision and we’d like your feedback and comments to help us do so. Use this form to challenge us, inform us, tell us how you would use the Vision within your organisation and let us know about changes that would make this document more useful for you.

Our strategic imperatives

To be internationally competitive we see that there are three strategic imperatives.
Net zero and resource efficient

Net zero and resource efficient

To understand and minimise the environmental impact across the full operation and whole product lifecycle.

Resilient and responsive

Resilient and responsive

To mitigate risks from critical supply, national/global disruption and climate change therefore becoming increasingly resilient.

Technologically advanced and digital

Technologically advanced and digital

To adopt digital and advanced technology to improve efficiency, visibility across supply chains and apply novel business models.


Our Experts

Related Opportunities

European Commission Plastics Related Funding & tender opportunities

Opens: 01/03/2023 Closes: 22/02/2024

Horizon Europe funding for reducing plastic pollution, pollutant monitoring, circular economy, and biodegradation validation. Various closing dates.

More Information

SSPP: Liquid food and beverages in refillable packaging

Opens: 18/09/2023 Closes: 25/10/2023

Up to £1.5m available to demonstrate a reuse or refill packaging system for liquid food and beverage products, at scale, in a retail chain.

More Information

Rapidly find innovative solutions to tangible materials and manufacturing challenges

Opens: 24/08/2023 Closes: 30/09/2023

Innovate UK is now inviting expressions of interest from those looking to rapidly find innovative solutions to tangible materials and manufacturing challenges.

More Information

Programmes related to Reimagining materials and manufacturing together

Resource Efficiency for Materials and Manufacturing (REforMM)

Resource Efficiency for Materials and Manufacturing (REforMM)

The programme aims for the UK to be a leader in resource efficiency with organisations understanding the environmental, social and economic impact of the full lifecycle and thriving from adoption of resource efficient solutions which are fundamental to UK and global Net Zero ambitions.

Sustainable bio-based Materials and Manufacture (SusBioMM)

Sustainable bio-based Materials and Manufacture (SusBioMM)

The sustainable bio-based materials and manufacture (SusBioMM) programme seeks to address the challenge of developing innovations in sustainable and scalable biomanufacturing processes.

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