Public Funding for Npl Management Limited

The proposed feasibility study aims at the realisation of a radio-frequency magnetometer for electromagnetic induction measurements. York Instruments leads a research team that combines UCL and NPL scientists. The project includes the development of an ultra-sensitive radio-frequency magnetometer operating at 1 MHz in unscreened environment, the evaluation of its sensitivity, and the demonstration of magnetic induction measurements at 1 MHz. The ultimate goal of the project beyond the feasibility study phase is to create a map of the conductivity of the heart, which is an essential tool in the clinical treatment of atrial fibrillation. High resolution non-invasive magnetic imaging of the heart offers the opportunity to avoid prolonged invasive mapping of arrhythmias prior to ablation , thus facilitating pre-operative planning of treatment and potentially providing new insight into markers of arrhythmogenic risk relevant for the screening of patients.

"The aim of this project is to develop an ultracompact frequency comb based on a microresonator to be used for frequency metrology and photonics applications. Microcombs can be used for optical frequency metrology, trace gas sensing, and as channel generator in telecommunication networks. Conventional laser based frequency combs can be used for highly accurate frequency metrology however their large SWaP characteristics preclude their adoption. A key application area is in the telecoms industry where data is transmitted at a number of closely packed wavelengths using dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) systems. The number of these channels keeps increasing and requires higher resolution spectrum analysers than the currently used systems. Researchers at NPL have demonstrated that a chip-based microcomb can be developed that is compact and portable and presents an ideal tool to service this need. It is well recognised that increasing broadband capabilities has direct benefits to the UK economy, with a recent government report finding for every £1 invested £20 is returned on investment. The microcomb can be used as a method of ensuring a lasers frequency is stable. Lasers are used across a range of industries and their precision is essential. A key goal of this project is to implement and test the microcomb on M Squareds main Ti:Sapphire laser system the SolsTiS. This will provide a rapid commercialisation route to an immediate market with an established customer base and sales and distribution network. Furthermore, the microcomb is an essential component to many quantum technologies in particular optical clocks, and would be used to increase accuracy of atom interferometric systems such as gravimeters, rotational sensors and accelerometers. M Squared is a key player in the commercial quantum technology landscape and the microcomb will play a key-enabling role across this sector. This project presents an opportunity for knowledge transfer from academic leaders in microcombs at NPL to experienced photonics commercialisation partners at M Squared Lasers. The immediate applicability of the microcomb offers a unique opportunity to disrupt industries with a quantum technology, and generate early returns on investment in order to gain traction for the technology in the telecoms industry and the quantum field in general."

"Stamping of galvanised steel and aluminium to form vehicle panels can sometimes result in splits forming in the panel. The split is often in the same 'historical' area but the frequency of occurrence is low. Sometimes the split is hard to see or is not detected by the on-line operators for some other reason. If undetected the defective panel would be built into a vehicle body which can lead to additional rework or scrapping of the partly built/painted vehicle when the fault is discovered later in the vehicle assembly process. The aim is to be able to reliably detect these panels at the line (point of production) in real time using some form of automated inspection/detection system. Variety of split defects: Localised necking, small splits (1mm) to large splits \> 40mm. This project aims to: 1\. Establish a detailed user requirement specification and derive a technical specification. 2\. Literature and market survey to identify potential solutions. Given the previous systems tried by NMUK and NPL's expert knowledge, it is envisaged that an innovative hybrid solution employing more than one technology is likely to be required. 3\. Technical assessment of the most appropriate sensor or sensor combination. If practicable, this phase will include lab-based trials of potential sensors if they are available. 4\. Recommendation to Nissan on the most appropriate technical solution. 5\. Design, build, test prototype device. NMUK will evaluate the recommendation and decide whether to proceed to the next stage: design, build and test a prototype device. This would be based on the assessment of options and recommendation from NPL, and on NMUK budget requirements."

The aerospace industry is constantly pushing for weight reduction, higher fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and improved safety. Innovative and advanced materials are one of the most effective methods for advancing these aims. The challenge with innovative materials is that their behaviour is typically not as well understood as more conventional engineering materials and they are often more difficult to understand and design with. This is the case with aluminium matrix composites (AMCs). This project aims to accelerate adoption of AMCs into demanding applications by generating an in-depth understanding of how these materials fail under the most critical load case or mode and how to intelligently design with them, maximising their capability and improving performance to achieve greater efficiency in these applications.

"Silicon Fuel is nano-material which is manufactured and pressed into pellets by Silicon Fuel Ltd. These pellets react with water to generate hydrogen, which can be used to supply a fuel cell to generate electricity. This new material has the potential to facilitate the developing hydrogen economy, by allowing the use of cheaper hydrogen generation equipment, making hydrogen gas cheaper and easier to access. For example, it could allow the installation of cheaper hydrogen refuelling stations for delivering hydrogen to fuel cell electric vehicles. If the hydrogen generated from Silicon Fuel can be certified to international standards, then it has a demonstrably high purity which allows it to be used in a range of applications (such as refuelling fuel cell electric vehicles). The hydrogen generated from Silicon Fuel contains low levels of impurities, primarily particulates, which must be filtered to meet the international standard. This project aims to accurately measure the levels of key impurities in the hydrogen generated from Silicon Fuel, and to develop a strategy for filtering them. We hope this will result in the certification of Silicon Fuel, leading to market acceptance and uptake. This project is a continuation of work carried out in A4I Round 3, which addressed the issue of solvent contamination of hydrogen from Silicon Fuel."

"The curing characteristics of the TC275-1 resin system will be investigated using state of the art thermal and chemical analysis techniques at NPL. A new method will be established to assess the degree of cure of this composite resin system that will be reliable and consistent. The ability to measure the degree of cure will allow Airbus to use a new resin in the manufacture of the lightweight composite structure of its telecommunication satellites. This will enable Airbus to develop new out-of-autoclave manufacturing processes that will provide significant cost savings by simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing build-times. The cost advantage will offer a significant commercial advantage over non UK competitors. In financial terms, if this enables us to win just one new contract for a satellite, it would be worth over £10 million to the UK economy. The use of this new resin will also increase the British content of our satellites, replacing an overseas resin supplier with a UK based manufacturer. This will secure jobs not only at Airbus in Stevenage, but also within the supply chain."

"SeeQC UK(SeeQC) is developing a Quantum-as-a-Service platform which will be available to all UK companies. To rapidly develop this platform, we must solve the problem of how to measure and analyse the performance of SeeQC and other emerging state-of-the-art quantum computing platforms. Measurements and analysis benchmarks must be performed via a method that can impartially compare and contrast the key performance metrics that underpin the performance of SeeQC hardware and that of our competitors. Only via rigorous and impartial measurement and analysis of Quantum Processor Units (QPUs), will SeeQC prove the competitive advantage of our technology to our customer base. To bring our QaaS platform to market, SeeQC must address two key measurement and analysis challenges: 1. We must create a measurement capability that allows SeeQC to efficiently access the specialist Superconducting quantum measurement facilities available to private companies in the UK. 2. We must develop impartial QPU benchmarking algorithms that confirm to our customers that we have addressed the specifications promised and that our processor have a competitive advantage in performance against alternative QPUs. For SeeQC to efficiently access superconducting quantum measurement facilities, we need to develop an advanced portable measurement system and cryostat sample cell. This system must self-calibrating against the ultra-low temperature facilities systems SeeQC can gain commercial access to in the UK. This flexible approach to QPU product development is an innovative business operation and has three key advantages: 1. Ultra-low temperature facilities are prohibitively expensive to purchase and operate. Gaining commercial access to this specialist equipment on an as-needs basis lowers SeeQC's operational costs significantly. 2. The flexibility to access the various low temperature facilities available in the UK will significantly increase our R&D bandwidth and productivity. 3. Accessing pre-existing tested and maintained specialist facilities significantly de-risks our company operations from an investment point of view. SeeQC will work with NPL to test the feasibility of our multi-facility access scheme. Successful automated calibration and consistent sample characteristic measurements via MK1 of the portable system will confirm the feasibility of SeeQC's capital equipment access scheme. SeeQC will work with STFC to test the feasibility of incorporating our QPUs with classical HPC systems; a crucial step towards creating our commercially accessible QaaS platform. Furthermore, STFC will determine a set of analysis criteria that characterise QPU performance against commercially valuable applications and Identify a set of generic benchmarks, that could test and rank SeeQC QPU's against the our competitors."

Temperature monitoring of aluminium alloys is very much a contemporary challenge. Automotive companies are using lightweight aluminium alloys to replace older, heavier steel designs. New technologies (such as UK-invented HFQ(r) Technology) facilitate the adoption of high strength aluminium alloys by forming at elevated temperatures at which aluminium is easier to form. The project investigates the reflection effects of aluminium surface for different aluminium alloys at a range of temperatures to better understand the challenge of temperature monitoring with Infra-Red (IR) pyrometry. New characterisation equipment will be designed, developed with the help and supervision of NPL. The equipment will measure the reflection properties of aluminium blanks at elevated temperature so that the efficiency of an IR pyrometer can be measured, and the design tuned for optimal accuracy. The project will enable, within the next few years, new IR pyrometers capable of accurately measuring temperature of aluminium alloys to become commercially available in the market. This project will provide fundamental knowledge in the field of temperature monitoring and it will provide the technical advantage needed to prove new technology from an emerging company, such as ITL.

High accuracy analysis of gas emissions at low concentrations is required for several industries from a regulatory, quality assurance, process improvement and environmental perspective. Precision instrumentation developed to date require high maintenance, has limited operating ranges and fragile nature of instrumentation. There is currently a particular limitation for ammonia (NH3) measurements. Laser dispersion spectroscopy (LDS) chemical detection method is a novel patented technique that can meet demands of industry. This project will provide MIRICO with its core instrument's performance characteristics and validation in near-real life scenarios and extend capabilities at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to fulfil these goals. The outcome will result in a dramatic reduction in time to market for MIRICO's products, increase market adaptability of MIRICO's innovation, impact on design & manufacturing of our analyser which all equates to significant savings that would otherwise be out of reach for MIRICO. LDS will establish a new class of instrumentation, offering for the first time a real time accurate analyser, which is immune to dirty environments, can measure a broad range of pollutant concentrations, and offer high stability even in highly turbid atmospheres making it ideal for remote detection and analysis of NH3\. The development will lead to a pre-production system for emissions monitoring in an industrial environment. Project elements include all aspects on instrument development, integration, testing & validation.

"The Falcon Project based on Westcott Venture Park, the old Rocket Research Establishment near Aylesbury is one of only three companies who currently manufacture solid fuel rockets and rocket propellants in the UK. Previously we used conventional high shear mixing to combine the propellant components such as aluminium powder, ammonium perchlorate, various binders and HTPB rubber; However, Falcon is adopting Resonant Acoustic Mixing (RAM) for new applications because RAM offers high yields \>95% from mixing, a 50% reduction in solvent required for clean-up, a 60% reduction of hazardous waste cleaning materials and very short mixing times. Whilst RAM offers many benefits including the potential of Continuous RAM, our problem is that the mixing action (which takes place in a closed vessel clamped to a table which vibrates at the resonant frequency of the vessel and table) is not fully understood. For consistency, it's critical that the propellant constituents are uniformly dispersed, and how that takes place is particularly where the components can have different sizes and densities let alone the effect of other additions to plasticise the HTPB rubber base is unclear. Our objective is to develop a technique to enable us to follow the dynamic mixing process whilst it's in progress both for quality control and optimisation of new formulations. In presenting our challenge to A4I, NPL have agreed to work collaboratively and with the expertise and innovation focus of NPL to evaluate Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV), Laser Interferometry (LI), Acoustic Transmission Spectroscopy (ATS) and Raman Spectroscopy (RS) for RAM of solid propellants. With LDV, the spectral content of the vibrating RAM vessel surface will be analysed to identify spectral narrowing in the drive frequency as the ingredients mix. For LI a fringe counting laser interferometer will be built for the LabRAM which will measure the mixing vessel's displacement amplitude and drive frequency, thereby establishing its motion and stability of the drive system over time. ATS will be developed for the LabRAM to conduct parametric studies in acoustic through-transmission measurements through the propellants during the mixing process. Finally, RS will be evaluated, using facsimile mixtures initially on a mix interrupted basis. The project objectives are that each technique will be evaluated as it applies to RAM of propellants with outputs of a report and demonstrator. The innovation is that none of these methods has been applied to monitor the progress of RAM let alone rocket propellant mixing."

A long-established barrier to growth for the global biopolymer industry has been producing a grade of material that is bio-based, low cost and home compostable. Biome Bioplastics have determined a potential method to produce a material that can be successfully composted at lower temperatures (~25oC), rather than the industry standard temperature (~55oC). This new grade of material keeps very similar material properties to existing grades of (non-home compostable) biopolymers. This makes it an extremely attractive product within the biopolymer market, with a strong competitive edge - due to more favourable end of life credentials. Biome wish to conduct further analysis of this material to gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of the changes to the compostability in order to broaden the products that can be exploited using this material. This will enable Biome to refine and monitor key measurements to improve product quality and consistency at commercial scale and exploit additional markets.

Plasma, ionised gas, is the fourth state of matter after solid, liquid and gas. The sun, the aurora and lightning are all natural examples, while plasma technologies include advanced silicon etching machines, space propulsion systems and nuclear fusion reactors. Atmospheric pressure plasma technologies can be used for chemical synthesis - scrambling molecules of nitrogen and oxygen in air, to produce nitrogen oxides and ozone. This mimics natural processes in lightning strikes and the atmosphere. These air-derived reactive gases - reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) - have antimicrobial, bioactive and chemical effects. Their potential industrial applications span chemicals, hygiene, agriculture, food, bioprocesses and healthcare. Fourth State's mission is to make the biochemical benefits of RONS accessible - anywhere, anytime - with just air and electricity, using its patented Air Plasma technology. One of the RONS generated by air-plasma, nitric oxide (chemical formula NO - not to be confused with nitrogen dioxide, NO2, or nitrous oxide, N2O) has been called a "miracle molecule" by scientists, due to its surprisingly important, diverse biological roles in animals, plants, fungi and microbes. NO is produced by almost every cell in the human body for a wide range of effects, including antimicrobial/anti-tumour action, control of blood flow and wound healing. Its discovery was awarded the 1998 Nobel prize in Physiology/Medicine. NO is used routinely as an inhaled drug, and was recently investigated as a COVID-19 rescue therapy. Numerous NO-based therapies are currently in development, but the limitations of conventional sources of NO - high pressure compressed gas cylinders and various chemicals - are a barrier to widespread use in healthcare and other applications. Fourth State currently sells its portable air plasma generators to translational researchers (NOxLab R&D products) and third party integrators/OEMs (ModuNOx OEM solutions). These products provide customers with an easy, (cost-)effective, safe and sustainable source of NO (and/or other RONS if desired). Users of NOxLab R&D products can quickly establish correct settings for their intended RONS application in a laboratory, before scaling up to pilot- and full-scale deployment through ModuNOx OEM solutions. This A4I project with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) builds directly on previous collaborations, aimed at high-precision measurement of RONS generated by Fourth State's products. The first project between Fourth State and NPL was successfully delivered during the pandemic, through the Measurement for Recovery (M4R) programme - a case study on this project was recently published on NPL's website.

Recent radiation studies with ultra-high dose rates, UHDR, (\>40 Gy/s), known as FLASH radiotherapy (RT), have demonstrated a remarkable reduction in normal tissue toxicity (known as the "FLASH effect") with respect to conventional dose-rate radiotherapy (few Gy/min) while maintaining similar tumour response. This could represent a step-change in cancer treatment with significant benefits for patients and healthcare providers. However, the mechanisms underpinning the FLASH effect are still unknown. Extensive pre-clinical radiation studies are necessary to gain the full understanding of this phenomenon and validate the approach for clinical trials. Xstrahl has developed a pre-clinical FLASH radiotherapy system to enable leading cancer research teams to perform precise FLASH investigations. . Two UK centres (Institute of Cancer Research and Queens University Belfast) purchased our two first SARRP FLASH systems as part of the recent MRC grant (Investment in World Class Labs). It is now essential that we develop a methodology to carry out the accurate and traceable dosimetry and have suitable detectors to measure the radiation dose in the FLASH regime, which is delivered within milliseconds rather than minutes. No current off-the-shelf dosimeters are available to provide accurate dose measurements for pre-clinical photon FLASH RT, and the dosimetry standards for FLASH radiotherapy are still emerging. The cancer research teams need to know accurately the dose delivered to their samples for FLASH research to be valid and reproduced across the UK research groups and world-wide. This is also essential to avoid flawed interpretation of the pre-clinical studies, de-risking clinical trials and accelerate clinical adoption of FLASH treatments. With the team of experts form the National Physical Laboratory, we have the opportunity to pioneer how pre-clinical or general FLASH dosimetry is defined world-wide across other measurement standard laboratories. That puts us, as a UK manufacturer, on the forefront of this technology. As the first manufacturer to develop and introduce on the market a pre-clinical photon FLASH system, the dosimetry system to be developed as part of this call will be the world's first. This will enable us to provide our solution to a wider research base and help accelerate the introduction of FLASH radiotherapy to clinical practice.

The global metal stamping market is projected to reach a size of $278Bn by 2027, with the automotive sector accounting for 35.5% of the total. Hot formed car components are increasingly utilised in vehicles to achieve lightweight car body/chassis structures and reduce CO2 emissions. In sheet metal forming, the accurate prediction and prevention of forming-induced defects are crucial to ensure successful forming of high-quality, lightweight structural components. However, the accuracy and efficiency of process simulation for hot forming are hindered by the lack of material formability data at elevated temperatures to quantify complex straining states, resulting in high energy consumption and costs in prototyping and production. Multi-X Solutions Limited, a spin-out of Imperial College and a lifetime member of the Enterprise Hub at the Royal Academy of Engineering, provides cost-effective material testing equipment and services using invented instrumentation, methods, and developed AI (Artificial Intelligence) models for automotive applications, enabling novel quantitative measurement and evaluation of material formability properties and performance under real-life manufacturing conditions. Multi-X aims to further develop and train the Al-based deep learning platform/software for car component stamping processes using our established high-fidelity datasets. To address the challenges related to temperature distribution mapping and monitoring during the straining process, Multi-X will implement contactless temperature measurement using imaging phosphor thermometer technology from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). This implementation will significantly enhance the value propositions of Multi-X's flagship testing service and AI tools for hot forming lightweight car components. A successful project outcome will further improve the quality assurance of Multi-X's leading material formability testing technology and generate high-fidelity datasets used for training Al tools across a wide range of sectors, including automotive, aircraft, and other public transportation industries. The ultimately goal is to standardise the developed testing method for the advancement of the data-driven manufacturing industry. The success of this project will enable accurate formability measurement for hot forming processes by providing real-life data for computer-based simulation and Al models, thereby advancing product designs and optimising manufacture processes. It will also lead to a significant reduction in development time, trial and error, and costs from product design to prototyping, while increasing productivity in hot forming. Moreover, the project aims to fully exploit material formability properties to maximise component complexity, reduce vehicle weight, and directly contribute to CO2 emissions reduction.

The culture of mammalian cells underpins almost all life science R&D, is involved in the production of many therapeutics including recombinant proteins, antibodies, vaccines and underpins many next-generation therapeutics such as cell therapies for personalised medicine. One significant bottleneck preventing the widespread adoption of such technologies and additionally, their incorporation into clinical practice, is the infrastructure needed to manufacture such therapies in technoeconomically feasible ways. Unicorn Biotechnologies has made an end-to-end automated modular and scalable cell manufacturing system that automatically manufactures such cell products with minimal user input. This project will enhance the quality and reproducibility of our manufacturing system further by working with state-of-the-art specialist governmental technology institutions to perform detailed chemical and biological characterization of the materials used in our biomanufacturing platform.

Solar photovoltaics (PV) come in a variety of new formats and materials that allow for a whole range of new and exciting applications. In this project the partnership aims to thoroughly measure the relevant parameters of one type of these new PV embodiments -- a semi-transparent module -- that has applications in building integrated PV (BIPV). The potential for this PV type to clad our tall steel and glass buildings in cities is huge, bringing renewable energy to where it is needed and away from our rural areas. Silicon based PV, like the panels we regularly see on rooftops and in fields, are well understood from multiple viewpoints; location based performance, inefficiencies due to angle of installation, prediction of annual power yield and many more criteria. As a result of this good work anyone interested in deploying a PV system can use the resources available online to assess the impact a PV system will make on their energy profile. The same is true for comparing different types of silicon based PV as researchers or developers of new embodiments can highlight the up and downsides of a particular system. Polysolar Ltd are specialist in BIPV with a deep interest in semi-transparency using our cadmium telluride (CdTe) PV technology which gives a neutral tint to the glass thus reducing glare and intensity inside the room. However, the deployment for this type of glass is not as well understood due to multiple factors like internal reflection, vertical orientation and illumination from the rear (non-active) side. To this end, when we predict power output it may not be as accurate as we wish which can lead to clients being disappointed and discouraged from purchasing and including this vital technology in their next construction project. The National Physical Laboratory, NPL, are experts in measurements and have been involved with PV for many years developing standards and methodologies for testing to ensure all technologies are compared fairly. Their capabilities will define the experiments required to determine which factors influence the performance for these CdTe PV panels in relevant scenarios, leading to more accurate predictions of performance. This will increase the confidence in the technology and support its uptake.

Radiotherapy uses high energy radiation to provide cost effective treatment for various cancers. Whilst it can be very efficacious when used expertly, unfortunately it can also cause severe side effects when used poorly. Vertual Ltd is a Hull based company that provides computer simulation training solutions for radiotherapy professionals. Its flagship product VERT is a 'flight simulator' allowing trainees to explore clinical scenarios in the classroom. The mission of Vertual Ltd is to enhance patient safety by providing innovative and more effective education tools. VERT has been established in Radiotherapy Radiographer training schools in over 30 countries and has featured in the training of every student qualifying in England since 2008\. VERT also contains features and modules to train Radiotherapy Physicists, the staff group responsible for the safety and clinical effectiveness of the radiation treatment machines used in the clinics. Intensive treatments for brain tumours and increasingly, spinal, liver and abdominal tumours are becoming more common place. They require highly accurate dosimetry (radiation measurements) of very small radiation beams in order to ensure safe and effective treatment. The expertise for this sub-speciality is not generally currently available in radiotherapy departments and it is recognised that both specific training and inclusion in the early training schemes for all Radiotherapy Physicists is needed. The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in Teddington has world respected experts in small beam dosimetry, furthermore they have equipment available that will be used to produce innovative and compelling training materials and content to be used within the VERT computer simulation platform. The collaboration with NPL facilitated by this project will enable the development of a training module to be offered across the world by this UK based company. Working with the appropriate framework of the international guidance document, the clinical workflow to safely and accurately calibrate these intensive treatments will be implemented in the VERT computer simulation platform. The expert input of the NPL will ensure this training tool mirrors the needs and the risks/ issues that the trainee should consider. Associated data will be collected using the equipment available at NPL in order to ensure the VERT simulation of the calibration measurements are realistic and give the user a relevant virtual experience. The data will also be used to create training materials and content that will be provided with the training system to broaden accessibility of the training to all VERT users internationally.

Precision Acoustics is a leading global supplier of hydrophones, transducers, acoustic materials and scanning systems for ultrasonic frequencies. Hydrophones are pressure measurement devices designed for underwater use. Variations in pressure, such as those induced by sound - or ultrasound - can be detected by the hydrophone, thus hydrophones are used for precise measurement of ultrasound fields. Precision Acoustics manufactures a variety of designs of hydrophone which lend themselves to measurement of all sorts of applications. This project looks at innovative ways of reconciling and understanding differences between hydrophone calibration regimes for the needle hydrophones in the crossover frequency region of 100--400 kHz, which has applications both in, for example, therapeutic medical or sonar/underwater areas. Modifications to the internal structure of the hydrophone will be modelled and measured. The restrictions due to the calibration regimes themselves routinely used in the underwater acoustics (kHz) and medical ultrasound (MHz) areas will be combinedly addressed by the application of acoustic fields generated using parametric arrays.

Sensor Coating Systems Ltd (SCS) are developing an innovative technology for measuring temperatures in harsh industrial applications. This is a unique thermal mapping technology for high value markets such as power generation and aerospace industries. The technology is based on a smart-memory material that has been developed by SCS and it is applied as a paint or a coating on the surface of the components to be measured. The coated components are then used in standard operating conditions where they exposed to high temperatures. After the process, once the components have cool down, they are interrogated with a laser-probe instrument also developed and protected by SCS (patent pending). From the luminescence properties of the material and by performing a sophisticated calibration method, the past maximum temperature of the component can be measured. The calibration method relies on measuring the Lifetime Decay (LTD) of the coating material, which can be directly corelated to the past maximum exposure temperature of the coating. SCS has developed a bespoke optical measurement system to perform these LTD measurements. It has more recently shown that additional spectral measurements can greatly enhance the temperature accuracy. Separate instrumentation for spectral measurements has been developed by SCS and is currently in use for commercial projects. However, the overall measurements process is now considerably longer and can also be subject to spatial inaccuracies, as each measurement point needs to be measured twice. The objective of this project is therefore to integrate the two measurement systems (LTD & Spectra) into one and perform the two measurements simultaneously. That would effectively reduce the measurement time by 50%, which can be several days for large industrial projects. Operational costs will also be reduced and measurement uncertainty due to spatial accuracy tolerances will be eliminated. For this project SCS is looking forward to collaborate with NPL and take advantage of their expertise and state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.

Precise time and frequency signals are essential for many sectors and industries including CNI. The distribution of time and frequency is an invisible utility that plays an important role in people's daily life. Hence, the capability of disseminating precise and accurate signals with high availability and without degradation of the input signal is vital. The clock distribution amplifier generates multiple outputs from a trusted input radiofrequency signal. The distribution amplifier must exhibit ultra-low noise performance to provide robust output signals with negligible drift and high stability without introducing any additional phase noise in proportion to the input signal The signal distributor is used commonly in all industries where they require precise and stable timing signals such as power grids, finance, broadcasting, space, telecommunication, and emergency services. The input signal is coming from a trusted source such as UTC(NPL) and the output of the distributor enables multiple devices to be synchronised to the input signal. At present, signal distribution solutions provide satisfactory phase noise specifications, but the options for achieving ultra-low phase noise parameters are limited. The distribution amplifiers currently accessible are obtained from mostly the overseas companies, leading to a significant reliance on imports within UK industries. The primary objective is to develop a distribution amplifier with the lowest phase noise, capable of covering a wide bandwidth to reduce costs and simplify system complexity. However, this reliance on imports presents challenges concerning product availability, and the ability to customize products to meet specific requirements. The primary goal of this project is to finalize the design and development of an Ultra-Low Phase Noise Distribution Amplifier capable of distributing signals in the frequency range of 1 MHz to 100 MHz. Two types of this product are envisioned: a compact desktop unit with one input and five outputs, and a 1U rack-mounted unit with three inputs and fifteen outputs. Key project objectives include: * Achieving ultra-low phase noise specifications that is competitive with existing solutions in the market. * Creating two variations of the distribution amplifier to cater to different industry needs. * Establishing ScioTech as one of the best suppliers in the UK to offer such a product, providing a competitive advantage.

TEFSC will develop key enablers for the industrial adoption of the Rapid-Tow-Shearing (RTS), a novel composites manufacturing technology, which allows the placement of wide carbon tapes along curved paths (fibre-steering) without the defects (gaps/overlaps/wrinkles) typically seen with existing Automated Fibre Placement / Tape Laying technologies (AFP/ATL). Fibre steering drastically increases the structural performance of composite structures. Being able to continuously tailor orientations and place fibres along load-paths can contribute significantly towards the optimised use of composite materials, leading to lightweight cost-effective sustainable composite components across crucial composite sectors such as aerospace, space, automotive and wind energy. Current design methods make use of a series of well-established mechanical characterisation tests (ASTM standards) to obtain material allowables data. These test methods are suitable for coupons manufactured using straight fibres. However, the unique properties and behaviours arising from curved fibre designs mean that new test methods must be developed to provide a thorough understanding of these behaviours as steered composites can lead to effects in the secondary direction. The lack of an established testing method for fibre-steered components hinders wide adoption of the RTS process due to barriers related to certification, especially for highly regulated aerospace and space applications. TEFSC-II builds upon TEFSC (IUK-10039205). In TEFSC, a series of fibre-steered coupons at different steering-angles were tested setting the basis for mechanical characterisation of fibre-steered components. TEFSC-II aims to further investigate this focusing on the effect of fibre-waviness and volume-fraction variations on fibre-steered parts. This will de-risk and provide a route to certification of this novel process, to enable it to be taken forward in the future as a viable means for manufacturing the next generation of composite components. The TEFSC-II project will begin in January 2024 and runs for 6 months, by which point thorough understanding of the mechanical behaviour of fibre-steered components will be established. Successful completion of TEFSC-II will pave the way for certification accelerating adoption of RTS in highly regulated applications such as aerospace and space.

Omega Dot is an engineering consultancy specialising in turbomachinery specific to air foil bearings (AFB). An application of our technology is within the hydrogen fuel cell system for electric vehicles (EVs). Turbomachinery can be used within the fuel cell system to boost efficiency, offer an oil-free operation that runs near frictionless and has low noise levels. The results from this project, partnering NPL with Omega Dot, will help to eliminate minor wear on the air foil bearings and thus improve on the performance and reliability of the bearing itself. The result of the project will identify strengths and weaknesses within the current AFB configurations and how they can be improved for production. The outcomes from this project will push Omega Dot into commercialisation of their AFBs and allow Omega Dot to invest in their production and manufacturing capabilities. This will help to secure larger client orders which will give us sustained economic growth and boost the hydrogen fuel cell system supply chain. The results from this project, partnering NPL with Omega Dot, will help to eliminate minor wear on the air foil bearings and thus improve on the performance and reliability of the bearing itself.

JET is delivering world-first "5G connectivity at sea" through the deployment of high-bandwidth 5G floating-buoy systems, offering increased connectivity and communication capabilities throughout the marine sector, supporting the UK's priorities of critical national infrastructure for future wireless non-terrestrial network (MNTN), national security and 'net zero' ambitions. To date, JET has successfully demonstrated the detection/transition of 5G signals with our innovative 5G floating-buoy systems at sea using a novel high-gain-beamforming & low-gain integrated-antenna solution. However, their operations are unstable, and our insight understanding of how antenna beams and link performance are formed is limited, especially in real-world, harsh operating environments. JET now urgently needs support on the major problem we now face, having an inability in attaining rigorous validations of our 5G systems (e.g., its beamforming and link performance) to ensure reliably in real-world harsh operating environments at sea, alongside simulations to develop an insight understanding on how beamforming's operation may be optimised to ensure reliable link. This problem must be overcome at this stage of development, to avoid having to deploy antennas with customers and finding issues. To tackle this problem, this project aims to establish and validate our novel fronthaul and backhaul integrated antenna systems. Focus will be given to formulating and validating the overall validity of our antenna systems, allowing for technology optimisation and refinement of broadcast antennas to guarantee the best possible connections for users, with minimum possible interference released into the radio-environment and additional antennas used. Throughout the project NPL will provide consultancy, as well as conducting a series of beam-pattern and wireless link evaluations of antenna systems, de-risking future development of a clear solution to JET current long-running technical problem. In the short-term this project enables JET to hire an additional RF engineer, who will work alongside our team to increase our expertise. We estimate the long-term value of the JET solution will be greater than £412-million over the next 10 years, based on our missed network sale opportunities. The revenues we anticipate within our chosen and extended markets will be further increased through additional service provision to a range of maritime markets, facilitating increased safety, sustainability and smart operations. This project further contributes to the overall 5G connectivity and commercial developments within the offshore environment. The development and validation of our antenna systems delivers a solution which positively improves resilience within the UK, whilst also supporting Net-Zero ambitions and Levelling-Up Agendas.

When a healthcare professional orders blood tests, it is usually with the intent to exclude or confirm certain diagnoses, or to reassure themselves and the patient that there is nothing wrong. However, across NHS primary care and secondary care -- for both inpatients and outpatients, duplicate blood test requests are generated and carried out. The source of duplications is manifold, including system errors of unknown origin, multiple healthcare providers interacting with the same patient and emergency care protocols. For example, patients may see several different doctors within the same hospital, each who orders blood tests, each potentially unaware of what the others have ordered. Yet all of these results go back to the same system source of request - be it a GP surgery or hospital. Additionally, there are patients who require recurring blood testing who may miss an appointment for blood tests, and then attend three months later for their next scheduled test, at which point both the one-month and three-month blood tests are taken at the same time in response to the live requests on the system. Salutare estimates that 5% of all blood tests are duplicates of these types (the same blood test being taken on the same patient, on the same date and time), and there is never a clinical reason to duplicate test requests, providing all clinicians involved in the patient's care are notified with access to the results. If we can accurately identify and remove these unnecessary duplicate requests the impact is considerable; pathology staff time processing duplicate requests, patient time and resource saved, fewer testing consumables used -- overall significant savings across the NHS when scaled. Based on preliminary data from the Royal Free London Hospital, we estimate that removing the ~5% duplicate test requests could save the hospital up to £2M per year. Salutare proposes to capture, understand and remove system duplicates to address the negative impact that this has on NHS resource and patient experiences.

Antibody therapeutics are a class of drugs with synthetic antibodies as the active ingredient. They offer highly targeted and effective treatments for a wide range of diseases. The analysis of antibodies during drug development presents significant challenges due to their complexity. First, assessing their binding affinity and specificity necessitates intricate methods to ensure optimal therapeutic properties. Second, the production of antibodies demands sophisticated production and monitoring, making the entire drug development process time-consuming and resource intensive. Antibodies are predominantly analysed in central labs, which can lead to delays in obtaining results and hinder real-time decision-making. Implementing decentralized analysis closer to the point of need, will offer faster turnaround times and expedite decision-making. HexagonFab's instrument, Bolt, is specifically designed for point-of-need analysis of antibodies. Currently, Bolt is limited to working with purified solutions. This means that any sample must undergo a process to remove unwanted substances or impurities prior to analysis. Many applications in various fields necessitate compatibility with crude media, i.e. complex samples containing mixtures of different biomolecules without undergoing extensive purification. This compatibility allows for more versatile application of the instrument in diverse settings. HexagonFab is broadening its sensor portfolio by introducing a new generation of sensors capable of measuring crude samples. These sensors feature an electrically sensitive thin film coated with biomolecules; a process known as surface functionalization. The surface functionalization employed is a unique protein/graphene composite material, offering optimal electrical conductivity, while ensuring low non-specific binding signals. To ensure successful product launch, the optimal production and storage conditions for achieving the ideal surface functionalization must be identified. This includes testing of various production methods followed by precise chemical analysis to evaluate the properties of the surface functionalization. In collaboration with NPL, this project aims to evaluate the influence of different production processes on the surface functionalization. By identifying the most effective process conditions, HexagonFab can enhance the performance of its sensors and ensure the successful development of advanced technologies. Understanding and optimizing the surface coating process will ensure that the sensors exhibit the required sensitivity and specificity. With their ability to measure crude samples, these sensors can directly interface with crude media, allowing for more accurate and efficient antibody analysis without the need for extensive purification, ultimately saving time and resources.

RADWIPES is the brand name of a cleaning product developed by MDCO Ltd. RADWIPES have been developed specifically for radiation decontamination activities associated with the decommissioning cleanup operations of legacy buildings on UK nuclear licensed sites, many of which, fall under the umbrella of the N.D.A. - Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The initial product was developed in collaboration with Sellafield Sites Limited, in order to assist with their efforts to reduce operator exposure to ionising radiation, reduce the amount of clean up waste for processing, whist also reducing the expense of processing this generated radioactive waste. This of course, is a major cost burden for both the nuclear sites and the British tax payer. The purpose of this project is to analyse and test new innovations of this product in terms of new formulations of the base fluid, new innovative microfibre fabrics and also, new recyclable packaging. This innovative new packaging is being developed to enhance safety on site and have elements of its composition reclaimed under recycling conditions. These products are used in highly sensitive, radioactive conditions and therefore, in order to analyse and test these new materials and formulations correctly, the project will have to simulate the radioactive conditions similar to those found on nuclear sites. These conditions will replicate varying degrees of radioactive contamination on a wide variety of surfaces found on nuclear sites i.e. stainless steel, ferrous metals, plastic, concrete, rubber, wood, brickwork amongst other materials found on site. The data produced will be invaluable in determining new material and product development for the nuclear industry. The second part of the project will focus on the analysis of the composition of these new materials to ensure they contain no elements which would cause any issues with the material waste/effluent routes on site. MDCO Ltd will then have the necessary data to further develop new formulations of the base fluid used in the wipes and also, in line with the company Sustainability and Environmental Policies, look to use raw materials and fabrics which are recyclable/biodegradable. This project will give MDCO the scientific and metrological analysis required to develop their 'Next Generation' of RADWIPES which will enable them to promote and supply these products into all UK licensed nuclear sites. Apart from the savings to the British tax payer, reducing the volume of nuclear waste for processing is a huge benefit to our environment.

Quantum computers have the potential to lead to a transformative increase in the available computational power. The size and quality of the quantum computers available today are increasing rapidly, and advancements in ability to implement quantum error correction are getting us closer to have quantum computers which will be able to outperform even the best existing classical computers. One of the most promising improvements offered by quantum computers is the ability to accurately simulate atomic scale physical systems, which is a challenging task for classical computers. Various algorithms are being developed today that aim to make use of this advantage that is offered by quantum computers. Density functional theory (DFT) is a core classical computing method for product development across industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and materials. For instance, DFT can be used to model and evaluate the properties of new materials, drugs, catalysts, etc. to complement expensive developments in the lab. Compared to alternative methods, DFT is the only approach fast enough for large systems comprising metals and molecules as required in many applications. However, approximations made in the DFT algorithms used today make them unsuitable for a lot of important problems. Improvements in DFT can lead to the development of better batteries, more efficient catalysts, faster and more reliable drug and vaccine candidate assessments, and greener chemical production. Recently, machine learning (ML) methods have been demonstrated to lead to improvements in DFT. However, even the ML + DFT methods rely on a large number of accurate simulations of the physical systems, which are challenging to do with classical computers. In this project, we aim to harness the superior ability of quantum computers to perform accurate simulations in order to improve DFT. Our approach will combine the advantages provided by quantum computers and ML in order to significantly improve the DFT method that is widely used in various industries. This project combines the expertise in machine learning, quantum computing, DFT, and modelling in industrial settings of InstaDeep, NPL, Atos UK, and Johnson Matthey.

There is pressure in and on the aerospace sector to embed sensors in flight-ready systems and subsystems in order that Condition Monitoring may provide continuous and early-warning reports as to the flightworthiness of such systems during their manufacture, while on the ground or during maintenance intervals. Theta Technologies is a UK-based global leader in the commercialisation of the Nonlinear Resonance technique for Non-Destructive Testing of aerospace components. Applicable components can be metallic, composite or ceramic, and they can be conventionally or additively manufactured. Nonlinear Resonance offers a unique opportunity to detect the formation and propagation of very fine cracks (known as 'contact cracks' or 'stealth flaws') or delaminations (such as 'kissing bonds') and impact damage far in advance of any eventual failure. The nature of the method, however, requires that transmission and reception sensors and their relationship with the system under test must be sufficiently and reliably linear, in order that any nonlinearity detected can be confidently associated with flaws in that system. The project will conduct a performance assessment of a range of sensors when embedded into composite subassemblies. The intended outcome is best-practice knowhow indicating which sensors and couplings are appropriate for a range of aerospace subsystems in order to carry out Conditioning Monitoring of aerospace structures using Nonlinear Resonance.

To develop next generation sensors which allow low cost and easy to use diagnostic products to be realised, it is necessary to understand the surface properties of the sensor strips in high detail. This is because it is necessary to attach biological molecules to the sensor surface in order to detect a target in a sample. For example, enzymes, antibodies and DNA molecules can be attached to the sensor strip in order to detect biomarkers from a clinical samples. At present, the development of biosensors on thin film gold and carbon test strips is hindered by our ability to successfully attach biological molecules to the surface. Furthermore, ensuring the surface is clean and ready to accept the biological molecules is a second challenge which underpins this research effort. This project will focus on developing the fundamental understanding of the low cost sensor surfaces through measuring their roughness and composition and then investigating methods to clean the surfaces which are compatible with high volume manufacturing and finally examine chemical methods for attaching biological molecules to the sensor surface. At the end off the project, the company will have gained a lot of knowledge in the areas of sensor cleaning and biomolecule attachment which it can apply to the new diagnostic products which it intends to create.

Virustatic launched their flagship product, a breathable face covering called the Virustatic(r) SHIELD, in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Extensive laboratory testing and user feedback combined to give an excellent body of evidence that the SHIELD offers greater breathability than other commercial face coverings while retaining its viral aerosol filtration efficacy due to the use of a novel antiviral coating that improved filtration and reusability. However, full quantitative analysis of real-world filtration efficacy of face masks of all designs for infectious viral aerosols has not, to our knowledge, been achieved in its entirety. Pandemic preparedness has now been recognised as being of utmost importance due to the global experience of Covid-19\. Despite this, all standardised testing for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) face coverings has either been focussed on manual work (where filtration of solid particles is the key) or in a hospital setting for large liquid droplets, but without a focus on filtering airborne pathogenic aerosols. It is our opinion that the current standard testing for PPE face coverings does not adequately test the efficacy of face coverings for practical applications, considering fit, leakage and viral aerosol capture. New tests that consider these issues will not only give valuable information on existing face masks, but also provide a better understanding of how different parameters such as material choice, structure, active coatings and form fit could inform the design of novel face coverings. There are currently no tools, either experimental or computational, available to designers and innovators to predict how different design choices will affect the actual real-world efficacy of their face masks. The aim of this project is to design and test a novel method for describing face covering efficacy for viral aerosol filtration so that we have better tools to design and test the best face coverings for future pandemics. In support of this we will also develop a modelling suite to understand how different design parameters effect filtration efficacy to aid in the design for new innovative solutions to pandemic prevention.

This project will enable Body Aspect to draw on scientific expertise to improve the company's breast volume measurement software. Body Aspect's service uses 3D body surface scanning technology, in conjunction with the company's proprietary software, to provide a Breast Assessment Service to the NHS in the East Midlands. NHS elective breast surgery is available to women when their breasts are disproportionately large, or where there is significant asymmetry or absence of breast tissue. However, methods for estimating breast size are unreliable owing to the non-standardisation of bra-sizing/fitting and the inaccuracy of estimation by eye. Body Aspect worked with NHS commissioners and clinicians in the East Midlands to introduce a new pathway that uses 3D body scanning combined with Body Aspect's specialist software to more accurately assess breast volume and breast-to-torso ratio. The project will address existing deficiencies relating to the design and testing of the breast volume measurement software. The previous testing process was cumbersome with several sources of inaccuracy. Body Aspect will collaborate with the scientific partners to design test models that will form the basis of a new testing protocol. Newton Gateway will help Body Aspect to improve the accuracy of their breast volume measurement software through enhancements to the modeling techniques.

In this project, we aim to further extend the functionality of Verv Smart Isolators, a device that performs non-intrusive load monitoring of electrical signals. We wish to validate that our product, already deployed at customer sites around the UK, may also be used as low-voltage grid sensors to detect power quality phenomena such as harmonic distortion and transient signals. Successful completion of this project will allow us to demonstrate that our network of Verv Smart Isolators can be leveraged by Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) to facilitate the monitoring of supply voltage in their network, and quickly raise an alarm if any disturbances have been detected by our energy systems. A swift response to such problems can prevent both damage to energy infrastructure and potentially harmful customer disconnection. We will collaborate with our chosen partner, NPL, to validate that our Smart Isolator hardware can detect reference signals generated in their specialist laboratory within a matter of minutes. We believe this innovative concept has the potential to drastically enhance the monitoring capability that DNOs have access to. The types of reference signals to be validated will be a combination of both definitions from existing standards (such as EN 50160 and IEC 61000-4-30) along with completely new test signals, or adaptations of existing ones, that are likely to occur on the modern grid network.

The aim of this project is to take advantage of the kelvin redefinition using practical primary thermometry approaches for the dissemination of thermodynamic temperature. The kelvin redefinition in May 2019 initiated a comprehensive research phase for the realisation and dissemination of thermodynamic temperature to replace the ITS-90/PLTS-2000 scales currently in use. This project progresses beyond the state of the art, through: demonstrating dissemination of the kelvin from 4 K to 300 K; developing a robust framework for establishing traceability by primary thermometry; working towards the next generation primary thermometry to 700 K

This project will address the metrological aspects of sensor networks, covering the uncertainty propagation, data quality metrics and SI-traceability in generic sensor networks, as well as the assessment, infrastructure, and risk analysis of distributed sensor networks alongside software frameworks and semantics via automated application of developed methods.

**An exciting project focussed on developing and maturing the simulation, modelling and physical testing supply chain for UK-centric CAM perception sensor and systems developers.** Sim4CAMSens will build a UK supply chain that will advance the quality of modelling, simulation, test and characterisation capability in the UK to accelerate and de-risk the design, development, validation and usage of perception systems sensors and algorithms for automated driving functions. The project will create clear links between the tools, methodologies, standards and safety cases. With state-of-the-art modelling and simulation environments, Sim4CAMSens will deliver much needed synthetic training data of suitable quality for the training of AI systems used in autonomous vehicles. We are bringing together an expert, world-class consortium of partners to support the development of an emerging UK-based perception sensors and systems industry by accelerating the development of perception sensors for assisted and automated driving functions There is a nascent perception sensor design and development industry in the UK, with the potential to challenge global innovation with the right investment and coordination. In parallel, the UK has developed outstanding modelling, simulation and testing capabilities for automated vehicle systems through previous Innovate UK supported projects as well as continued industry investment. We see a major opportunity for the UK by bringing these two worlds together to create a globally competitive sensor design, development, modelling, simulation and testing supply chain. The supply chain will focus on the specific use case of the development and testing of three sensor technologies within the virtual and physical test framework: 1\. RADAR (Oxford RF, Claytex), 2\. Camera technology (rFpro), 3\. LiDAR development (CSAC, Claytex).

Image-based artificial intelligence (AI) systems for disease detection are increasingly being developed, and it is vital that these tools are robust and effective in heterogeneous clinical settings. To date, performance has been assessed in an ad hoc manner as there are no approved guidelines for evaluation. Most studies have methodological weaknesses and results that are not comparable. A standardised and impartial framework for performance, generalisability, and suitability assessment of AI tools will address these needs and enable more efficient, reliable, and reproducible validation of image-based AI systems for disease detection. This project will use breast cancer screening as the exemplar to inform the design of such a framework.

Our company, located in Manchester, specialises in developing electromagnetic non-destructive testing (NDT) products. In the last couple of years, we have successfully developed a novel coercivity meter, which features portability, fast measurement speed and minimal or null requirements for sample preparation - unique advantages for on-site non-destructive applications. The system has been commercialised, released to clients, and deployed in the field. We have found diverse applications across different industries and have been continuously growing our technical experience and customer engagement. As an example, client's feedback confirms large efficiency improvement on heat-treatment assessment after using our novel product. A process that used to require 5 to 6 staff engineers and 20 minutes is now reduced to 2 engineers and 2 minutes. Other applications include aging and fatigue detection of steel structures and cables, residual stress distribution and testing of finished products. Together with NPL, an experimental measurement setup has been devised to create a traceability chain for MAIERIC's reference samples. NPL will compare coercivity values determined on MAIERIC's reference standards to those determined on standard geometries. The DC magnetic properties of soft magnetic materials are typically determined using the permeameter method (outlined in BSI/IEC 60404-4). Current measurement standards are generally limited to well defined geometry. For a direct comparison NPL will modify and existing set-up to accommodate MAIERIC's smaller, non-standard geometries. Our target industries include power, traffic and developments, marine, aerospace, metallurgy, chemical and mining, with main applications on assessing working life, aging and fatigue of steel structures, critical components, machinery, etc., quality of finished products, metal sorting, in a wide sense, assessment of steel during all its service life. To be able to produce traceable measurements for each application means we can expand our market quickly. We are confident that solving our current issues of calibration and traceability will bring to MAIERIC substantial additional revenue. As well as increasing sales revenue, improve process efficiency for both us and clients to save costs -- hence realising significant financial gains and contributing to the technology and innovation ecosystem of the Manchester community.

Vivisco Limited is manufacturing on demand, UVC Sterilizers for closed-loop fluidic systems. These systems are found in (pre-) clinical and bioscience studies in applications including, but not limited to electrophysiology, imaging and pharmacology. However, these studies can be limited by bacterial and viral loads in the solution contaminating the test sample. The UVC Sterilizer aims to reduce and/or hold the bacterial and viral loads. Vivisco will work with the National Physical Laboratory to assess the efficacy of the UVC Sterilizer to better assess and communicate the merit of the tools. This will lead to increased commercial sales and better job security in the Leeds City region. Beyond commercial benefit, it will enable extended (pre-) clinical and bioscience studies leading to better understanding of health problems, noticeably neuro-oncology and behavioural pharmacology.

Advanced Material Development (AMD Ltd.) is industrialising innovative printable sensors utilising nanomaterial technologies for on-component structural health monitoring applications, including battery management systems. Within the project and with the assistance of National Physical Laboratory (NPL), we will fully characterise and validate a novel printable ionic sensor that allows for simple and simultaneous battery strain and temperature monitoring. These sensors are particularly suited to Lithium-ion batteries, especially where high energy density silicon anode-based technologies are used. They undergo significant expansion during charge-discharge cycling so must be carefully monitored to ensure safe and efficient operation especially when used in transport and aviation applications. The study will involve careful measurement of strain and temperature to both characterise and validate sensors for typical charging and discharging rates which mimic operational characteristics for repeated high-power use typically encountered in transport or power tool applications. Being able to directly print onto battery pouches will allow for analysis of any future encapsulated battery technologies. This in turn will allow for further testing of new developments to ensure they are safely introduced to consumers.

Ear thermometers are widely used in a clinical setting for the measurement of patient temperature, whereas forehead thermometers have been increasingly used during the pandemic as a method of fever screening. For reliable body temperature measurement, the performance of the devices needs to be validated by calibration using a suitable blackbody source. For a source to be suitable it must have a sufficiently high emissivity, sufficiently large opening to completely fill the field-of-view of the thermometer, good temperature uniformity and a means to measure the temperature which is traceable to the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (the ITS-90). The need for better understanding of the performance and calibration of both forehead and ear thermometers has been recognised internationally by the BIPM Consultative Committee for Thermometry (CCT) - [https://www.bipm.org/en/committees/cc/cct/guides-to-thermometry][0] The ISO 80601-2-56:2017 standard provides the specifications for suitable blackbody sources, but these are based on stirred liquid baths which are relatively cumbersome to use. Designing and developing a blackbody which has the required specifications, but which does not rely on a water bath, would provide users with a more practical solution for the calibration of ear and forehead thermometers and help ensure they are fit for the intended use. We have a range of existing products used to calibrate non-contact thermometers but these are primarily designed for the more generic infrared thermometers, not medical thermometers. The requirements for the laboratory performance of medical thermometers, and hence the blackbody sources used to calibrate them, tend to be more stringent, and it is not clear, without further study, whether or not Isotech's sources are suitable for the calibration of medical thermometers in their current design. Working with NPL, Isotech will be able to determine the suitability of an existing calibrator for these medical thermometers, from analysis and modeling we can learn of the optimal geometry and then have evidence of the performance. Then we will be able to sell our product into a new market both in the UK and overseas via our global distribution network. Having a portable product, of known performance, will enable routine calibration of the devices by users. [0]: https://www.bipm.org/en/committees/cc/cct/guides-to-thermometry

Our project aims to address a major challenge in quantum computing: hardware noise. To achieve quantum advantage and have a significant impact on the world economy, quantum computers must be able to solve practical problems faster than classical computers. Error mitigation techniques have been developed to suppress the effects of noise in near-term quantum computers. These techniques can enable a path towards quantum advantage before hardware meets the stringent requirements of fault-tolerant quantum error correction (FTQEC), which is a more sophisticated method to control errors in quantum computing but requires a larger device size and lower error rates. Our innovative approach is focused on improving error mitigation methods by developing efficient ways to measure different error probabilities in noisy quantum processes and estimate worst-case error rates. We will also compare different characterisation methods for noisy quantum processes and evaluate their performance on quantum error mitigation algorithms. Additionally, we will estimate the resource requirements for running quantum circuits using quantum error mitigation techniques. Our innovation approach is centred around Quantinuum's open-source software product Qermit, which enables the development and execution of error-mitigated quantum experiments. Qermit provides a range of error mitigation methods and facilitates combining different methods. It is built using TKET, Quantinuum's flagship high-performance quantum compiler software, and is straightforwardly integrated within Quantinuum's software ecosystem, making it usable by any of our users and clients. By solving the core problem, our project will lead to a suite of new Qermit features for estimating the resources needed for error mitigation. These features will provide users with information on the number of additional measurement samples and circuits, and the performance of a chosen error mitigation strategy for their target quantum algorithm and hardware backend. This functionality will directly impact the quality of our product, offering an essential analysis to determine when an application can be implemented successfully on available quantum computers, within a fixed resource budget. Our project addresses the pressing need to assess the practical performance and resource requirements of error mitigation methods to determine where quantum advantage for real-world applications can be achieved with near-term quantum computing. By improving our product, Qermit, we will provide users with the necessary analysis to determine the feasibility of running their quantum algorithms on available hardware, facilitating faster routes to market, and ultimately driving the growth of quantum computing applications.

BiologIC is the inventor of the biocomputer, a highly integrated and programmable automation platform for producing bio-based products and data on demand. The biocomputer processes components of biological origin, such as cells, nucleic acids, proteins, and biological reagents, into useful products such as therapies. The biocomputer platform can run multiple applications from a common device. The biocomputer comprises four core fluidic chips that can be reconfigured depending on the bioprocessing application or protocol; enabling the system to be used for multiple applications already demonstrated with customer projects, such as advanced cell therapies and small-scale batch mRNA vaccine manufacturing. The next imperative challenge that we face is supporting our customers in their transition to sustainable bioprocessing. Recently there has been a shift in the biopharma industry to move from durables to single use bioreactors. This change was driven by process flexibility, ease to use, small footprint and sterility assurance. However, it has substantially increased plastic waste. With the biocomputer platform we want to provide our customers all the flexibility that single-use systems offer with the additional capability of reusability by integrating cleaning in place (CIP) and sterilisation in place (SIP) in a sustainable way. The biocomputer's architecture inspired by the semiconductor industry is designed to support flexible manufacturing. The system integrates CIP and SIP enabling use as durable, long-term infrastructure. As part of the biocomputer standard architecture we have integrated a "wash circuit". The wash cycle comprises an architecture for distributing solutions around the system to clean and sterilise it for reuse. Additionally, we make use of the same infrastructure used for bioprocessing (eg. impeller, heater) to enhance the cleaning process. There are two main challenges that we are looking to solve with this A4I: (a) the validation of the robustness of our CIP and SIP to avoid microbiological contamination and product cross contamination between cycles and (b) to determine the durability of the 3D printed bioreactor modules. As a lean start up, BiologIC does not have internal resources or equipment for sufficient validation and characterisation or financial resources to pay partners such as NPL and ASTUTE on a commercial basis for the work. Only by collaborating with external expertise through this project can BiologIC optimise and validate the robustness of the CIP and SIP which enable sustainable biomanufacture by allowing re-use of the system for multiple biomanufacturing cycles and applications.

This project aims to develop a range of products for 1) assessing levels of radioactivity in water which have previously been unachievable in real-time. 2) Measurement of Gaseous Tritium down to free release levels. This is of interest to various nuclear establishments, including the Nuclear Fusion industry. We already have a lot of interest from Japan where they have a legacy from the Fukashima nuclear facility was in the form of Tritiated water. Current technology means that samples have to be taken from effluent -- rivers, lakes & sea , then analysed in a Laboratory. BIC Technology with limited resources and working closely with the National Physical Laboratory have made prototypes capable of achieving detection of low levels of beta emitters in water continuously. Because of the design and build of the detector we are able to use the same device (patented technology) for measuring air samples & liquid samples with minor modifications. Assistance from Innovate UK will enable us to carry out further required tests for type testing & quantitative analysis. This could lead to the manufacturing of portable & installed equipment for this purpose and address an international market. We would get orders tomorrow if we had a working instrument at the required low levels. Nuclear licensed sites would benefit from long term cost savings of the current technology employed by these sites and provide instant alerts for emergency situations e.g. leakage in to the sea or water table. BIC Technology already have strong links with Academic institutions, which we would hope to expand on by funding post graduate projects. The project will have a positive effect on employment & apprenticeships with benefits to UK suppliers \*

Bruising of fresh produce is a significant problem for various strands of the agricultural industry. Potatoes are particularly susceptible to bruising, and bruised crops are one of the major reasons for quality downgrades, resulting in valuable crops being sold for a fraction of their true price and costing the industry £millions annually. Detection of bruised potatoes is typically done in QC environments, but once bruising has occurred it is too late to do much about it, other than to prevent the bruised potatoes from being used in fresh produce lines. Instead, it would be more useful to have a measure of the likelihood of individual potatoes to bruise at an early point in the processing pipeline, so that they could be segregated accordingly. But measuring susceptibility to bruising without destroying the tubers has never been done and is a substantial challenge. A key property that correlates with bruising is termed turgor pressure, and is a measure of the pressure inside cells that leads to them becoming more rigid and more able to stand blunt force insults, such as being allowed to fall from height. In this project we propose to team up with analytical scientists to trial a range of cutting-edge technologies, the outputs of which we believe may allow us to differentiate tubers with high versus low turgor pressures, and hence differential susceptibility to bruising. In initial experiments, we will test several potential measurement techniques following which we will focus on the most promising technique for more in depth testing. We aim to identify an appropriate methodology for further development and commercial application during potato processing in an agricultural environment. If we are successful, direct savings could be measured in £10Ms per annum, with indirect savings through environmental benefits and reductions in food waste being substantially higher.

ConnectomX designs and manufactures the 'katana microtome,' a miniaturised ultramicrotome device used for Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy (SBF-SEM). Installed inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM), the ultramicrotome uses a diamond knife to cut ultra-thin layers from biological samples. The SEM then images the newly exposed surface, allowing for the creation of high-resolution 3D biological structures, vital for understanding cellular functions and advancing disease treatments. The diamond knife oscillates side-by-side during cutting. This feature reduces cutting force and helps to microtome to achieve a consistent clean cuts at tens of nanometres. However, the exact mechanical behaviour of the oscillating knife, including in-plane oscillation and potential out-of-plane components remains uncertain. A comprehensive characterisation of the diamond knife movement and sample surface topology after each cut will help us confirm product specifications and performance, ensuring optimal image acquisition for 3D datasets. This information is crucial for optimising the diamond knife holder design to achieve even thinner cuts. Understanding and addressing this issue will provide a competitive edge over alternative SBF-SEM solutions, bolster our reputation, and expand our product's capabilities.

Photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals are easy to collect non-invasively using cheap devices and are used in the clinic and in wearable devices for home monitoring. It is recognised that PPG signals contain a wealth of valuable physiological information for monitoring or diagnosing a range of health conditions. Machine learning (ML) is applied to PPG signals but there is a lack of work on trustworthiness, which is crucial in a medical context. By developing methods to quantify both the data and model uncertainty for ML applied to PPG signals, this project aims to generate reference datasets to benchmark such models and to identify models with high accuracy and low uncertainty thus providing trustworthy models that are ripe for implementation.

The consequences of failure in the Oil and Gas sector are catastrophic. The risk to life of those operating in the industry is well known and managed however another risk exists. Unseen to us all and misunderstood by many yet equally catastrophic if not addressed. It is also a risk to us as a species. Methane has a mean atmospheric lifetime of 11.8 years, a Global Warming Potential (GWP) 81.2 (± 43 % relative) times that of carbon dioxide over a twenty-year period and 27.9 (± 47 % relative) times over a hundred-year period\*. The danger Methane presents to our planet is very real, yet the extent of anthropogenic emissions, specifically fugitive emissions, remains relatively unknown. Whilst the venting and flaring of methane can be managed through regulation and governance, fugitive emissions will continue to go unnoticed unless located, characterised, addressed and monitored. \* The Earth's Energy Budget, Climate Feedbacks and Climate Sensitivity -- Assessment Report No.6, Supplement No.7 To address the Methane intelligence gap, BIG SKY THEORY will present a new airborne reconnaissance role to emissions management doctrine, a force multiplier designed to drastically reduce the time taken to source leaks. Using drones to detect and characterise emissions from the air, BIG SKY THEORY will create preliminary surveys of sites to assist in UK Oil and Gas Methane management programmes. Whilst providing timely intelligence, Launch & Locate will also negate the need for hazardous ground-based inspections. Working alongside Innovate UK and the National Physical Laboratory, BIG SKY THEORY will play a crucial role in the safe, efficient, effective and timely provision of methane emissions intelligence. The most effective means to understand emissions at scale is via airborne detection and characterisation. Harnessing the very best hardware, software, industry expertise and aviation acumen, BIG SKY THEORY will deploy, monitor and manage airborne sensors, bringing height, speed and reach to the most inhospitable environments. Small teams operating in a non-interference based format will support concurrent operational delivery and emissions management and rectification. The reconnaissance role drawing focus to areas of interest providing critical awareness of fugitive methane emissions. For the UK to meet NET ZERO Strategy targets locating Methane emissions is critical. Investment in understanding the challenge before us will ultimately save time, money and the environment for generations to come.

Chronic kidney disease affects 800 million people worldwide, and is complex and costly to manage. A major clinical problem in kidney disease is that potassium levels rise, which can be fatal. Currently there is no alternative to a hospital- or clinic-based blood draw to measure potassium. However, new treatments and payment models are driving a growing wave of innovation. Our digital blood potassium monitoring solution will avoid costly hospital admissions and help patients lead a better lifestyle. Kalium Health has identified opportunities for products that will open up new markets in personalised healthcare, based on our blood sensing technology. In this project we will optimise our manufacturing processes and quality control methodologies to enable high-volume manufacturing of our sensors. To achieve this, we will collaborate with the National Physical Laboratory who will develop custom methods and instrumentation to perform analytical characterisation of the structural, physical and chemical properties of our sensors, to give us insights into how these impact reproducibility and stability. Successful completion of the project will result in optimised manufacturing processes and improved quality controls, enabling us to advance through regulatory approval and market launch.

Tungsten/Tungsten Carbide (W/WC) coatings are widely employed in the design of engineering systems to withstand high static and cyclic loading conditions. Understanding the limits of the coating is necessary to help design optimal coatings which would be suitable for highly critical applications necessitating high flexural deformation and fatigue resistance. The project will focus on testing the W/WC coatings deposited through Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) under high static and cyclic loads and identifying the impact of key coating characteristics on its performance in demanding applications for the Hydrogen and power generation sectors. Instrumented four-point-bend tests will be employed to study the coating fracture mechanism, measure the fracture limits and test several approaches to optimise the coating performance under high static and dynamic loads. The project team involved in addressing this technical challenge includes Hardide plc, an SME which pioneered the CVD nanostructured W/WC coatings now used by Airbus and other blue chip industrial customers and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), the UK's National Measurement Institute. Together Hardide and NPL will combine their expertise in coating deposition, mechanical testing, and material characterisation to study the behaviour of the coatings when subjected to high static and cyclic loading conditions.

Hydrogen can significantly contribute to reducing emissions from the transportation sector as it is particularly well suited as a fuel for long haul heavy duty (HD) vehicles. The uptake of hydrogen for heavy duty transport requires further standardisation to support Europe’s green energy future. Sampling systems and methods have already been developed for use at hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) for light duty (LD) vehicles, however there is a lack of technical evidence for heavy duty transport. This project will deliver the evidence needed for the standardisation of hydrogen fuel sampling for heavy duty applications. This will include the development of dedicated sampling systems for contaminants (gaseous species and particulate matter), methodologies for the validation of sampling methods, guidelines for the evaluation of sampling representativeness, uncertainty budgets, safety considerations and venting protocols. The outputs will be directly fed into ongoing standardisation activities in CEN TC 268 and ISO TC 197.

Europe is facing significant healthcare challenges driven by an ageing population coupled with an increase in chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and brain conditions. These conditions require diverse and complex treatments, which increase healthcare costs. Nanomedicine and nano-enabled medical devices therapeutics (defined here as nanotherapeutics) are vital for tackling health and societal challenges, providing versatile technical solutions. This project responds to the immediate metrological needs expressed by industry, regulatory agencies and policymakers to develop and validate traceable measurement methods and candidate reference materials (CRMs) for the assessment of the critical quality attributes (CQAs) of nanotherapeutics. The project will focus on clinical formulations, including synthetic lipid-based nanotherapeutics, including lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for the RNA delivery and liposomes, and metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) used for localised cancer treatment, gene therapy, vaccines (COVID-19) or as contrast agents. By providing fit for purpose methodologies, standardised methods and CRMs to regulators and industrial stakeholders, the project will support their clinical translation, providing more efficacious nanotherapeutics with fewer side effects to improve the patient’s quality of life and enhancing the competitiveness of the European health technology industry.

Black carbon (BC) contributes to climate forcing and is an air pollutant impacting health. Equivalent Black Carbon (eBC) mass concentrations are typically measured in real time with light absorption photometers. Being very sensitive to changes in emissions, eBC mass concentration might be regulated in the future as a metric for soot-like combustion by-products. However, neither eBC mass nor the related aerosol light absorption measurements have been standardised, traceability is incomplete and uncertainties are poorly understood. This project will provide and establish new standards for aerosol light absorption coefficient and mass absorption cross-section, whose combination leads to eBC mass concentration. These metrics are not addressed in the EN16909 standard on Elemental Carbon (EC) mass concentration.

It is important to have an accurate understanding of the spectral irradiance of the optical radiation produced by light sources in a multitude of applications. Therefore, the SI traceability of spectroradiometric measurements needs to be ensured. For decades, the calibration of spectroradiometric measurement instruments has been realised using incandescent lamp based transfer standards. However, their availability is diminishing due to a production phaseout of incandescent lighting products. This project aims to provide adequate and affordable replacement transfer standard light sources and alternative procedures for the detector based transfer of the spectral irradiance unit in the ultraviolet visible near infrared (UVVISNIR) spectral range. It also aims to establish an integrated European metrology infrastructure around this key radiometric unit.

Actuators convert energy into force/movement, a key enabling technology for advanced engineering and manufacturing. Sustainability, lifetime-cost and convenience are driving a global move to efficient electric actuation. Demand for safer automated environments, wearable bionics, service robots and off-grid/mobile devices is accelerating. These trends generate huge demand for new types of electric actuation to overcome the limitations of existing technologies. Typical problems are inefficiency, complexity, bulk and cost introduced by gearing, and peak efficiency over a very narrow range. WaveDrives' patented electric actuation technology, **SILA**, responds to this demand, drawing on WaveDrives' deep experience building commercial prosthetics and robots. A unique non-contact transmission means **SILA** actuators are ultra-efficient, quiet, compact, non-jamming, non-wearing and provide haptic feedback. These and other novel characteristics offer step-change motion-control for developers of market-leading actuated products. Also, **SILA**'s ultra-efficiency, long life and lower embodied carbon offers improved sustainability and cost-benefits to Aerospace and other sectors pushing for low-carbon electrification. **SILA** is currently being evaluated by early adopters and this brings a new technical challenge: managing resonance risks. Every physical object reacts to vibrational loading, and uncontrolled resonant responses to such loads can lead to damage to the object. Understanding **SILA** resonance is essential, particularly now WaveDrives is building powerful **SILA** units for use in aeroplanes and **SILA** actuated bionic-prosthetics are being trialled 'in situ' by people. Resonance would cause unacceptable noise and discomfort to a prosthetic wearer or disrupt aeroplane operations. The ability to address potential resonance problems early is key to avoiding the costs and loss of confidence should resonance occur once a **SILA** actuated device is in trial or on the market. The challenge is to make sure that a **SILA** actuator does not resonate at any frequency experienced during its operation. However, existing approaches for modelling resonance are not applicable to **SILA** due to its novel and non-linear magnetic action. In this project WaveDrives will collaborate with international experts from the National Physical Laboratory to develop an analytically derived and experimentally validated model of **SILA** resonance that Wavedrives can use to manage resonance risk through design for any **SILA** unit, avoiding risk of customer disruption. This is important because Industry decisions to invest in disruptive new actuation technology represent significant commitment. This project will help secure these decisions, accelerating **SILA** benefits realisation. Knowledge gained by NPL through this project will be used to predict resonant behaviours in other dynamic non-linear systems, benefiting wider industry.

Lightricity has developed world leading efficiency indoor photovoltaic (PV) technology capable of powering a multitude of small wireless devices e.g. for wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT) thus avoiding the sustainability and maintenance costs of battery power. The company currently sells its PV component technology to IoT device developers and also offers PV-powered IoT devices to systems integrators and IoT solution providers. In order to test our products in the full range of lighting conditions likely to be experienced by the devices and therefore demonstrate performance potential vs battery-powered devices, we developed a family of affordable, portable light simulators (LightBox). As well as helping address our internal needs, the LightBox is currently sold to researchers and PV-powered device developers. Our latest LightBox product (LightBox+) is a very low cost (under £100), fully integrated, portable and calibrated version that does not require an expensive and bulky source-meter to be interfaced with it. The objective is to make test capability much more widely available and affordable in a format that suits the much bigger market in education, commercial IoT device development, device performance evaluation and even hobbyists where accuracy and resolution demands are lower but costs are critical. Although it is functional, it needs to be improved to meet industry standards and reach full market acceptance. NPL and ASTUTE have been engaged through A4i to help with measurement and analysis support to solve measurement challenges relating to characterising and optimising performance and allowing choices for design for lowest cost manufacturing. They bring unique expertise and custom equipment not otherwise available commercially and a strong linkage to standards development for indoor PV technologies. This will increase customer confidence in the LightBox+ product and also underpin sales of our own PV component and PV-powered IoT device products.

MESOX developed a novel particle carrier technology for enhancing the bioavailability of medicines. The carrier has nanopores within its structure and each nanopore behaves like a nano-container for drug molecules. When a drug is loaded within a nanopore, it converts to its amorphous solid form which easily dissolves in the patient body. As a result, drug efficacy could be enhanced due to better absorption, and lower doses would be required as opposed to the drug in its native state without our carrier. In line with the developed carrier, we have also built a molecular model of the carrier which allows us to screen drugs virtually on a computer prior to conducting laboratory experiments. This provides two key advantages to potential pharma and biotech customers: 1- Saves their precious drug through avoiding extensive experimental formulation work. 2- Provides quick feedback on the feasibility of our carrier technology for their drug molecule. However, a key to unlocking the power of this molecular model is to validate its observations using an advanced analytical technique. A technique is needed that can quantify the amount of drug within carrier (maximum amount that can be loaded), nature of drug loaded within carrier (molecular interactions, amorphous/crystalline phase) and preserves the carrier structure during the analysis process (for reliable results). The national physical laboratory will assist us with an advanced analytical technique that meets the above criteria for model validation. Our modelling capability once validated will represent a leap forward in formulation development science. It will help reduce the risks of the formulation process leading to lower product costs, and accelerate the timelines for the development of new medicines. Ultimately, this approach could lead to more lifesaving medicines getting into patients' hands quicker and saving the NHS and the UK taxpayer millions of pounds in healthcare costs.

Iceotope, a leading technology start-up in the liquid cooling space for digital infrastructure is working with the national physics laboratory (NPL) to improve modelling capabilities for heat-pipes at the extremes of operational conditions, when combined with liquid cooling technologies. The output from this project will enable the precision cooling of hotter electronic components, in digital infrastructure, power conversion and even potentially automotive or aerospace applications.

**Calibration of Thermometers Avoiding the Use of Mercury** High-accuracy laboratory thermometers need to be calibrated by using 'fixed point cells'; cells are used to calibrate thermometers to the highest accuracy, and cells rely on the phase change of a pure substance. At higher temperatures, pure metal ingots are encased in an assembly into which a thermometer can be placed. As the metal ingot melts or freezes the temperature remains constant. These fixed points are specified in the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90), the internationally agreed approximation to the SI unit of temperature, the kelvin. The most used low-temperature fixed point cell uses pure mercury, which provides a reference of -38.8344°C. Using mercury is a very convenient and time-honoured (and only) way of calibrating the standard platinum resistance thermometers (SPRTs) used for realising and disseminating the ITS-90\. However, mercury is a hazardous substance, and its use is now prohibited in electronic equipment. The scientific community has great concern that mercury could soon be banned for calibration purposes; it is already very difficult and problematic to ship mercury as cells need to be both supplied for new installation, and moved for re-calibration. Scientists are researching alternatives, including carbon dioxide (CO2, -56.6 °C) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6, -49.6 °C). Isotech has developed a carbon dioxide (CO2) fixed point cell, it operates at approximately -56.6 °C. We are unable to realise the triple point or to measure the temperature with a sufficiently low uncertainty, not for lack of equipment or commercial service, but for the need of novel realisation and measurement techniques for this new calibration point, both for the thermal performance and for determining the purity of the CO2\. We believe that by leveraging the experience and expertise of the NMI community (i.e. NPL) we can commercialise the CO2 cell, which would solve or reduce the need to use hazardous mercury, reassuring the measurement community and eliminating the environmental concerns over mercury, and giving Isotech a significant commercial advantage in the international marketplace.

At Nyobolt, we are working on creating an ultra-fast charging lithium-ion battery that can be used in both electric vehicles and consumer goods applications, minimizing downtime by shortening the recharging period, and reframing customer's expectations about where and how we can use batteries. Developed at the University of Cambridge, Nyobolt's ultra-fast charging technology uses niobium tungsten oxides (NWO) as battery anode materials. Conventional lithium-ion materials typically contain graphite or lithium titanate (LTO) as anodes and suffer from both safety and performance issues, the latter due in part to their inherently slow lithium ion movement throughout the material. In contrast, NWOs enable lithium ions to move rapidly though their structures - with ion diffusion coefficients that are several orders of magnitude higher than those in e.g., LTO. This is the key to their ability to be used for a quicker charge and higher power in a battery. What's more, these high ion mobilities can be achieved without nanosizing. This has a significant impact on sustainability - we can avoid the complexity and cost of nanoparticles without compromising on the performance. Prof. Clare Grey and Dr Sai Shivareddy founded Nyobolt Limited in 2019 to bring this UK IP to market and offer a fast-charging solution to customers. In a battery cell, these anodes (which are themselves a composite material) will be paired with a typical cathode electrode and combined with a separator soaked in an electrolyte solution. The interaction of all these components and the resulting changes to the various surfaces present can have a significant impact on the performance of the battery during its operation. Small changes in the chemistry and cycling conditions can have a big influence on key performance indicators, such as lifetime, rate-performance, and capacity retention. These will also impact the overall safety of the cell. This project seeks to study these changes to the surface using techniques at the National Physical Laboratory which provide both sufficient sensitivity and complementary information (e.g. SIMS, Raman, XPS), which are not currently readily available in routine R&D work programs at Nyobolt. By understanding the surface, we can tailor solutions by changing the battery chemistry or electrochemical conditions during cycling to target improved performance, creating a better product to out-compete current state-of-the-art technology. A better fast-charging battery can enable the wider and faster adoption of electric vehicles in UK and electrification more generally and contribute to the UK's net-zero strategy.

Prior Scientific are looking for an innovative solution to develop Queensgate control for Z/tip/tilt and tip/tilt nanopositioning stages and effective strategies for calibration. The project proposed will require further development of the NPL nanopositioning test rig using a combination of interferometers and autocollimators to measure angular displacement where angular movements are dominant. This equipment will map the performance of the Z/tip/tilt and tip/tilt stages such that control strategies and appropriate calibration rigs can be developed for Queensgate Z/tip/tilt stages. It is anticipated that this will allow us to further develop semiconductor and photonics solutions with potential for multi-axis solutions with five and six axes.

Finden and NPL are working together to develop novel statistical and machine-learning based methods to reduce the noise levels for chemical imaging and tomography datasets. The proposed approaches will result in clearer images with sharper associated spectra/patterns, aiding interpretation and quantification of the data. The approach will be applicable to many different forms of hyperspectral/scattering based characterisation, both chemical mapping and chemical computed tomography (CT) e.g. XRF-CT/mapping, XRD-CT/mapping, IR , as well as having potential benefits to more conventional imaging methods such as X-ray-CT. Successful denoising will allow us to work with weaker signals than before, opening up possibilities for faster measurement times (resulting in cost savings that can be passed on to the customer), resulting in higher throughput of chemical characterisation, but also the option of maintaining image quality but with a reduced X-ray dose - of benefit to medical imaging.

In recent years, significant progress with optical clocks has been achieved, such that they clearly outperform current primary standards of time and frequency. The currently established key comparison for time and frequency uses satellite-based techniques to provide international consistency with 10E-16 fractional uncertainty. Optical fibre links between a few NMI laboratories in Europe are available and can enable clock comparisons with low 1E-18 uncertainty, but these are limited by relativistic effects. To overcome these limitations and to compare optical clocks that cannot be interconnected via optical fibre links, this project will develop travelling frequency standards with performance exceeding the current state-of-the-art. The use of these transportable optical clock (TOCs) as frequency standards will be evaluated by the project and their feasibility for use in future key comparisons will be demonstrated.

**Automatic cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) sample preparation system from Linkam to tackle inconsistency and bottlenecks in cryo-EM workflow** The development of cryo-EM has made high resolution structural information of proteins and cellular components available to researchers in biological studies and drug discovery. A Nobel prize for cryo-EM was awarded in 2017 ([https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2017/press-release/][0]). Conventional cryo-EM relies on the rapid freezing of samples (protein particles or cellular components) in vitrified ice to preserve structures down to molecular level. This can be achieved by plunge-freezing, however, the typical machines and processes used for the plunge freezing are mostly manual and use conventional blotting paper. This substantial user-dependent process always lead to poor consistency, and is considered as a bottleneck of the overall cryo-EM workflow. The novel design of the Linkam CryoGenium robotic sample preparation system has optimised the sample freezing process of cryo-EM using a Linkam - patented design for the adjustment of the sample film thickness automatically. CryoGenium provides a single platform for controlled cryogenic conditions and eliminates any undesirable user-dependent effects during the sample preparation process. This current A4i project intends to perform a structured investigation of vitrified sample (ice) quality using a defined set of samples. The ice thickness is determined by energy filter measurements and a built-in cryo-EM imaging system. The set of quantitative measurements will give better insights into the relationship between instrument settings and the quality of sample results. Further system optimisation based on statistical parameters will be achieved to further improve repeatability and sample uniformity compared to conventional sample freezing methods. A secondary goal of the project is to enhance the user-friendliness of the instrument and software with feedback from this extended trial. Overall this new device can help to further establish cryo-EM as a routine tool to study cellular and molecular structures with implications for the understanding disease mechanisms and the design of drugs. [0]: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2017/press-release/

GMECH will deliver an Innovation Accelerator for hydrogen technologies. It has 2 strands (1) technical innovation, in relation to the materials challenges & measurement challenges for Fuel Cells and Electrolysers and (2) SME capacity building through Business Model and Product Innovation activity The GMECH Cluster will form a critical element of a wider innovation eco-system with all elements of the value chain, building upon existing strengths in Greater Manchester and the Manchester Fuel Cell innovation Centre, the University of Manchester, Henry Royce Institute, and the National Physical Laboratories (NPL). This will form a vital part of a national hydrogen development programme, accelerating the development and adoption of clean, efficient electrochemical hydrogen technologies and put Greater Manchester at the core of internationally leading R&D, the creation of highly skilled jobs, and drive inward investment.

Gaussion produce unique electromagnetic systems that reduce the resistances within lithium-ion batteries. Lower resistances result in faster charging and longer lifetimes for electric vehicles (EVs), two factors that urgently require improvement if EVs are to become comparable to traditional combustion vehicles. In collaboration with the Science and Technology Facility Council (STFC), and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), this project is focused on developing highly advanced measurement and analysis methods that characterise electromagnetic fields across four dimensions (three spatial dimensions plus time). The application of electromagnetic fields to electrochemical systems (magneto-electrochemistry) is an emerging field and currently lacks the essential standardisation and benchmarking required for efficient and rapid scale-up of products. This project seeks to establish repeatable standards that will allow magneto-electrochemistry applications to be accurately measured and analysed, accelerating the commercialisation of magneto-enhancement products.

Over 250 million antibiotic prescriptions are issued annually; nearly half are done blindly. Incorrect prescriptions lead to drug resistant infections, which kill 1.2 million people annually and will kill more people than cancer by 2050\. FluoretiQ's mission is to provide clinicians with rapid tests to make their first antibiotic prescription, the right prescription. Our rapid testing platforms (NANOPLEX & SCFI) reduce diagnosis and antibiotic selection turnaround time from days to minutes, making the first prescription, the right prescription. NANOPLEX is an advanced latex agglutination test that uses glycan probes and machine learning to identify and quantify bacteria in 15 mins rather than 2 days, with over 90% accuracy. The first of our products is (codenamed) P5; a 15-minute diagnostic test from the NANOPLEX family. P5 addresses the unmet need for accurate point of care testing of urinary tract infections (UTIs) that affects 150 million people globally each year. P5 will provide a clear treat/do not treat evidence from the first consultation. P5 identifies the most important uropathogens. For this project, FluoretiQ will collaborate with experts from the National Physics Laboratory (NPL) and Newton Gateway to Mathematics (Newton) to create a mathematical model of the NANOPLEX assay which will help identify additional control parameters for maintaining performance of the test.

Aletheia Imaging Solutions Ltd is an industrial metrology spin-out from The University of Manchester and is commercialising cutting edge technology that is opening up new possibilities for the use of additive manufacturing (AM) in the aerospace, automotive, defence, medical, nuclear and semiconductor industries. AM is a powerful novel manufacturing method, capable of producing components with far greater geometric complexities than could be realised with traditional methods for significantly lower cost. AM faces a major barrier to its widespread adoption caused by defects that can be randomly introduced into components produced by AM in the manufacturing process. These defects can cause a component to fail, rendering AM unsuitable for the production of mission critical parts. X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) is a non-destructive imaging modality that allows AM components to be inspected for internal defects, thereby permitting the integrity of parts intended for mission critical applications to be verified. Aletheia offers a patent pending 3D calibration target and automated software solution that facilitates the determination of spatial resolution, measurement errors and measurement confidence of datasets acquired by X-ray CT. Aletheia's technology enables the performance of X-ray CT imaging systems to be validated, allowing for the measurements taken from X-ray CT scans to be applied to real components, including AM parts. In this A4I funded project, Aletheia will work with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the extensive instrumentation and expertise available there to develop a certification routine that will allow the feature dimensions on the 3D calibration targets themselves to be validated. In order for the 3D calibration target to return precise measurements of the metrological performance of an X-ray CT system, it is important that the dimensions of features on the calibration targets are known accurately. This grant will fund experts at NPL to explore the use of various measurement techniques, including coordinate measurement machine (CMM), optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), for the measurement of feature dimensions on Aletheia's 3D calibration targets. NPL will also assist Aletheia in automating these measurement routines, enabling the developed certification method to be applied at scale to large volumes of Aletheia's devices. Work will also be carried out by Aletheia to integrate the measurements obtained during certification into Aletheia's automated analysis software and to adapt the methodology such that it is consistent with existing ASTM, ISO and VDI standards in X-ray CT.

The Pilot Accelerator for the National Institute of Quantum Integration (The NiQi Pilot) proposed by the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (JWNC) at the University of Glasgow (UoG) aims to build an engineering capability that will aid the growth of the Scottish photonics and quantum cluster. It seeks funding to appoint design, test and manufacturing engineers, utilise the embedded expertise and skill of the JWNC and senior UoG academic researchers, and enable industry to deliver innovative products that open up new markets. Huge growth is predicted for photonics and quantum markets -- and companies first to market with innovative solutions will reap significant commercial benefits. The IA project provides the critical mass of resource and expertise to take on projects that are too risky for any one company to invest in alone, opening up volume market opportunities and helping local companies achieve faster and larger growth in sales, exports and high value jobs. It will enable Scottish companies to get products to market quicker and achieve faster and larger growth in sales, exports and high value jobs by: \*building cross supply chain collaborative projects that synergise existing Scottish industrial expertise \*providing additional central R&D resource that can augment and accelerate industry's internal R&D activities on product development \*providing a mechanisms to de-risk products and shorten time to market. In the delivery phase, the NiQi pilot delivers 5 specific projects identified by the local cluster, each addressing applications and sectors with huge growth potential. The funding also creates a Centre with a management and engineering structure designed for long term sustainability. The management team will identify additional projects past the IA delivery phase that attract other funding, ensuring the long term future of the Centre as an important Scottish asset. The IA project also has the potential to leverage additional UKRI investment of almost £60m to Glasgow, directly creating 40 high value jobs and catalysing the creation of many more. It demonstrates the model for a larger initiative proposed by the UoG called the National Institute of Quantum Integration (NiQi) involving the creation of a quantum National Integration Hub. This Hub will engineer quantum solutions using building blocks from across the UK. It will act as a front door for global industry to engage with UK quantum expertise, position Glasgow as a world leader in quantum technology, and be a beacon for further inward investment to the City.

Greater Manchester (GM) has world class research capability in developing advanced materials and has a growing materials innovation cluster within the city region. Globally there is a gap in companies able to provide sustainable materials for manufacturing supply chains, and also a market failure in industries ability to scale up and adopt sustainable materials in manufacturing applications. This presents a major economic opportunity for GM -- and there are plans to realise this through GM Combined Authority's (GMCA's) and Rochdale Development Agency's (RDA's) development of a Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials & Sustainability (CEAMS), which will be built in Atom Valley/Rochdale. Our programme, "Supply Chain Pilots for the Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials & Sustainability (p-CEAMS)", supports GMCAs ambitions in the development of CEAMS, leveraging GM's existing strength in materials research, alongside the UK's High Value Manufacturing Catapult's (HVMC's) competency in building supply chain capability. Our programme: 1) Addresses current supply chain gaps in provision of sustainable advanced materials by: \*Connecting regional businesses to National supply chain needs in advanced materials including polymers, composites, biomaterials, technical textiles, coatings, and digital manufacturing of materials (Materials 4.0) \*Supporting regional businesses to develop solutions to these needs \*Demonstrating scale up AND application of new advanced materials and digital technologies in industrial processes, through collaborative pilot projects 2) Supports the development of CEAMS and ensures this becomes a long-term capability for GM by transferring activity and follow-on work into the CEAMS -- creating starter pipelines for this investment 3) Uses the activity to catalyse strategic links to inward investment, accelerating advanced materials business clustering in GM through collaborative creation of new material supply chain enterprises, and through the attraction of existing advanced material supply chain companies to GM. Our consortium, comprised of Rochdale Development Agency (RDA), University of Manchester (UoM) Institutes (Royce, GEIC, SMI Hub), National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Science and Technologies Facilities Council (UKRI-STFC), and the UK's High Value Manufacturing Catapult, will exploit existing infrastructure within GM and nationally to catalyse cross-sector and cross-supply chain collaborations, developing viable business models to ensure quality and sustainability of AdM systems that deliver innovations, revenue and productivity/GVA benefits for GM businesses and the region .

DML's GaitSmart system uses Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) to measure how a person's limbs move when they walk. This data is then presented in a simple to read report and can also be used to determine a personalised exercise plan. There are many conditions that affect the way a person walks, including osteoarthritis, frailty, stroke and Parkinson's Disease. With the early onset of conditions, changes from a normal gait pattern are small, and therefore it is essential that the measurement system is accurate to within a degree. And for a Medical Device this accuracy should be referenced back to SI Units. DML has already ascertained the accuracy from steady state cyclic motion through a previous successful A4i project with NPL. The aim of this project is to extend this so that it includes the accuracy when natural interferences are introduced as a result of medical conditions and gait events such as heel strike. In order to do this the IMU needs to be subjected to an impulse response during cyclic movement in the different planes. The orientation measured using a metrology system and the IMU response will then be used to determine the transfer function. This transfer function can then be used to determine the expected accuracy under any motion that the IMU may be exposed to. This approach will be applicable for any company with an IMU based system and will provide a reference standard back to SI units. As wearable technology becomes more widespread the need for a reference standard becomes essential. This project will enable NPL to offer the solution developed in this project.

Novosound is a Scotland-based SME specialising in developing and commercialising ultrasound sensors manufactured using a novel thin film technique instead of a traditional ceramic manufacturing technique. The core of our business is the deposition of our thin film material, which is then used to fabricate our ultrasonic transducers. These products are sold globally to blue-chip customers across energy, aviation, healthcare and wearables. The thin film is manufactured using a reactive sputtering process, allowing the material to be grown efficiently and in a well-controlled manner. The generation of ultrasound relies on the piezoelectric effect, which arises through a tightly controlled crystal structure in the thin film. Understanding how our thin film coating is affected by deposition parameters from a deep material science perspective is critical in increasing the yield of sensors that pass QA and improving the acoustic output of our whole product line. This will greatly benefit the business in terms of commercial revenues and the development of new products and applications in health wearables and medical imaging. In this project, we aim to use the material science and metrology expertise and equipment provided by NPL to truly understand, experimentally, our piezoelectric thin films at the nano and micron scale and the further fabrication and integration of these sensors into our global product offering. This will enable us to continue our mission of pushing the limits of ultrasound in medical, industrial and wearable markets and solve some of the biggest challenges in healthcare and remote monitoring.

The growing environmental challenges have made decarbonisation a global priority. Renewable energy is key for decarbonisation, but their broad deployment requires **sufficient energy storage technologies** to balance the mismatch of intermittent renewable supply with electricity demand. Towards this goal, hydrogen has been rightfully acknowledged as a highly suitable renewable energy carrier. Hydrogen is **notoriously difficult to store**, as conventional storage methods require extreme conditions (e.g. high pressures or low temperatures). At H2GO we have **developed and deployed** a solid-state hydrogen storage technology that is a **safer, cheaper and denser alternative** to conventional storage technologies. Our technology exploits the reversible chemical bond that hydrogen forms with other molecules, allowing for storing and releasing hydrogen in cycles to be carried out **several thousand times**. However, while applying these cycles in our patented storage technology, we observed an **oxidation effect** when our storage materials are **exposed to oxygen and water molecules** (e.g. moisture present in air) which can affect their performance and lifetime. As we scale up production, our manual reactor filling process **needs to be upgraded to an automated process** while **mitigating any oxidation effects** during filling. Thus understanding the exact effects of oxidation and when they are most likely to occur will allow a targeted process for filling our reactors, in turn making our product more efficient and competitive. Using the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) state-of-art facilities and expertise in preparing reference gases, we will carry out **a detailed investigation of these oxidation effects** for our storage materials, providing valuable information on the most suitable automatic filling process to adopt. We will be using nano-SIMS (Secondary Ions Mass Spectrometry), to define the effects and extent of oxidation caused by a set of specially prepared reference gases. SIMS is **one of the rare techniques that can map the distribution of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes**, at 100 nm spatial resolution. We will use this method to **examine the relation of our hydrogen storage materials with oxygen and water molecules** together with the effects that they may bring to our materials. There are **few laboratories globally** that have these capabilities and expertise **all under one roof**, and thus NPL is well positioned to undertake these measurement challenges.

Croft Filters have developed a metal porous filter product range that can deliver filtration at the few micron range. This filter type is employed in industry to remove small particulates from fluid in production processes to prevent damage to processes and product contamination. Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology is used to manufacture the metal AM porous filters. The filter is built layer by layer and by using different build settings the porosity of the filter can be increased or decreased. The shape and size of the filter can be customised to suit individual end-user applications. AM manufacture does not require tooling and metallic powder can be recycled thus reducing material waste. Metal sintered filters, which deliver filtration at a low micron level, future market share will reach $2.7bn by 2030, however a limitation in this market growth is in the customisation of production lines, including tooling, which delays manufacturing. AM porous filters are produced without tooling and this allows rapid customisation and production enabling entry to this market. However, Croft are unable to supply customers with the filter specification. Conventional filters, made from woven wire mesh, have a known aperture size that is the filtration level. Determination of this filtration level has been sought using X-Ray Computer Topography, mercury testing and high powdered microscopy, but no providers have been able to accurately determine the pore size and thus the filtration level. NPL in a preliminary study provided indicative evidence that particle assays could be able to provide a route to filtration specification of the Croft porous AM filters. In this sturdy NPL will investigate particle analysis to determine the pore size in metal porous filters made with different densities, determine if the filter shape affects the filtration level with a same porosity and validate more cost effective measurement solutions and techniques which can be employed by Croft directly on their own premises. Solving this problem will enable Croft filters to provide filter specification to customers, supporting sales and will support market penetration resulting in increased revenue and market share.

This project aim to develop a calibration method for quantitative dimensional evaluation of battery internal structure with XCT, in partnership with a research partner with metrology expertise. The outcome of the project is expected to make our solution of AI-powered analysis of XCT inspection more competitive, with the possibility to offer a tracible measurement accuracy to the customers of battery industry. The objectives of the project include: * To develop and produce a phantom with known calibrated defects and distance.(NPL) * To manufacture battery cell samples with the phantom insert, to get the scanning conditions as close to the real condition as possible. (UKBIC+Waygate) * To scan the samples with XCT to generate volumetric data, and analyze the XCT data to check /determine the deviation of scanned data from the calibration data. (Waygate +NPL+UKBIC) The deliverables will be a calibration method for the battery ADR software, which include: 1. The phantom to calibrate the ADR. 2. The evaluation process.

LightOx are a drug development company based in Newcastle upon Tyne that has made its light-activated products, known as LightOx Probes, available to other researchers to enable them to understand biological processes that occur in a cell. LightOx has shown that their Probe molecules are capable of emitting fluorescence when they are activated by light, allowing researchers to see where a Probe is situated inside a cell. However, while fluorescence measurements can show researchers where these molecules are localised, they cannot accurately tell us how much is there. To solve this problem, researchers around the world are beginning to demonstrate a new imaging technique, combined fluorescence and Raman imaging, that incorporates Raman (a form of light scattering) measurements along with light from fluorescence to answer both of these "Where?" and "How much?" questions. One disadvantage to this technique is that it requires specially-designed probes that are capable of both fluorescence and Raman measurements; there is no on-market probe that satisfies these conditions, significantly slowing the advancement of this fascinating technique that promises to help researchers answer complex biological questions. LightOx believe that many of their LightOx Probes exhibit unique structures that are capable of this new imaging technique, but they are a small company (10 employees) and lack the expertise and equipment required to demonstrate their probes' capabilities in these experiments. To solve this, LightOx have partnered with two of the world's leading technology facilities, the Central Laser Facility (CLF) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), on this A4I project to characterise the Raman properties of their LightOx probes and use these measurements to demonstrate utility in this new imaging technique. The CLF and NPL are equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation to measure these properties, and these experiments will enable customers to use LightOx Probes to utilise combined fluorescence and Raman imaging and also allow LightOx to learn more about their novel technology. LightOx already sell LightOx Probes through a market-leading worldwide distributor and have noted that there are no probes currently marketed for combined fluorescence and Raman imaging. Hence, LightOx sees an opportunity to fill an emerging and potentially lucrative market gap, and we have partnered with the CLF and NPL to undertake this ambitious project that aims to establish a new application for LightOx products. These Probes have potential to enable researchers across the world to make new discoveries in fields such as cancer, cell biology and therapeutics.

Professional sports are a high-risk industry due to the potential of injury, with football being one of the top three sports with the highest amount of injuries. Catapult Sports have estimated that the average cost of an injury is ~£200,000 in fixed wages, with English Premier League teams losing an average of £45 million per season due to injuries. There is therefore a clear unmet need for elite sports teams to rely on a tool that allows them to monitor athletes and collect data on them, in order to understand players' physiology and identify early signs of fatigue/risk of injury. KYMIRA have developed smart leggings for elite sports athletes, which will later be adapted for a healthcare application, embedded with sensors that detect movement and heart rate parameters. A4I funding will allow us to work closely with NPL to resolve some issues we have experienced with our sensors, in order to provide an accurate measurement.

Porotech is an emerging Gallium Nitride (GaN) material technology developer and a spin-out from the University of Cambridge. We develop commercial-quality epi-wafers using innovative porosification technology, enabling our customers to unleash the potential of GaN electronics and optoelectronics. By introducing nano-pores (10-50 nm) into epitaxial film (50nm-5µm) at wafer-scale (6, 8, 12 inches), the whole wafer's optical, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties become tuneable. In Nov 2020, Porotech launched the disruptive Native Red Epi-wafer (Red emission from InGaN-based epi-structure) for microLED applications. In May 2022, Porotech launched full colour MicroLED displays with DynamicPixelTuning (DPT) Technology, enabling a pixel's emission to be tune to any wavelength in the visible range using a simple drive scheme. So our platform technology based on porous GaN not only red-shifts the InGaN LED's emission, but also can dynamically tune its colours from red to blue. Through this project we will establish the correlation between the colour tuneability and microstructures in MQW LED built on porous wafers. This will accelerate development progress for more efficient microLED products, resulting in lower cost, reduced risk, and much higher manufacturing yield. This knowledge will be transformed into Porotech's competitive advantage over those companies that do not invest in fundamental understanding, and hence potentially afford us leadership in microLED market share. Our aim is to supply porous wafer materials for microLED with dominant advantages. By our collaboration, we believe NPL and Porotech will contribute significantly to the national economy, especially within the deep-tech sector.

Air void density is an essential aspect of the quality assurance of pavement construction. Therefore, in newly built asphalt pavement the industry specifications require assessment of asphalt layers thicknesses as well as air void density in the pavement surface layer. These measured values need to comply with the industry standards and failure to comply will expose the contractor to fines and re-work. The method currently used in the industry to assess the quality of newly constructed asphalt pavement consists of extracting cores and sending them to the laboratory. This method enables the contractor the measure the asphalt layers thickness and air void density in the asphalt. However, the method is intrusive, destructive, costly and time consuming. This project will look into the possibility of developing a technology that will measure the air void density in asphalt on-site, quickly and non-destructively, preferably during pavement construction. Success of this project will enable NDT Consultants to offer a complete method that will measure both the asphalt layers thicknesses and air void content in newly built tarmac onsite and non-destructively.

Sphere Fluidics Limited is an established Life Sciences company based in Cambridge, UK. We provide tools for biopharmaceutical organisations which include instruments and cartridges based on novel microfluidics. This project addresses the speed and efficiency of a critical quality control test which is required to validate the Cyto-Mine single cell analysis system. The approach is expected to yield a 15X reduction in time, yielding significant cost savings for the business and helping our biopharmaceutical customers to complete their projects faster, bringing new therapeutics to market sooner.

Zinergy UK, a Cambridge based company, developing printed and flexible batteries joins forces with NPL, a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science to tackle Zinergy's technical challenges and to develop a rechargeable battery product more rapidly. Zinergy's environmentally friendly and safe battery chemistry combined with rechargeability will be an enabler for green Internet of Things applications to improve user wellbeing and experience.

Aceleron has developed lithium batteries that employ compression technology in place of the traditionally used spot welding, this enables the batteries to be the world's most maintainable battery on the market. However with the innovation in the design comes some hesitation in the industry, Aceleron must now test and demonstrate the capabilities of the compression technology in the context of the performance of the battery packs. To do so NPL and ASTUTE have collaborated with Aceleron to propose a project that will use Finite Element Analysis (FEA) as well as world leading practical measurements of the battery performance in environmentally controlled conditions, to create build an understanding of the current design's performance and limitations and also a validated model to benefit future product development. The physical measurements performed by NPL will analyse the homogeneity of the pressure applied to all of the cells within a pack, how this may change in different environments and the affect this may have on the performance of the batteries. This analysis will be performed by experts in the electrochemistry field and guided in the battery design by Aceleron. The modelling aspect will be carried out by industry leading experts at the ASTUTE centre of excellence that have a wealth of talent, experience and tools capable of modelling the battery design and assessing the performance and impact of thermal fluctuations on the battery. The two aspects combined provide a powerful and valuable validated model of the battery that will provide lasting value to Aceleron and the UK economy as the SME grows.

A method for quantifying the plastic deformation of cutting tool materials that is experienced during machining of high value manufactured components is needed to increase process efficiency (by at least 25%) and reduce energy use and material wastage. Its more accurate quantification would achieve these improvements by enabling better material selection for machining of complex metallic materials such as hardened steels and Nickel alloys commonly used in the aerospace manufacturing industry. It would also help accelerate the development of new tool material grades. Plastic deformation of tooling materials (WC-Co cemented carbide) causes failure of the machining tools by accelerating wear through flaking of the hard coatings applied and then erosion of the tool material itself. The mechanisms of this deformation are not understood in part because it is so difficult to quantify. External measurement of wear to the tool geometry during use gives some indication of what is happening but uncertainties in the measured wear volume are not understood and certainly have not been correlated with measurement of the plastically deformed microstructure below the surface. Development of methods of quantifying plastic deformation in the microstructure and external tool wear in three dimensions under different machining conditions would help to identify the key characteristics of the material microstructure that resist wear and thus lead to better material selection and development of new material grades with improved microstructures.

Lightricity has developed world leading efficiency indoor photovoltaic (PV) technology capable of powering a multitude of small wireless devices e.g. for wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT). The company currently sells its unique indoor PV component technology to IoT device developers and also offers PV- powered IoT devices to systems integrators and IoT solution providers. In order to test our products in the full range of lighting conditions likely to be experienced by the devices and therefore demonstrate performance potential vs battery-powered devices, we have developed a family of affordable, portable light simulators (LightBox). As well as helping address our internal needs, the LightBox is currently sold to researchers and PV-powered device developers. Currently LightBox sales are limited by its accuracy and lack of confirmed performance relative to any validated measurement approaches. Accuracy is adequate for performance determination in relatively bright indoor lighting scenarios but is insufficient to accurately quantify PV and IoT device batch variability, longer term stability of performance and clear, verifiable differences in performances between technologies and devices at the lowest light levels. These are critical to us and other developers when working with ultra-low power electronics and very low levels of light. Additionally, our own PV-powered IoT devices would be more marketable if we can confirm their performance more accurately and by reference to verified characterisation of the LightBox. A significant barrier to customer adoption of light-powered IoT devices is being able to convince them of performance across the full range of lighting levels that they may encounter. A battery is a safe if rather short term, high maintenance and unsustainable power solution. We need to fully characterise and optimise the LightBox product in order to improve its performance. Working with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) brings access to unique custom measurement capabilities, expertise and linkage to standards development. The project will help us improve the accuracy of the LightBox and ensure that it is aligned to future international standards. This will increase customer confidence in this product and make it a unique, low-cost testing tool for PV-powered IoT devices.

DuoVIAL is a unique, patented, pharmaceutical primary packaging system, enabling safer, easier and more efficient reconstitution of lyophilised biological formulations, including vaccines and diagnostic reagents. Designed to Protect, Mix & Deliver, respectively the product, healthcare professionals, patients and the planet, the system is more cost effective, more compact and efficient in its' materials utilisation, whilst consisting of recyclable glass and aluminium materials. Advanced laser technologies have now evolved sufficiently to make this solution technically viable, as well as exceptionally scalable to enable commercial advantages. The ultimate application, achieving the greatest impact within global healthcare, is for lyophilised vaccines, shipped via the cold chain to developing markets. The product advantages can equally be applied to other high-value sectors, including Diagnostics, Probiotics, Wound Care and Medical Devices. Application of these laser technologies has typically been optimised for flat screen electronic displays, e.g. mobile phones, silicon wafers. Significantly more challenging is the application and optimisation of the Lasered Annular Cleave Ring (LACR) process applicable to DuoVIAL's inherently complex 3D form, having relatively significant variability and tolerances. The primary objective is to ensure the consistent 'clean-cleave' activation of a single aesthetic disc within the reconstituted formulation. Underpinning the quality assurance of current product and enabling DuoVIAL applications to expand into more challenging and regulated healthcare markets requires the development of New Metrology & Vision Inspection Systems, which can quantifiably measure, semi-transparent, µm LACR features, inline, on 100% of components and feedback into the high speed LACR process, resulting in optimised laser processing parameters. The cost of quality, or rather the lack thereof is, wasted raw materials, reduced production efficiencies, lower quality products and market opportunities unable to be exploited. Investing in R&D to underpin quality assurance and optimised processes is critical to ensuring competitive advantage in a global market, as well as being able to continue to innovate and introduce new products to market and challenge the status quo.

This Interoperability Flagship project will develop an innovative Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning powered interoperability layer as a core capability of Digital Catapult's Digital Supply Chain Innovation Hub (DSCH). The project aims to speed up and automate the flow of information across supply chains to optimise the flows of products and money, strengthening the resilience and sustainability of UK manufacturers. We aim to do this by overcoming one of the key blockers of information flow: Inadequate interoperability where systems are not able to communicate seamlessly for the purpose of exchanging, interpreting and using data to improve decision making. For this project we are focused on optimising engineering and carbon data flows for Network Rail's Transpennine Route Upgrade using the Treasury funded Shared Digital Carbon Architecture programme as the core framework and digital tools to integrate with. The project will bring together leading stakeholders from across industry: Network Rail, Costain, Mott MacDonald, Bentley Systems, Digital Catapult, and National Physical Laboratory. We will use cutting edge AI/ML techniques, in combination with foundational data/semantic models, to infer and guide connections between system interfaces and generate interoperability dynamically across supply chain systems. This would then result in a new approach to interoperability that will enable the supply chain to be digitalised, optimised and sustained quickly enough to meet UK wide goals such as climate, productivity, resilience and monitoring of policy. The principal outcome for participating businesses will be to transform their common data environments (CDE) into connected data environments. A CDE is a cloud-based space where information from construction projects is stored and access is permissioned to participants. However, the data is often low quality, incomplete and out of date. Today, to verify the emissions of a project can take a minimum of 10 weeks - if at all - whereas we aim to be able to deliver it in 10 seconds. We will achieve this by addressing the challenge from both the business model and technology solution angles. First looking at the business requirements to unlock carbon and engineering data flow, and designing the incentives and business model to support those requirements. Then we will develop the algorithms and semantic models to create the interoperability layer for this use case and can then be expanded to a variety of others that we line up during the project (such as the application across partner programmes and the broader Digital Supply Chain Hub ecosystem).

It has now been widely believed that any effectual measure for eluding the influences of climate change will need multiple large-scale solutions including new low-carbon energy production and storage. Hydrogen is a low carbon energy vector which can be employed for clean heating of buildings and generation of electricity, and transport decarbonisation. Hydrogen can be produced through a water electrolysis process using renewable energy or hydrocarbon reformation with carbon capture and storage (CCS). It can also be stored in geological formations to equilibrate energy supply and demand and enable sustainable energy storage. The main objectives of this six months project are to: - Deeply understand the technical challenges associated with the sustainable repurposing of oil & gas infrastructure, including but not limited to subsurface reservoirs, for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen applications. - Develop the innovative solutions to tackle those barriers through repurposing of our innovative technology -- Zodan Solutions' Advanced Reservoir Simulator (ResSim). In this multidisciplinary project, we will improve our first of its kind technology to facilitate the integration and reuse of existing infrastructure in the UK continental shelf (UKCS) for CCS and hydrogen applications, to enable the delivery of net zero targets by 2050\. The specific project objectives are to: 1- Develop first of its kind machine learned technology for optimisation of integrated CO2 and H2 storage in subsurface reservoirs particularly in subsea environments. 2- Develop an innovative tool and an advanced platform for determination of fluid impurities and respective influences on thermodynamic properties of CO2-/H2-rich streams. This will be greatly beneficial for tackling flow measurement, flow assurance, and geological reservoir integrity problems in the energy transition and industrial decarbonisation sectors. 3- Monitor in-vivo propagation of fronts (pressure, temperature, composition variations at interfaces, pH) as well as geochemically induced porosity and permeability alterations in presence of intricate H2 and CO2 containing fluids. 4- Unique and innovative Smart reactive fluid transport models for both CO2- and H2- containing systems at field scale.

A long established barrier to growth for the global biopolymer industry has been producing a grade of material that is bio based, low cost and home compostable. Biome Bioplastics have determined a potential method to produce a material that can be successfully composted at lower temperatures (~25oC), rather than the industry standard temperature (~55oC). This new grade of material keeps very similar material properties to existing grades of (non home compostable) biopolymers. This makes it a very attractive product within the biopolymer market, with a strong competitive edge - due to more favourable end of life credentials. Biome wish to conduct further analysis of this material to gain a deeper understanding of the root causes of the changes to the compostability. This will enable Biome to refine and monitor key measurements to improve product quality and consistency at commercial scale.

With the on-going roll-out of electric vehicles, tyres and their associated emissions are potentially becoming the biggest source of pollution from motor vehicles, but measuring them is hard. It is an important area as tyres have been identified as potentially the largest source of microplastics in the ocean, as a result of run-off into water courses. Emissions Analytics has been leading the development of real-world test methodologies, both for tyre wear rates, but also to profile the chemical composition and potential toxicological effects of the wear on humans and the wider environment. Initial work on potential regulation is underway at the United Nations. Tyre wear is more complex to measure than other emissions, including tailpipe, because tyres are part of an open system, where material abraded from tyre is 'sprayed' into the environment, where it mixes with other material - brake wear, road wear, resuspended dust and pollution from other sources. The challenge, therefore, is to be able to take a sample from on or near a vehicle and being able to estimate with good accuracy the tyre wear material contained in it, separately from the non-tyre components. Each of those pollution sources has a different chemical fingerprint, or contains unique tracers that can help separate them from each other. Without such separation, while we can measure the material lost from a tyre, we cannot fully understand in what form it is shed and where it goes. Emissions Analytics has an existing capability to measure the organic constituents of tyre wear using an in-house state-of-the art chemical analysis, using which it has developed a tyre fingerprinting database for the potentially harmful carbon-containing compounds in tyres. It has also developed a patent-pending system for physically sampling tyre wear material on a vehicle as it drives around in the real world. Therefore, many of the components required are in place to address the problem, but additional analytical expertise in both sampling optimisation and source apportionment data analysis is needed to achieve a high quality, market-ready offering. Therefore, by addressing this sampling and measurement challenge, there is the potential to unlock private sector value together with a public value in addressing current and pre-empting future environmental challenges. For Emissions Analytics, it would form an additional element to its growing suite of tyre analysis services.

First Graphene (UK) Ltd. is a UK-based company and Tier 1 partner at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre in Manchester. From this location, the company commercialises graphene products across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. We are a specialised team of scientists working on developing graphene products for the emerging graphene economy. The UK company leads corporate marketing and R&D activities which includes product and process innovations, product characterisation methodology, product registration and customer engagement. We are the world's leading supplier of graphene materials at tonnage volumes, providing industry-leading quality graphene nanoplatelets through a proprietary method, at 100 tonnes per year scale. We have stringent quality assurance methods that guarantees the performance of PureGRAPH products. The company is REACH registered for 10 tonnes of PureGRAPH product per year within the UK, EU, and is currently seeking EPA registration in the USA. We have an excellent understanding of our product quality and repeatability, and we know that there is some functionality upon our graphene products. This functionality is in the form of oxygen moieties, however, methods to date have failed to show the precise nature of the functionality, the precise quantity of this functionality, and the precise location of this functionality. We therefore require measurement expertise under the A4i program to solve this problem.

The aim of this project is to define experimental procedures and data analysis methods to 'see beyond the surface' in a depth profile using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. This will allow the analyst to understand the elemental and chemical composition of buried layers and interfaces quantitatively rather than qualitatively.

no public description

MSeis provide towed hydrophone arrays for use in noisy offshore environments to help mitigate against the harmful effects of industrial noise on cetacean species in compliance with guidelines from bodies such as JNCC, IBAMA, BOEM etc; whales, dolphins and porpoise. In order to do this effectively we require hydrophone elements that will respond to marine mammal vocalisations across the full frequency range, this is generally accepted as 1Hz-150 kHz. To prove this frequency response we test both newly manufactured and arrays returning from the field in a pool using a speaker with a controlled sweep through the entire frequency range. This can be seen as quite a subjective process as no figures are obtained from the test, we do, however, see it as the basis for an improved testing method. With our partner NPL we would like to quantify this response more accurately. The proposal is to provide better low frequency sound generation through amplifiers and specialist speakers. To create a methodology for elements situated along 10m of cable that can placed accurately and repeatedly for consistency of integrity and calibration against a known reference. This will involve the development of specific procedures and rigging designed around our array configuration. The rigging will take the form of measurable XYZ gantry to deploy reference and test hydrophones into the pool with ability to perform more accurate alignment for improved underwater measurement. Computational methods to understand how to implement and understand the results. This will hopefully lead to some basic computerised automation. In simple terms we will use a calibrated hydrophone to determine it's response to our various sound sources; this will then act as a reference so that we can then gain calibration readings for the array by comparison to the calibrated hydrophone device. This in turns provides the absolute sensitivity of the hydrophone which provide much reliable information of our arrays performance. In addition MSeis plan to use knowledge and instruction from NPL to create a variable frequency pistonphone type arrangement to test hydrophone element response at lower frequencies ideally 0-350 Hz which is hard to do in a relatively small pool. At the end of the project we will be able to test the integrity of all 4 hydrophone elements in an array. This will give our clients the confidence to prove detection capability of endangered species such as Northern Right Whale and Pygmy and Dwarf Sperm whales.

Oxford nanoSystems Ltd (OnS) is a high-tech start-up that spent the past 6 years developing nanoFLUX -- a nano-coating which dramatically improves the efficiency of two-phase heat-exchangers, such as evaporators. Our core technology, nanoFLUX is a highly-porous coating that enhances evaporative heat transfer by significantly increasing the density of nucleation sites on a surface. Unlike mechanical and sintered enhancements, nanoFLUX can be applied to internal surfaces and intricate micro-scale structures. Looking towards future applications, we acknowledge the UK's drive for sustainable energy. There is a growing demand for electrolysers that produce green hydrogen for energy storage. We chose alkaline electrolysers (AWE) from the existing electrolysis methods. In contrast to PEM, AWE electrolysers do nor require expensive noble metal catalysts at the electrodes and can offer the potential to process saline water. OnS is focussing on AWE, because it is the most mature technology and we are able to substantially improve the efficiency of the process. In this project we used a hierarchical structure including nanoFLUX to enhance the cathode electrode. This reduces the reaction overpotential by enhancing bubble nucleation and release of hydrogen. As a result, more electrolysis reactions are possible and the efficiency of the whole system will be greatly enhanced. Currently there are no technologies on the market that can offer a low cost, easy applicable solution. We needed to quantify nanoFLUX performance in AWE hydrogen bubble formation in comparison to uncoated or SotA samples. To achieve this, NPL designed a flow cell test rig and provided independent measurements. This was supposed to enable OnS to offer our coating service to electrolyser manufacturers and thus providing the company with an additional revenue stream. The output of the project was a report detailing the performance and accelerated lifetime testing on the coating material in AWE application. NPL gained a test rig and expand the range of services it can offer. In this continuation project we will close the project. NPL's test rig is running and all the measurements from our A4i project an be completed. OnS will gain very interesting results from a research perspective. Also we will be able to approach our potential customers with a very attractive product. We are applying with strong support by NPL for a continuation in order to get to a point where we can fully exploit the results.

Our company, DZP Technologies (DZP), have developed graphene strain sensors which provide an alternative to conventional metal strain gauges. To produce the sensors, we use graphene and other conductive inks which are formulated and produced in the company. In this project, we aim to validate the performance of the graphene sensor and understand how the sensor material changes during and after operation. The project is a collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) who will characterise any structural and chemical changes to the materials in our sensors to obtain a better understanding of the mechanism of the electrical resistance change.

Nanosurf, an established but fast growing Scanning Probe Microscope manufacturer, has developed a new surface imaging mode that appears to both increase both imaging resolution and the lifespan of the imaging probes used during scanning. As this microscope is working down to the atomic scale specialized facilities would be required to monitor such changes in a quantifiable way. The aim of the project is to test this observation in a metrological manner, by partnering with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in order to develop a protocol to quantifiably measure resolution changes over time as the tip wears.

Latent Drive Ltd are working together with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to scale up manufacture of **Catrodes**, which combine catalyst and electrode for making Green Hydrogen by electrolysis of water. Catrodes are an alternative to rare platinum group metal catalysts, and are simple to mass produce, enabling Green Hydrogen production to be scaled up massively. Latent Drive Ltd is an early stage deep-tech start-up. We originally developed Catrodes as part of our Oxygen Cell project to provide a portable generator of medical oxygen to treat Covid-19 patients, supported by Innovate UK during the UK's pandemic response. Now we are scaling up Catrodes for a new market which needs larger sizes and larger production volumes. The catalysing process becomes more difficult to control at larger sizes, so we have partnered with NPL who will use their specialist expertise in electro-chemical measurements to analyse and improve our process control. The worlds economies are dependent on fossil fuels which in turn accelerate global warming. There is a process of huge change as we transition to renewable energy supplies instead. The Russian invasion has driven home the urgency and scale of this change, revealing Europe's dependency on imported fossil fuels. Green Hydrogen is an essential part of the coming Green Economy, and is made by electrolysis of water separating H2O into hydrogen and oxygen. But electrolysers powered by off-shore wind are currently dependent on rare and expensive materials. State-of-the-art electrolyser technology suits off-shore wind power, but the acidic chemistry demands exotic materials including Iridium and platinum catalysts. We need to scale up a thousand-fold, but there is simply not enough Iridium and platinum available for the world to produce Green Hydrogen at the scale needed to avert climate change. So Latent Drive have developed the Catrode process to mass produce catalysts from ordinary metals which are abundant and cheap. This A4I project will give us access to the world leading expertise and facilities of NPL, and help us to massively scale our process to tackle the challenges of climate change. **Catrode -- the catalyst is the electrode; the electrode is the catalyst!**

Stem cells are a powerful tool in biomedical research and applications, including generation of complex _in vitro_ models, disease modelling, cell therapy and drug discovery. Furthermore, stem cells can differentiate to form different types of cells, tissues and organs and can be grown to mimic diseases such as cancer and other tissue-related disorders. Within the stem cell environment, differentiation is influenced by extracellular matrix components and growth factors, which provide key instructive signals. Of particular interest are their use in generating organoids (mini organs), where clusters of stem cells come together to mimic the native microenvironment of tissues and organs. A motivation for the use of stems cells is their extraordinary potential of changing our understanding of basic biology, and the development of complex preclinical models. They also have the capacity to reduce animal usage in research and development. The growth and differentiation of stem cells in 3-dimensional (3D) have largely been demonstrated with the use of commercially available animal-derived product (3D gel). As well as ethical issues involved in its harvest, this product have significant batch-to-batch variability occurring from inter-individual species and inter-supplier variation. This animal-derived 3D gel also demonstrates thermo-responsive properties, displaying liquid properties at 4oC but forming a gel at room temperature. This significantly impacts how scientists work with it and its translational capacity in high-throughput applications, as these parameters are not compatible with essential high throughput and robotic systems. Most experiments using this product are therefore not reproducible and make data interpretation difficult. To fully understand the differentiation ability of stem cells and develop their capacity to reduce animal usage in research, it is imperative to have a non-animal derived 3D gel that shows consistent batch production, easy to handle properties for better translation in a laboratory or clinical setting. Our PeptiGel(r) products are biologically relevant, synthetic hydrogels that mimic a tissues' cellular environment through having tuneable properties to simulate the natural extracellular matrix of a native tissue. They have been shown to support the growth of a variety of cell types. However robust data of PeptiGels(r) interactions with stem cell populations is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this project is to reproducibly assess and validate PeptiGel(r) products to understand the ideal growth and differentiation environmental conditions for human mesenchymal stem cell culture. The successful completion of this project will drive forward PeptiGel(r) market penetration, further develop solutions for mesenchymal stem cell work and increase revenue.

There is no obvious and simple method for bonding a lens made of a high Refractive Index (RFI) material to the surface of photodiodes that are used to capture optical frequency signals. Any air gap unavoidably constrains the optical field of view and the potential to capture light across much larger angles is wasted unless a direct and optically efficient bonding technique can be found. For lower refractive index optics, adhesives can be used but since those available have a maximum RFI below 2.0, none can be used for lenses with a higher RFI. If used, there would be significant back reflections at the interface of the adhesive and lens and usable incidence angles inside the high RFI optics would be limited. 3D printing of optics directly onto the surface is not feasible because there are currently no resins with an RFI greater than 2\. Tethir wishes to find and validate a workable approach to bonding photodiodes to the exit aperture of high RFI lenses with the bonding area diameter in the range 0.5 - 3 mm but it lacks the resources needed to carry out the investigations. The most likely methods for achieving high coupling efficiency require the surfaces in contact to be extremely clean and flat (< 1nm surface roughness). The surface roughness of the lens exit surface will need to be measured and because none of the standard photodiode suppliers publish information on the roughness of their photodiode surfaces, this too will need to be measured. Depending on the results of these measurements, methods for improving surface roughness and subsequent cleaning can be explored. It is not yet feasible to implement direct bonding but measurements of photodetector surfaces with techniques such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) will establish whether it is feasible in future. It will also be possible to examine some adhesive bonded contacts so that X-ray Computed Tomography can investigate the dimensions and integrity of bonded surfaces. A successful outcome to this investigation will allow Tethir to assess how optical surfaces should be bonded in future designs and provide NPL with valuable assessments of how its various tools can best be applied to the characterisation of surfaces for optical communications.

Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) on pipework, and the moisture that causes it, are significant challenges faced by the energy and processing industries. SubTera has recently developed a game-changing pipework inspection capability, and over the past 18 months, has been field-testing a prototype inspection tool in collaboration with global energy producers. There are numerous ways in which SubTera's technology can contribute to helping the energy industry achieve its net-zero objectives. According to Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority, 50% of reported hydrocarbon leaks at onshore plants are caused by CUI. The primary function of SubTera's technology is to detect CUI and moisture at the earliest onset, which will reduce the risk of, and cost associated with, pipeline failure. This has the potential to save millions of pounds of new infrastructure costs, clean-up fees, and fines; however, the associated reduction in leakage of fugitive emissions will further reduce our carbon footprint. As part of the global transition to a net-zero energy world, coupled with the evolution toward Industry 4.0, SubTera acknowledges that in the future, its sensor technology must be integrated within robotic platforms, and inspections will be conducted autonomously. Over the next 24 months, SubTera plans to develop a new system, that incorporates machine learning and enables robotic integration. The exploratory mini-project proposed herein is a critical first step in enabling that future. During this mini-project, a number of existing inspection data sets, captured using SubTera's TRL7 prototype, will be analysed (i.e.: identifying data trends, study patterns and variation, removing sensor noise, understanding errors and uncertainties). Through this analysis, the characteristics of SubTera's sensors will be determined, and the requirements to enable efficient machine learning integration will be identified. The output from this project will be a series of insights, presented in a report, to guide future system design (i.e.: sensor, optical), system operation, and the implementation of machine learning techniques within SubTera's next development phase.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer death in the UK. It is a general healthcare issue, and up to 1.5M men per year in Europe require testing of their prostate by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The problem is that, because current MRI is really only taking images rather than making measurements, the images can vary from one scanner to another. It is difficult for doctors to provide a clear diagnosis for patients from MRI alone. The problem is so important that at present up to 40% of men will receive an unnecessary, painful and risky biopsy due to the lack of clarity from the MRI results. In addition, the fact that we cannot measure something by MRI consistently across different scanners makes it difficult to follow up patients over years suffering from this disease. To address this problem, we have developed a product that can be scanned together with each patient, and that provides a reference measure, so that we can better compare the results between two scans or between two scanners, for example. But to do so, we need to solve some difficult mathematical problems. The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) can help us achieve this aim. By solving this, we will be able to offer this unique medical device and service to make MRI much more reproducible and quantitative for each patient, reducing the costs and unnecessary interventions per patient, which we estimate is a market worth £12M per annum. Without it, what we have developed so far cannot be used to its full potential, and thus will not achieve this revolution in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

This project will address the digital integrity monitoring of pipelines when there are bending events. There are several types of bending event that can be a threat to pipeline integrity such as ground subsidence or impact bending. The project will address the problem of a physics based model for helically wound optical fibre where signals are obtained from a Rayleigh wave distributed sensing system. The project will include model physics tests and numerical simulation as well as evaluation of full scale pipeline data. The development of an infrastructure for hydrogen as the industrial fuel to satisfy sustainability requirements requires new pipeline construction and monitoring. Real time digital integrity monitoring becomes more important in that context.

Quantum computing is a rapidly emerging technology offering transformative changes to society as a whole by providing vast improvements in computational capability that will solve complex many-body problems that are currently intractable. It will potentially deliver advancements in diverse fields such as finance, climate change, infrastructure planning, drug discovery, secure communications and material science. Trapped-ion Quantum Computing (TIQC) systems are one of the most advanced and promising quantum computing platforms in which an oscillating electric field is used to confine ions which serve as the qubits used to encode quantum information. This approach offers a route towards scaling up the number of qubits and thereby delivering the increase in computing power that is ultimately desired, allowing the technology to emerge from small scale lab-based experimental environments to integrated user-friendly systems for everyday use. Laser sources are a key requirement in TIQC, performing essential system functions including ionisation, cooling, repumping and spectroscopy. Typically these different requirements are served by a wide range of laser sources, each with different wavelengths and performance requirements. The ADRENALIN project will develop a novel type of laser, a Photonic Crystal Surface Emitting Lasers (PCSEL) for use in QT applications. PCSELs employ photonic crystals to produce 2nd order out-of-plane diffraction and enable vertical, single-frequency emission. This novel device architecture provides excellent beam quality compared to other laser diodes and significantly reduces manufacturing costs. PCSELs can also be configured in 2D arrays with steerable individually addressable output, enabling different lattice sites to be addressed simultaneously. In addition these devices can be manufactured in most III-V semiconductors, allowing most of the wavelength range used in QT applications to be addressed. The many advantages of the PCSEL device will help facilitate scaling in next generation TIQC systems to accommodate larger numbers of qubits thereby enabling exponential increases in computational power and more widespread utilisation of the technology. The PCSEL will also help drive miniaturisation in QT applications -- this is important in TIQC but is also a key driver in the development of miniature atomic clocks for portable high-precision time-keeping, enabling a more widespread adoption of the technology and providing the potential to significantly advance improvements in transportation, defence and communication sectors. In both applications, PCSELs will ultimately displace incumbent light sources which typically rely on relatively bulky, expensive and complicated external cavity lasers and will become essential components in future QT systems.

The Ishisuki project sees HiETA team up with NPL to develop understanding in the mechanical measurement methods for complex additively manufactured thermal management products where standard test methods are not appropriate. The project will address methods of quality control and establishing process variation limits which will enable HiETA to reach higher technology readiness levels for products developed for the motorsport, aerospace and energy sectors. These developments will provide a significant boost to HiETA's competitiveness within these markets.

The goal of HexagonFab is to unlock the secrets of biomolecules and shed light on how they interact. The protein analysis instrument BOLT created by HexagonFab helps the pharmaceutical industry to develop the medicine of the future, to find the best practice to produce drugs and to ensure their efficacy and safety through convenient and accelerated quality control (QC). The current systems used in drug discovery and development to perform QC measurements are hitting their limits with laborious protocols and significant hands-on-time. HexagonFab has developed a novel sensor platform tailored for convenient and rapid QC measurements, based on nearly a decade of research at the University of Cambridge, thereby offering a solution for the drug development process in the pharmaceutical industry. As the novel sensor technology is crucial for HexagonFab's BOLT, the goal of the project is to optimise the sensor surface functionalization to bring BOLT to the market. The high specificity and sensitivity of the sensor combined with its unique technology will help the drug development industry significantly to accelerate their research and development processes, leading to safer and more efficacious drugs.

Project Rainbow is a collaborative project between TFP Hydrogen Products and the National Physical Laboratory focused on investigating fundamental properties of coatings on titanium components for PEM water Electrolysers.

Omega Dot is an engineering consultancy specialising in turbomachinery specific to air foil bearings (AFB). An application of our technology is within the hydrogen fuel cell system for electric vehicles (EVs). Turbomachinery can be used within the fuel cell system to boost efficiency, offer an oil-free operation that runs near frictionless and has low noise levels. Although it can run near frictionless, the AFB system has issues during start-stop cycles where there is contact between the bearing and the shaft. This contact occurs at low speeds and causes frictional wear which weakens the overall system. To date, Omega Dot can validate their AFBs to 5,000 start-stop cycles but for production within the EV market and automotive industry, it is imperative to validate them to 250,000 start-stop cycles. This project will detail the analysis of the PTFE coating used in Omega Dot's AFB for surface distress for when this occurs and how deep the impact on a material level is to the overall system. We have partnered with NPL and ASTUTE to answer this question. It is imperative to provide practical evidence of our bearings' cyclic life as the market has emphasised this importance. Omega Dot and their A4i partners are hoping to bring together their expertise and facilities to tackle the challenge described in this application which Omega Dot is not able to solve without NPL and ASTUTE. The results from this project may identify strengths and weaknesses within the current AFB configurations and how they can be improved for production. NPL and ASTUTE will help Omega Dot to interpret the results from the studies. The outcomes from this project will push Omega Dot into commercialisation of their AFBs through lifecycle validation and allow Omega Dot to invest in their production and manufacturing capabilities. This will help to secure larger client orders which will give us sustained economic growth and boost the hydrogen fuel cell system supply chain.

KwickScreen believes that every nurse and every patient has the right to be confident in their safety in a hospital. Patients should feel confident that they are entering a hygienic, safe space where their welfare is the top priority. Nurses should have equipment that can make their lives easier so they can focus on patients. The NHS uses curtains in wards to provide patient privacy. Collectively they use ~500,000 curtains/year in a market worth £150million/year to KwickScreen. Disposable curtains are incredibly damaging to the environment as they require substantial quantities of plastic and are incinerated after a couple weeks of use. This regime has four consequences: (1) ~70kgCO2e/bed/year is produced from disposal/replacement; (2) costs of ~£638/bed/year are incurred, which encourages hospitals to reduce the change-frequency; (3) Healthcare-associated infection risk increases because patients inherit a used curtain; (4) additional time is allocated to servicing instead of patients. KwickScreen products are designed to be long lasting and easy to clean in-situ, making them a much better choice for the environment and to save cost long-term. During a recent survey conducted by UCLH, 80% of existing end users (hospital staff) agree/strongly agree that KwickScreen products are easy to operate, environmentally friendly, and provide an additional layer of defence against infection control with a physical barrier. KwickScreen's retractable screens are made possible by its proprietary split tube extendable members, called C-Tubes. These tubes are retractable/rollable. They provide both horizontal and vertical support for the partition screens when extended to any length from 0 to 3.2m. In this project, KwickScreen will partner with the Newton Gateway to Mathematics, KwickScreen to develop a model of the physical properties of C-Tubes from first principles. This ground-up model of C-Tubes will help determine how to improve C-Tubes' endurance. The model will be used to inform material selection and manufacturing processes going forward for the next generation of C-Tubes. KwickScreen will additionally partner with the National Physical Laboratory to characterise the failure modes for existing C-Tubes. New durability tests will be designed and the information these tests generate will be used to improve the current generation of C-Tubes. These practical tests will feed into the first principles model and create synergies that would otherwise not be possible for any of the consortium members alone.

Spin Echo, a UK based start-up, has developed an innovative flow measurement technology that is based on the principle of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), the same principle used in MRI scanners you see in hospitals. Spin Echo's flowmeter technology enables significant opportunity to improve the environmental performance of existing fossil fuel production systems, in particular the reduction of associated gas that is otherwise flared. In hopes of providing further environmental benefit to the way in which hydrocarbons are produced, this A4I project will seek to determine the meters ability to measure natural gas liquids (NGL's) without separation. This capability, which does not exist in any known form today, will enable oil & gas operators to fine tune their production processes to maximise NGL yield and potentially justify capture of associated gas rather than flaring the gas to atmosphere. Spin Echo's flowmeter technology also presents a unique opportunity to enable and potentially accelerate the adoption of hydrogen use within existing energy systems. Around the globe, projects are under way to add hydrogen to natural gas pipeline systems. At present, there exists no known technology that can accurately, and in near real time, characterise the composition of admixtures containing hydrogen and natural gas. The ability to characterise admixture flow will be vitally important as end users of the fuel supply, such as gas fired power generation facilities, will need to know what the composition of their supply is at all times such that they can protect equipment and ensure they are paying the right price for the fuel supplied. In partnership with the National Energy Laboratory (NEL) and the National Physical Laboratory, Spin Echo will seek to delivery empirical evidence that the companies nuclear magnetic resonance based flowmeter is able to accurately characterise, in near real time and without any form of fluid separation, the compositional make-up of Natural Gas Liquids (NGL's) under static flow conditions. The project will also include research and analysis activities to deliver an optimised pathway for meter certification in the application fields of a.) Hydrogen blending into existing natural gas pipelines, b.) Multiphase oil & gas production and c.) Wet gas/NGL monitoring in natural gas, natural gas + hydrogen and carbon capture storage pipelines. In the case of a.) and c.) above, the development of certification reqiurements will be entirely novel as no standards for certification exist today.

Iota Technology are partnering with the National Physical Laboratory to increase the accuracy with which satellite magnetometers can be calibrated. This is especially critical for satellites that aim to map the Earth's magnetic field, such as Iota Technology's forthcoming SIGMA mission, due to launch in 2025\. SIGMA is one of the latest generation of nanosatellites that seek to provide valuable data at a fraction of the cost of previous missions. The data collected by this satellite will contribute to the World Magnetic Model - a critical dataset that is embedded in thousands of navigation systems across the world.

Adaptix is a SME based at the Oxford University Science Park that develops low-cost, low-dose, portable 3D x-ray sources. The core technology is a 'Distributed Array' that digitises the source, replacing a single high-power tube with a multitude of addressable low-power emitters in conjunction with modern Flat Panel Detectors). Thus 2D diagnostics is replaced with 3D (digital tomosynthesis) in the acute care setting (A&E, ICU), and into Primary Care, improving initial diagnosis overall. Adaptix is currently selling its units for veterinarians, and is expanding its technology for the Non-Destructive Evaluation applications and for its biggest market, ortho x-ray imaging, chest and dental. For some applications it needs to increase the brightness of its panel x-ray source, e.g in chest imaging, because of the thickness of the human chest, with overlaying different types of tissue, bone, muscle etc. The development of the emitters' array by novel etching and coating technologies is Adaptix' current priority. For the theoretical background we are collaborating with leading experts in the modelling and characterization of field emitters from the Universities of Tartu and Lyon in France. Preliminary experiments on an inert coating on the silicon emitters held very promising results in terms of the improved current emission (3x) and its stability. In collaboration with the University of West Scotland and STFC in Daresbury we are investigating various methods for the fabrication of this inert coating. Initial results exhibit a huge variation in the performance of the emitters. We ascribe this to the film composition and structure, known to vary a lot among different coating techniques, but we have not the means to characterise that. The increased current emission (2-3X) and the improved lifespan that we observe in some of the coated samples would be a real game changer for our technology and open new markets for us. Analytical tools to characterise the exact structure and composition of the coatings are not easily available and Adaptix does not have the acute scientific know-how, analysis or facilities for the required measurements. In collaboration with NPL we hope to be able to understand the composition of our coatings. With this we aim for reproducible, stable results. An additional goal is also to develop a method for quality control in our production facility.

The range of an electric vehicle is ultimately determined by the energy density of the battery. From the perspective of anode material development, energy density is a function of the ability to store lithium. Silicon has a much larger capacity (3600 mAh/g) compared to conventional graphite (360 mAh g),however, Si-based anodes currently fall short in industrial acceptance due to severe volume expansion (as high as 300%) during Li-ion insertion and extraction causing sudden capacity drop. Changes in the structural state of Silicon anodes such as changes in silicon size are important in understanding the long-term effects of these advanced anode materials on battery cell performance. Therefore, Talga aims to use the A4I program to work with National Physical Laboratory (NPL) scientists and their state-of-the-art facilities to gain a deeper understanding of the structural changes that occur in silicon anode-based batteries and use the information in gaining wider acceptance and commercialisation of it's product.

Ionix manufacture ceramic materials. Ceramic materials have holes, and in our material, smalls holes cannot be detected with off-the-shelf techniques. We have determined that infra-red provides a non-destructive technique which allows us for the first time to detect and size these flaws. In the proposal we will develop a technique which will allow us to validate parts which we supply to clients in a range of sectors.

Prior Scientific are looking for an innovative solution which allows Queensgate nanopositioning stages to continue to meet the increasing demands for semiconductor, hard disc testing and atomic force microscopy which are anticipated to routinely require low-picometre accuracies. The project proposed will develop and test higher-order automatic linearity compensation for on-axis stage calibration. A new algorithm will be developed which can be applied to existing stages, together with appropriate calibration methods. To maintain production efficiency, there must be minimum additional overhead for test and measurement with these methods. It is anticipated that this will allow us to produce precision stages with the highest linearity in the industry whilst maintaining high yields, reducing re-work and maintaining manufacturing costs.

**Why Graphene in Cement?** Graphene technology is a key stepping stone in de-carbonising the cement industry. Strength improvements, water resistance, and chemical resistance can be imparted on concrete by using a graphene additive. To achieve these benefits; graphene must be added and adequately mixed during the concrete batching process. These improvements can result in the use of lower clinker factor cements or reduction of cement usage in designed concrete. Reducing cement usage can reduce embodied CO2 of concrete products. **Measurement Issue** Mechanical and chemical benefits of graphene are only realised when the graphene is thoroughly dispersed. Measurement of graphene dispersion in concrete is not currently possible. This project will determine if differences in graphene dispersion can be detected in cured cement mortar samples using fast, non-destructive techniques. **Project Activity Brief** Mortar samples containing no graphene, well dispersed graphene, and poorly dispersed graphene will be provided to the National Physical Laboratory. Once there, samples will be probed using terahertz, microwave and waveguide techniques in an effort to measure dispersion differences between them. Each of these techniques will be evaluated for the ability to distinguish poorly dispersed graphene additives and well-dispersed additives. By identifying a rapid, non-destructive method to characterise this key material property, product development cycles can be shorted, and greater assurance provided to downstream users. Ultimately it offers a route to accelerate the adoption of this material, and support the drive to a Net Zero carbon economy.

Almost one third of the UK's major contributions to net greenhouse emissions are from the automotive industry and road transport, and a quarter of the carbon footprint is from the materials sector. Lightweight design of vehicles is crucial in contributing to reducing CO2 emissions, by using materials appropriately, developing intelligent manufacturing technologies, and improving production practices, such as in hot stamping. The data-driven manufacturing industry requires multi-directional performance of materials to be measured by a specialised method, called multi-axial testing, to stretch a piece of material under real life conditions until fracture, given that most of engineering materials are anisotropic. By using material multi-axial data and virtual prototyping - the typical integrated simulation technology used for designing/manufacturing lightweight car parts, enables a reduction in cost and time in low carbon manufacturing. Existing material multi-axial thermo-mechanical testing methods are complicated, costly, and cannot be readily applied for testing at high temperature. New measurement instrumentation, algorithms, and methods for material characterisation under real manufacturing conditions, have been developed at Multi-X, a spin-off of Imperial College London, to overcome the bottleneck of the lack of material formability data to quantify complicated straining states under hot stamping conditions, and to improve the energy efficiency of product design and manufacture. Within the project, contactless measurement of the temperature distribution delivered by the state-of-the-art equipment at NPL will be implemented in the Multi-X's testing process. It will enable monitoring of the thermal history and spatial uniformity of temperature field for accurate characterisation of material multi-axial thermo-mechanical properties. An uncertainty analysis of the measured temperature and material properties will be performed to demonstrate the reliability and robustness of the Multi-X's innovative testing method. Multi-X has conducted a range of multi-axial tests for end-users, covering boron steel and aluminium alloys that are commonly used in hot stamping production of lightweight car parts. This project will concentrate on the thermal assessment of aluminium alloys up to a temperature of 550 °C. A successful project outcome will improve the quality assurance of the leading material thermo-mechanical testing technology, with the ultimate aim to exploit this UK-invented technology to enable cost-effective manufacture of lightweight car components. Multi-X's technology has the potential to be applied in a wide range of other sectors, including aerospace, train, bioengineering, etc., to further develop the market. Additionally, it can be applied to measure multi-axial properties of other materials, e.g., titanium, magnesium, composite, tissue, textile.

The United Nations has recently highlighted the impact of the broken food system on climate change. Over 1.3 billion tonnes of food waste, costing over £800 Billion, has led to over 3.3 Gtonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted. All this, while no less than 800 million people are hungry or malnourished globally. The most recent report by the Waste Resource and Action Programme indicates that the UK generates around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste each year, costing households and businesses a combined total of £19 billion. The three main biological treatment technologies used in the UK to treat food, garden and residual household waste include composting, anaerobic digestion (AD) and mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facilities. These use micro-organisms, such as bacteria, to break down the organic material in the waste. As the waste goes through different phases of break down, bioaerosols are released in potentially high concentrations around the waste treatment facilities. Bioaerosols contain particulate matter of microbial, plant or animal origin (bacteria, fungi, viruses, allergens, toxins, pollen, plant fibres, etc). Exposure to high concentrations of bioaerosols at biowaste facilities can result in adverse human health effects with links to respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. People who have a suppressed immune system are known to be at a higher risk of developing such conditions. To enhance the recovery of bio-nutrients and biochemicals from inedible food waste within households and businesses, while reducing exposure to bioaerosols, the iDigest - a nature-inspired robot - has been developed by IntelliDigest. It uses the same principles as our body to sense and analyse the composition of food waste, prompting the secretion of the right combination and quantity of enzymes to break it down, usually in less than 4 hours per cycle. Nutrients are then recovered from the iDigest for future use in food production. In this project, we will be working with NPL to develop a new method for the capture and sensitive analysis of bioaerosol emission during iDigest operation. Whatever the outcome, this activity is important to IntelliDigest. If bioaerosol levels are low or negligible, it will represent a vital step towards demonstrating to iDigest users that it is safe for use within indoor residential and occupational environments. If the results show that there is bioaerosol emission from iDigest, it will enable us to innovate our product further with improved safety in mind.

Project summary We have developed and are selling a waste water monitoring system into the Norwegian market. Located under a manhole cover, in an underground chamber, it measures the depth of waste water (sewerage) flowing beneath. In a sewer system for a city the size of Oslo (population of approximately 1,000,000), 400 devices provide basic network coverage. For better granularity, around 1,000 units are required. Each device RF transmits an update to the stakeholder's server every 15 minutes. Depth data alone provides the user with an insight on network performance. EMD supplied 1st production units September 2021, the remaining deployments will begin in August 2022\. We have identified an issue with the units -- depth data alone does not provide a full picture to the user. Augmenting depth with velocity data has advantages. Depth + velocity + pipe diameter = volume in metres³/second. Enhancing the data by this means provides the user (usually a municipality or water company) with a very clear picture of network conditions, and - most critically - what headroom is left in the system; a system to which greater stress is being applied by climatic change. Heavy rainfall, thawing snow are common events. Their regularity and severity have been exacerbated by our changing climate, leading to the worst situation a water provider can face -- raw sewerage overflowing back onto the street. Discussions with existing and new customers confirm that sewer volume data has more value than depth alone. There is a ready market in Norway for another 1,000 units in the next 24 months.

Adaptix develops novel 3D X-ray imaging technology for medical applications. A prototype has also been tested in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) applications to inspect electronics devices and components and far exceeded the imaging capability of current 2D X-ray NDT systems. It also has a smaller footprint, is lower cost and produces less flux (requires less shielding to be safe, so portable for desktop use). The aim is to deliver a novel, commercially attractive quality assurance procedure, which doesn't involve manual handling of each sample and is applicable quickly to an entire batch of samples. This project lays the groundwork to add a new/complementary multi-modal capability to the existing product, within the shielded X-ray cabinet to detect electronic chip pins ('defect pins') as well as physical abnormalities in 'one scan'. Tin oxide has differential absorption of different optical wavelengths, a characteristic we aim to exploit. With an optical scan we want to detect tin oxide on electronic connectors. Oxides form when components aren't maintained in an appropriate environment. Tin oxide may also indicate if counterfeit/refurbished parts have been mixed into supposedly new products, which is often the case in global and unregulated supply chains where parts are bought and sold many times. Of the annual $800bn in semiconductors sales,~ $32bn go through 'channel'. The US Navy estimates 15% of its electronic parts are counterfeit, and this is probably a better controlled environment than the majority of supply chains. The industry requires a low-cost method of increasing test throughput without the use of expensive and scarce trained electronics inspectors. This adds significant value to our 3D X-ray system for NDT applications. It would offer a highly novel and market-leading feature (in a new market) for the second version of the system to drive further revenues and industry-benefit. As a continuation with NPL, we accomplished our main first goal of which method is the best for detecting oxidation. NPL also proved and identified where the tin oxide is located on an electronic component connector. Unfortunately because of the short time span we couldn't complete the second main task to research what the threshold/parameters are for this method to work in a commercial environment where 'good' parts that function acceptably well could fail, or we bad ones could pass. It is essential to complete the project in order to turn this into a viable commercial product for increased Adaptix revenue and industry gains.

_Levidian extracts carbon from the world's gas supplies to create hydrogen and graphene._ _Using our patented decarbonisation device -- LOOP - we create carbon negative products capable of driving sustainable economies. Levidian's mission will change the way things are done by applying the materials of the future to the greatest challenge of today - the fight against climate change. Our vision is a decarbonised world: powered by hydrogen and built on graphene._ _Our current challenge is that it is not possible to analyse graphene flakes as they are produced in our reactors nor measure yields in real-time. Samples of graphene are laboriously tested in separate quality control labs, making the process slow as well as costly. It is also impossible to achieve bulk analysis of the graphene powder. Multiple samples must be analysed to determine the range of flake sizes present, and overall quality of the graphene produced._ _The deployment of a network of LOOP devices at partner and client sites around the globe introduces further complications since graphene batches produced at these locations will be a considerable distance away from appropriate QC testing facilities, introducing significant delays to material analysis and validation of product quality._ _Development and implementation of a rapid, in-line characterisation technique would be a valuable tool to accelerate graphene production scale-up and deliver consistent high-quality material to customers, with confidence and reliability. This solution is especially important now, as Levidian deploys its first fully autonomous, mobile graphene production system. Full automation and continuous quality control are essential in this case, as the entire process will be controlled remotely at a great distance from our QC labs._

The Smart Container Company is a startup enabling the most sustainable and technologically-advanced supply chain in the beverage industry. We do so with KegTracker, our first-to-market IoT device, which instantly connects circular packaging options, such as kegs, to the internet. Leveraging data science and modern machine learning, we empower clients with transparency and insights to help them achieve unrivaled levels of operational excellence, market intelligence, and a reduced carbon footprint. KegTracker is a patent pending, non-intrusive IoT device for asset tracking with condition monitoring of kegs and casks. It measures volume, location, temperature and motion for each asset in real-time. Knowledge of how much volume is inside the keg is a key data point that help us remove bottlenecks, reduce waste, and enable a more sustainable and circular economy. This project is to invest time from experts and scientists to help improve the precision and accuracy of the Kegtracker's volumetric measurement sensor.

The renewable energy industry is in a boom of growth, both in installed energy generation capacity and in technological advances. One of the latest improvements to standard solar photovoltaic (PV) modules is bifacial PV (BFPV), which utilises the light that reflects from the ground onto the back of the panel to increase the energy yield. Depending on the ground conditions, this bifacial gain can help generate a further 5-20% of power compared with traditional PV modules. Bifacial PV projects have already started to become a significant portion of the total market share for installed solar PV, and this growth is not predicted to stop any time soon. However, the analysis that goes into predicting the energy yield of a BFPV system is subject to a low level of accuracy and this can lower the bankability of a project.  A key feature of BFPV analysis which can lead to this low level of accuracy is predicting the ratio of irradiation which reaches the back of the module, mainly derived from the ground albedo. The albedo is dependent on a number of site-specific parameters not limited to the time of the day, seasonal changes, and ground variation across a plot of land. This project follows from two successful rounds in the Analysis for Innovators scheme, where RINA and NPL partnered together to evaluate a more accurate albedo measure, varied satellite sources for initial estimations, and established ground-based measurement systems which can be deployed in real solar PV sites. These results showed that this analysis can decrease the risks of a BFPV project, but there is still significant room for improvement.  During Round 7, RINA and NPL will partner together to create new methodologies which can deliver bifacial gain estimations with the highest accuracy possible. This will be done by investigating the following key objectives:  * Analysing newer satellite databases capable of higher spatial resolution;  * Experimenting with new on-site equipment to approximate effective albedo;  * Find a suitable combination of techniques which can accurately estimate ground albedo and bifacial gain; * Share results with the wider BFPV industry and contribute to state-of-the-art industry standards.  Our hope is that this knowledge will contribute towards reducing the technical and financial risks of investors for new BFPV plants, consequently boosting investments. This will inevitably help push the UK closer towards its goal of reducing deducing its CO2 emissions and the country's environmental impact.

Currently NPL only offers AC Electrical Conductivity Standards with a stated accuracy of +/-0.7% of value. The Boeing standard BAC5651 calls for standards above 16.5MS/m to have an accuracy of +/- 0.12MS/m up to 60.5 MS/m (which at the extreme value is +/-0.2%). New Boeing and NIST calibrated standards are no longer available due to national public service cut backs. NPL have carried out a test under a M4R project (ref 10643) and shown that using the Van der Pauw Method they can achieve comparable accuracy but need more work to refine the measurement methodology and improved measuring equipment. The ability to provide UKAS compliant NPL DC Electrical Conductivity Standards would ensure ETher NDE's continuing growth in sales of this product.

One of the challenges of the Li-ion batteries is a good cycle life (\>1000 cycles) for a temperature range between -20 and 60 degrees Celsius required by almost all the applications. The lithium-ion cell works on ion movement between the cathode and anode electrodes. In theory, such a mechanism should work forever, but cycling or storage at an elevated temperature decreases performance over time. Echion has developed a range of unique and patented commercial anode materials based on mixed niobium oxide (XNO) with applications in fast-charging lithium-ion batteries, where they achieve an excellent cycle life at 25dC, performing thousands of cycles. However, at 60dC, the cells may only reach hundreds of cycles in some designs. This project aims to understand the ageing mechanism at 60dC to improve the cycle life at high temperatures. This will be done via analysis of the cells after cycling to understand why this is the case. A4I project brings together Echion Technologies Ltd, National Physical Laboratory and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory to better understand the ageing mechanism at 60dC in some cell designs and improve their cycle life at this high temperature. If we are able to understand and resolve this problem it could accelerate the adoption and commercialization of a next-generation ultra-high power, fast-charging cell material system for new emerging applications such as e-Mobility. Adoption of such solutions could provide significant environmental and public health benefits by reducing the transport sector's toxic gases and harmful particulates. Which is in line with the government's Net Zero emissions.

This project will assess novel methods for detecting batteries in the waste collection and recycling industry. Batteries cause a large number of fires in recycling plants including MRF's, PRF's and reprocessors, hence detecting and removing batteries is important to ensure the recycling process runs efficiently and safely. Facilities operate with deep flows of material up to 40cm deep and hence penetrative imaging is required to see materials beneath the surface.

JET Engineering System Solutions (JET-ESS) is delivering "5G connectivity at sea" through the deployment of high bandwidth 5G floating buoys, offering increased connectivity and communication capabilities throughout the marine sector. To date JET-ESS has successfully deployed the world's-first floating 5G data collection buoy platform. This has gained significant publicity, including a visit by Minister Lee Rowley at the National Physical Laboratory, and end-user traction within key industries of interest, including offshore wind. JET-ESS has successfully demonstrated with NPL that the communication range at sea could be significantly extended using a high-gain directional-antenna solution. However, our current buoy platforms rely on using Global Navigation Satellite System for determining their position. JET-ESS envisages that our buoy platforms will be primarily utilised and deployed in/around offshore wind farms for surf condition monitoring, defence and security applications, where connectivity to GNSS is highly disrupted and often denied or unattainable due to the harsh operating environments. As a result, JET-ESS are unable to determine the location of each buoy in relation to one another, or those operating within the 5G network, when deployed at sea. This problem is currently limiting the expansion of JET-ESS's customer base, specifically within the offshore wind sector, on which our current business model is reliant. To tackle this problem, this project aims to establish a novel GNSS-free location awareness solution at sea using dedicated JET-ESS 5G positioning signals and direction-of-arrival algorithm(s). The focuses will be given to formulating and validating the algorithm software and 5G communication hardware requirements needed to develop a directional-antenna-based location awareness system, which triangulates absolute positioning based on the collective angle of data transmitted within the floating meshed buoy network. NPL will provide consultancy regarding the consideration and development of relevant hardware and software. Following this NPL will assist in the development of practical validation method(s), which will de-risk further work in the final development of a clear solution to JET-ESS current long running technical problem in the form of a location awareness at sea. Developing this solution has the potential to significantly benefit the maritime sector, addressing UK government priorities in 5G extension and diversification, contributing to and addressing the urgent need for maritime security and net-zero ambitions. Developing a GNSS-free location awareness solution diversifies and increases asset resilience in determining Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) capabilities, especially within GNSS denied environment at sea and licenced to on-land applications.

The project outputs expert analytical and measurement data to optimise the levels of components in next-generation formulations for topical delivery of bio-actives in skin recovery. NPL specialist expertise, knowledge and capabilities are required to address the company challenge and will significantly boost the company's productivity and competitiveness for taking to market cosmetic regulated products with proven efficacy supported with in-depth regenerative data (novel in this market). To improve claims support for a cosmetic product (and future regenerative medicine applications), understanding and quantification of bio-active levels at the site of action, (e.g. tissues or cells), and their relationship to the dose of the formulated active is crucial. This is also important for understanding levels that have an adverse-affect, supporting regulatory documentation and requirements. A full activity and safety profile of all the components of our delivery technology will build the knowledge to optimise the product for healthy skin and tissue cell renewal. Previously, the company have demonstrated skin model penetration of the formulation with the UoS. These studies demonstrated that Phytoceutical micellar bioactive delivery technology is penetrating and delivering bio-actives successfully and efficiently. However, limits on techniques and equipment were quickly reached and, even with the academic excellence available, the obtained results were not conclusive enough to demonstrate reproducibility and exploitable correlations between formulation doses, constitution and efficacy. To generate high-accuracy and high-content validation datasets, the company applies to NPL metrology expertise made available via A4I. The work builds upon a pilot study performed by NPL under an M4R scheme, which demonstrated more accurately the skin penetration of formulations and advanced our understanding of both the bioactive distribution in the skin, the formulation stability and also degradants generated in the formulation process and under storage. This is an important contribution for product exploitation which prompted the need for more extensive validation, demonstrating formulation performance, before cosmetic regulatory documentation can be prepared. Preliminary results have also shown bio-actives do not pass systemically into the blood but remain where it can benefit collagen healthy renewal - in the skin; knowledge important in regulatory frameworks where a potential cosmetic product can be defined to be a medicine with all the issues that brings. Through a second M4i project, ref10550, NPL have produced a review document on the available cell model approaches that could be considered to solve aspects of this applications problem. This project informed but did not include the next stage experimental work.

The range of an electric vehicle is ultimately determined by the energy density of the battery. From the perspective of anode material development, energy density is a function of the ability to store lithium. Silicon has a much larger capacity (3600 mAh/g) compared to conventional graphite (360 mAh/g), however, Si-based anodes currently fall short in industrial acceptance due to severe volume expansion (as high as 300%) and corresponding chemical changes occurring during Li-ion insertion and extraction causing sudden capacity drop. Changes in the chemical state of Silicon anodes such as changes in oxidation, carbide formation, changes in solid electrolyte interface, etc, are important in understanding the long-term effects of these advanced anode materials on battery cell performance. Therefore, Talga aims to use the A4I program to work with National Physical Laboratory (NPL) scientists and their state-of-the-art facilities to gain a deeper understanding of the chemical changes that occur in silicon anode-based batteries and use the information in gaining wider acceptance and commercialisation of it's product.

Metal additive manufacturing is the process of building up parts in a layerwise process, rather than machining them from initial homogeneous bulk material. By selectively adjusting the machine parameters it is possible to include multiple material properties within a single part, enabling a wider range of more optimised designs than has previously been possible. There is an ever-expanding range of Additive processes and materials, enabling totally new performing parts that are lighter and have novel functions. Additive Flow is the leading software provider for multi-property optimisation and has the capability of generating new ways of manufacturing with multi-properties, and multiple process parameters. This is a fresh new area for growth within engineering in the UK and internationally. In order to unlock the potential of this multi-property optimisation, new ways of testing and gathering data for components that have multiple material properties are needed. In collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory a series of multi-property components will be created which will then be tested and the data will be fed back into the existing software that will improve engineering performance and cost savings for manufacturing. Additional benefits include reducing complexity for users within a multi-scale and multi-disciplinary engineering design space increasing accessibility and adoption of new technologies. Additive Flow's optimisation software determines trade-offs between manufacturing speed and cost against the function and performance of the final part. This can allow more novel parts to be produced quicker and more cost-effectively, enabling greater exploitation of the benefits of AM. However, many of the resulting designs result in inhomogeneous material for which accurate material property data is lacking. The lack of data has resulted in sub-optimal optimisation due to the need to be sufficiently cautious to avoid part failure and subsequently the certification is also expensive. This project will take approaches to measure and evaluate the physical dynamic material properties of heterogeneous structures and use this data to validate processing parameters predicted by the digital simulation. Since surface roughness is a major influencing factor for fatigue, different parameters will be explored to purposely exhibit target varying fatigue values enabling AM to take a major step towards controlling fatigue. This has benefits to the development of the UK industry, where the solution would greatly improve design optimisation processes and have positive economic, social, and environmental implications because material wastage is minimised and process failure is avoided.

This project is a collaboration between the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Statkraft and aims to establish a novel performance metric for the accurate evaluation of oversized and bifacial photovoltaic (PV) systems. This will lead to increasing the value of future solar projects, reducing financial risks and improving fault identification, thus energy production, revenue and CO2 offsets from renewable generation. The performance ratio (PR) is the most established metric for assessing solar photovoltaic (PV) system performance in the Solar Industry. It is the ratio between the actual to the expected generation based on a system's rated power. It is widely applied as a contractual guarantee for a power plant's performance and therefore may determine the value of a project over its projected lifetime. A guaranteed PR value is agreed between parties based on software simulation of the PV system and an initial evaluation. Nevertheless, PR measurements can be strongly affected by differences between actual weather conditions during the measurement period (typically 1 year) and "typical meteorological year" data used in modelling. The most serious weather-induced errors occur on "oversized" PV systems. Oversizing occurs when a PV array has a rated DC power larger than its inverter's rated AC output power; a common practice in PV industry, which leads to inverter "clipping", outputting a flat generation curve during high insolation periods. Clipping can be exaggerated by actual weather conditions, impacting PR, especially in high insolation years. This effect is further enhanced for bifacial PV systems, which harvest additional power from the rear side of PV modules. This effectively makes the systems even more oversized and the existing performance metrics no longer reliable. Despite the proposed corrections for temperature variations, current IEC standards for performance metrics fail to assess the performance of oversized PV plants. In this project, we aim to identify an improved metric and assess its merit, in order to accurately assess the PV systems that we develop. NPL and Statkraft will define this metric for monofacial and bifacial systems and will benchmark with current standard metrics against seasonal and annual weather variability, for different PV system configurations and faults. The metric will be validated against real data, multiple locations and systems' configurations. The proposed metric will be: * Insensitive to the actual weather conditions during the evaluation period. * Sensitive to underperformance of systems compared to their expected performance given the actual weather conditions. * Simple and unambiguous to use in contracts.

BiologIC Technologies is developing the first world's biocomputer leveraging foundational IP and the latest additive manufacturing (3D printing) technologies. The first generation of the biocomputer is being developed to advance applications in diagnostics, advanced therapies, new vaccines and cultured meat and is designed to power the next generation of synthetic biology at scale. We use 3D printing as the fabrication process of the biocomputer platform. Multi-material 3D printing enables digital blending of materials (polymers and elastomers) that lets us produce a single system that integrates fluidics, electronics, optics and pneumatics into a single system. One of the challenges in bringing these systems to regulated markets such as manufacturing of advanced therapies is controlling the materials. BiologIC has developed proprietary knowhow regarding biocompatibility of the 3D printed system across each layer of its technology. Previous work has shown that BiologIC's post-processing methodologies can efficiently increase the biocompatibility of the 3D printed systems enabling molecular and cellular biology applications although further optimisation is desirable. By collaborating with external expertise through this project BiologIC will characterise the 3D printed components necessary for the further development of the biocomputer platform that will enable a paradigm shift in the production of synthetic biology, advanced therapies and diagnostics.

Barefoot Lightning's products target underserved livestock farmers in developing countries filling major gaps in the availability of effective veterinary services, excessive feed costs which contribute to poor productivity and finally market price issues in the predominantly informal markets. We use animation content to bridge the gap to low literacy farmers and have developed a significant scientifically based research database to drive decisions based on best available data. This still requires us to develop a number of data science models to deliver decision support to vets, farmers and extension workers. We have worked to push the thinking as deep as we can with the access we've had to various scientists, but now that the base platform is built and our understanding of the challenges are clearer, we need World Class data science support to help us crack these challenges in the most effective ways possible, as well as to develop an AI based managed learning infrastructure so we can drive continuous improvement as well as human-based learning from the system. The first major challenge we have is related to the Bayesian probability model we have developed for the symptomatic disease diagnostic tool which supports vets to more rapidly access case data and come to effective diagnoses for a much larger group of farmers, as well as supporting the delivery of these services through field trained individuals such as paravets and animal health care workers. The next challenge relates to multivariate analysis to identify the minimum costs for a nutritionally balanced feed recipe based on the cost of locally available feed ingredients. We hope to improve the function of the current linear simplex-based model and also build in an AI based learning mechanism to identify ingredients' impacts beyond their basic nutritional supply.

Graphene nanoplatelets have been used effectively to demonstrate barrier properties in coating applications reducing the level of water penetration enhancing the level of corrosion resistance compared to other barrier pigments. The application of improved barrier properties has importance beyond corrosion in the development of new packaging technologies and electronics industry where sensitive electronics may require water or chemical protection. Maximisation of the performance of the nanoplatelets is dependent on their alignment in the coating and is impacted by the cure conditions used. Elevated temperature curing with associated rapid increase in viscosity and associated gelation is likely to increase the level of disorder, reducing the impact of Graphene addition. Various formulating approaches might be considered to mitigate these effects but an understanding of the degree of alignment and arising in an ambient cure and relative effects of change in surface tension and gelation is required. Currently tools neither Scanning Electron Microscopy nor Transmission Electron Microscopy are able to provide a measure of the alignment seen in processing films at different temperatures and rates of cure. The development of a method of measurement to determine alignment of Graphene nanoplatelets in a film would enable an understanding of this problem and facilitate methods to overcome the observed problem opening these and additional markets (electrical and thermal conductivity ) where platelet alignment is a key requirement of performance.

With the development of new DNA-based therapies and technologies the demand for nucleic acid products continues to increase. The requirement for large quantities of high-quality DNA and the need to produce more difficult sequences for advanced therapeutics have brought the production of DNA to its limits. Current methods of DNA manufacture rely on bacterial fermentation which suffers from both manufacturing capacity issues and low sequence stability during bacterial growth. Touchlight's synthetic biology DNA production process overcomes the current limitation of bacterial fermentation using enzymatic means of production. This _in vitro_ DNA technology is able to produce large-scale, high-quality constructs using a DNA polymerase to amplify DNA templates and a protelomerase to cleave and ligate amplified DNA into minimal cassettes for use in therapeutics and synthetic biology applications. Continuous developments in the process have resulted in both increased capacity and reduced footprint for DNA manufacture alleviating some of the current bottlenecks associated with nucleic acid production Although large advances in this process have been made in DNA manufacturing a greater understanding of how DNA behaves in a cellular context will allow the production of improved DNA products and platform. Touchlight has developed new DNA constructs with improved cellular and nuclear targeting abilities resulting in increased protein expression however the limited knowledge and ability to monitor DNA within a cell makes further optimisation challenging. A more detailed understanding of the DNA subcellular localisation is therefore essential for the continuing improvement of Touchlight's core constructs. The knowledge generated from this project will increase Touchlight's ability to satisfy DNA demand and will contribute directly to improving human health. Translated improvements in nuclear entry efficiency for Touchlight's leading _in vitro_ DNA manufacturing process will help meet the increasing demand of DNA constructs from Industrial partners and decrease the costs of DNA therapeutics.

In gas analysis, two important areas that affect measurement accuracy are reference materials and sampling. Both reference materials and samples are stored in high pressure vessels, normally aluminium. However, the aluminium surface structure can lead to reaction or adsorption of certain species in a gas mixture. In particular, reactive and "sticky" species will decay in an untreated cylinder. This can alter the amount of the component in the cylinder so when it comes to measuring the gas, the result will be different from what is expected. When measuring impurities in a sample, this may result in a false positive reading. Passivation is the process of treating or coating a surface to reduce the chemical reactivity. EffecTech has developed a passivation technique (DB Gold) which coats the internal surface of aluminium cylinders in order to reduce chemical reactions and surface adsorption. These cylinders could be used in a variety of gas analysis applications, including purity analysis of hydrogen for fuel cells vehicles and atmospheric monitoring of CO2\. However, the cylinders should be evaluated using representative mixtures and the stability of the mixtures over time needs to be measured. EffecTech does not have the capability to prepare these gas mixtures nor the analytical instrumentation to measure the composition. NPL are the national metrology institute for the UK. They have world leading facilities for the preparation of challenging gas mixtures and analysis using state of the art instrumentation. In this project we will collaborate with NPL by testing stability of a variety of challenging gas mixtures in the passivated cylinders. The results will allow EffecTech to grow the passivated cylinder sales and enter new markets. Additionally, NPL can use the data to make improvements to their own standards. End users of passivated cylinders, such as analytical laboratories, will benefit from more stable mixtures in the way of increased shelf life, greater measurement precision and lower uncertainties. This A4I project aligns well with government policy to be carbon neutral by 2050, facilitating the transition of the UK energy and transport sector towards decarbonisation and a hydrogen economy. Additionally, compared to other passivations, DB Gold does not require harmful chemicals during treatment and is therefore more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

In the right applications, composites are perfect to address decarbonisation challenges, with low mass, excellent mechanical performance and especially for thermoplastic composites, low embedded carbon and ease of re-use, remanufacturing, and recycling. Lack of materials data, equipment, and methods are preventing the UK from benefiting from leading edge, wholly UK manufactured composites. A designer can, at the click of a mouse, obtain accurate data that will simulate how their product will perform if made from say steel or aluminium. In many applications a glass or carbon fibre composite could be a better choice, but the designer would never know, because they can't easily simulate performance. Composite Braiding Ltd (CBL) is unique in using an innovative combination of materials and processes to offer structural composites at higher volumes and lower prices, with better environmental credentials than has ever been historically available. A wide range of market sectors (including automotive, rail, aerospace, maritime, infrastructure and leisure) are in desperate need of lightweight, yet strong and resilient materials with low carbon footprints to meet performance and environmental targets. CBL was founded to address these needs. Any competent test house can accurately test standard coupons. This is suitable for metals, but not always sufficient and possible for characterising composite products. To a far greater degree than metals, the shape and architecture of a composite component defines its properties, so a tensile test of a composite dogbone is not representative of the tensile strength of say, a composite tube. With NPL's expertise we aim to characterise a range of components of different geometries (something that is not available 'off-the-shelf', and requires capabilities like those of NPL), with different materials and layups. Components will be carefully selected to represent as wide a range of final products as possible, e.g. a 35mm round tube would be a reasonable basis for bike frames, grab poles, automotive chassis components and many others. We will compare these results to standard coupon tests and raw materials data and use modelling techniques to ascertain the relationship between them to form a basis for more accurate simulation of part performance and support product assurance from coupon testing in future -- this is not currently available, as such this approach is innovative. Ultimately the same end point of accurate simulation could potentially be reached via high-end digital-twinning packages, but this is still dependent on the data and validation that we are seeking here.

Quantum Science Ltd (QS) is an award-winning nanotechnology company focusing on innovation, development and supply of quantum dot materials for semiconductor, electronics and healthcare applications. QS has developed INFIQ(r) LF-QD technologies to manufacture a new class of heavy metal-free quantum dots (QDs) which are non-toxic and environmentally friendly semiconductor nanoparticles. Our technologies also include surface engineering, ink formulations, film coating and photodiode fabrication for the heavy metal-free QDs. QS has supplied these INFIQ(r) LF-QD materials and technologies to customers for use in their optoelectronic devices, e.g., infrared photodetectors. To provide our customers with the best materials offering the greatest device performance, it is necessary to have a detailed understanding of the surface structure of our nanomaterials. This information provides feedback on the influence of our processes on the electronic energy structure of the resulting QD solids. Such insights can be obtained via direct measurement and characterisation of the nanoparticle surface, but these characterisations are not possible with off-the-shelf techniques. By working with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) who has cutting-edge facilities and specialised expertise for transferring, loading, and measuring air-sensitive samples under inert atmosphere, we aim to develop the direct measurements systems to characterise short-wave infrared (SWIR) QDs. The heavy metal-free SWIR QDs are in high demand by our customers for applications in the SWIR. Overcoming such measurement challenges will improve QS' product competitiveness, advance customers' device performance, increase sales, gain more market share, and open up new markets.

TEFSC will develop key enablers for wide industrial adoption of Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS), a novel composites manufacturing technology, which allows the placement of wide carbon tapes along curved paths (fibre-steering) without the defects (gaps/overlaps/wrinkles) typically seen with existing Automated Fibre Placement/ Tape Laying technologies (AFP/ATL). RTS has been developed by iCOMAT (Bristol University spin-out) and is already patented in the UK- GB2492594, with 4 more patents pending approval. iCOMAT has recently become the first/only UK automated-machine-supplier by securing the first contract for machine installation at an automotive Tier-1 to develop parts for a major UK OEM. Current design methods make use of a series of well-established mechanical characterisation tests (ASTM standards) to obtain material allowables data. These test methods are suitable for coupons manufactured using current processes (straight fibres). However, the unique properties and behaviours arising from curved fibre designs mean that new test methods must be developed to provide a thorough understanding of this behaviour as steered composites can lead to effects in the secondary direction. The lack of an established testing method for fibre-steered components prohibits wide adoption of the RTS process due to barriers related to certification, especially for aerospace and space applications, respectively. The TEFSC project will begin in October 2022 and runs for 6 months, by which point an innovative robust testing method to validate the mechanical properties of steered composites will be developed. Successful completion of TEFSC will pave the way for certification accelerating adoption of RTS in aerospace.

NGSO (non-geostationary satellite orbit) satellites for internet services, such as Starlink, OneWeb and SES O3b satellite constellations require high-performance and low-cost beam-tracking user terminal antennas. The products on the market today, however, are either too expensive, do not meet technical performance standards, or both. This severely impedes the development and growth of the industry, where massive investment has been placed on the build-up of satellite technology and constellations. In Starlink's case, the antenna, which costs over $2k to manufacture, is heavily subsidised by the business in order to offer the entire user terminal at $599\. In SES O3b's case, the service is currently restricted to large enterprises or commercial users, with each antenna costing over tens of thousands of dollars. The Satraka antenna, developed by TechApp Consultants (TAC) and based on innovative and patent-pending technology, offers high technical performance with a significant cost reduction. It paves the way for the satellite based internet services to be widely available and accessible to the consumer market around the world. While Satraka antennas offer many competitive advantages over other products on the market today, its relatively large antenna dimensions that are mainly on the antenna width, are not desirable. Reducing the antenna width, however, degrades the antenna performance. Through an internal R&D programme, TAC identified the issues and the causes of the performance degradation, being the surface aberration and radio frequency (RF) phase-error created by the reduction of antenna width. This project aims to quantify the phase-error by theoretical analysis and experimental measurements, then correct the phase-error through the use of dielectric lens and finally validate the solution by building prototypes and antenna range measurements. Both theoretical analysis tools/approaches, and the measurement metrology in determining the phase error are to be developed in this project.

Enoflex manufactures cost-effective composite-material pipes for the energy transition industry. The pipes are light-weight with good cryogenic performance and are cost-competitive compared to metal alloy alternatives. Enoflex is manufacturing these pipes for the LNG industry, and will expand into applications for Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). This project will provide essential materials performance measurements in simulated real-world CCUS environments. This is a novel area for composite materials. The data will be used to optimise Enoflex's pipes specifically for CCUS applications. Carbon Capture is a key part of the UK strategy to achieve net-zero and Enoflex is proud to play a part in producing cost-effective infrastructure for the CCUS roll out.

QPods is a dedicated mechanically and thermally stable optoelectronics module to drive magneto-optical traps (MOT) used in several UK Quantum projects. The QPods project will considerably reduce the SWAPC by holistically integrating all the essential components into a single ruggedised package. Existing systems are based on laboratory-grade components (often Thorlabs). Manual alignment of optical components on optical tables leads to instability of the overall system and reduction in performance due to continual alignment drift. This leads to difficulties in system-level production of atom trap-based quantum products. In this project, Bay Photonics will develop QPods, in collaboration with NPL and with close engagement with a user advisory board (UAB) comprising several end-users and system integrators. Several UAB members are developing/have systems that include various configurations of MOT chambers; each have expressed the critical need for QPods to compliment/complete their product offerings. Compared with existing systems, QPods offers (i) \>3000x improvement in optical alignment drift (vs. manual tuning X-Y stages/mounts), (ii) reduction in the number of components (no alignment optics required), (iii) considerable improvement in mechanical and thermal stability (e.g. MIL-spec), (iv) reduction in overall form-factor from ~60,000 cm3 to <100 cm3, (v) highly scalable production thereby reducing future costs, (vi) eliminates the need for labour intensive manual tuning -- essential for applications outside the laboratory. QPods will enable Bay Photonics to establish themselves as key suppliers to the UAB and wider cold-atom community. Augmented designs will seek exploit opportunities in ion-trapping applications (for e.g. Quantum Computers), high-speed telecoms and LIDAR will also be explored in the project.

Accurate inertial measurement units (IMUs) are critical for autonomous navigation in where access to Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is denied/unavailable/unreliable. This is particularly relevant to defence/security applications (e.g. cruise missiles) or civilian applications such as remote search and rescue situations. The QGyro project will develop a navigation-grade based on an atomic spin gyroscope and evaluate the miniaturisation potential of the technology. The 18-month project builds on outputs of several quantum projects to create a pathway to developing the commercial atomic spin gyroscope based on co-magnetometry.

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The Altnaharra project brings together leading researchers in superconducting, ion trap and spin qubits along with a world-leading cryogenic equipment supplier and world-leading centre for measurement standards to develop a cryogenic chip for integrated qubit control and readout, manufactured in a standard CMOS foundry. The development of such a chip is a fundamental enabler for the whole quantum computing community and a requirement for creating a quantum processor not limited by IO wires and therefore able to scale sufficiently to solve meaningful problems.

Quantum computers are a new type of powerful computer. They are based on building blocks called qubits. For quantum computers to work, we need to be able to control qubits in a predictable way. Controlling just one or two qubits is often the culmination of several years' work in a laboratory and can only be performed by highly trained researchers. Qubits are extremely fragile and require constant delicate attention, like the continuous tweaks of a circus performer keeping a plate spinning. With each new plate, the amount of computing power to keep them spinning increases. Eventually, with so many plates in the air at the same time, existing control methods quickly become overwhelmed. For quantum computing to become commercially useful, we need to be able to control hundreds or even thousands of qubits at the same time. This is the biggest bottleneck in quantum computing. We will solve this challenge by building a system that can control hundreds of qubits and that can be used across different types of quantum computers. We will also use a type of artificial intelligence called machine learning to automate the tuning of qubits and maximise the time they are 'spinning in the air'. This project brings together the UK's leading quantum software company (Riverlane), quantum hardware companies (SeeQC UK, Oxford Ionics) and research organisations (NPL, University of Oxford). They develop different types of qubits that we can test our control system on. Mind Foundry, a University of Oxford spin-out, will develop the artificial intelligence framework that can automatically keep the qubits "spinning". The University of Edinburgh will detect the state of the quantum computer and guarantee optimum performance after intervention. We will work together to combine quantum software and artificial intelligence to build a control system for quantum computers that is powerful and intelligent. Our project brings together UK-based academic and industrial organisations to strengthen the UK quantum industry and help produce quantum computers that will transform the way several industries, such as finance, drug discovery and materials development, work.

The project will develop novel UK designed and manufactured compact Rb-oscillators to serve as holdover clocks in GNSS-independent applications requiring precision timing. The state-of-the-art compact atomic clocks arising from this project shall take advantage of recent advances in Quantum Technologies to find widespread application in new and revamped UK critical national infrastructure applications requiring precision timing. At present, many of these applications rely on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for a stable clock signal, but these signals are easily disrupted and prolonged GNSS unavailability can lead to vast disruption to critical UK services and economy (the estimated cost of a five-day outage is £5.2Bn). New options for a UK satellite navigation and timing capability programme are presently being explored to support the nation's critical infrastructure, and these are anticipated to require a vast number of holdover clocks for added resilience. For many existing and emerging applications, including 5G, the current atomic clocks on the market, which are all non-UK based and under export control, are either too bulky and expensive, or the holdover performance is not good enough, leading to solutions involving GNSS signals. Many of these clocks are also based on technologies that are decades old. The clocks produced in this project will bring a new generation of atomic clocks using new enhanced atom-interrogation methods developed at HCD Research and the National Physical Laboratory to provide extended holdover capabilities. These clocks will also address timing challenges in many civil and military applications, providing more assurance in supply to the UK, better security through better use of technology, and safeguarding and exploiting UK-developed intellectual property to provide economic gains for the UK.

The Advanced Machinery & Productivity Initiative will enable invention, realise innovation, and adoption of new machinery and robotics through UK equipment manufacturers. The programme enables economic prosperity through the design, development and manufacture of intelligent machinery, robotic and cooperative systems demanded by existing and emerging industrial sectors. Centred around existing capabilities and research excellence across the North of England, AMPI will be a partnership between industry, local government, higher education institutions and the UK's National Physical Laboratory. It will provide a secure space, technical resources and skills pipeline needed for advanced machinery innovation to flourish, delivering a sustainable impact on its own local economy and that of UK industry export. The partnership will deliver an outcome of progressive and exploitable technologies that are needed for the UK to realise its ambitions for economic growth, a resilient supply chain and technologies needed to deliver targets such as net zero carbon emissions. It will provide businesses with access to cutting-edge R&D, expertise and facilities to help solve innovation challenges. The North of England has an active and high concentration of industrial expertise in the design, development and manufacture of complex machinery. The machinery is used in a wide range of industries to manufacture products such as pharmaceuticals, food and drink, and automotive components. The North of England has some of the world's leading academics in industrial research, including robotics, automation, metrology and artificial intelligence. The UK Machinery sector has formed a collaborative working group to develop a coherent position to deliver a lasting mechanism to innovate and cooperate, while developing the next generation of skills needed for sustained economic growth. In the longer term AMPI will stimulate and support rapid growth the UK's machinery manufacturing sector as it transitions to highly integrated digital solutions with sophisticated automated and autonomous robotic systems. It is expected to grow the UK capability to a £4bn UK export capacity within 10 years establishing over 30,000 high value manufacturing sector jobs.

nuron has developed a dual purpose distributed optical fibre sensing system to be installed into the sewers. This system not only provides water companies with essential information such as depth, flow, blockages, security events and infiltration, but provides infrastructure for communication fibres to support the roll out of 5G, fibre to the home and smart cities. By utilising sewer systems, full fibre roll-out can be achieved with minimal trenching of roadways and traffic management at a reduced cost by utilising the existing assets. Our system is designed to have a minimum 20 year in-sewer lifespan. During its installed life, it will be exposed to the varying conditions of the sewer, fluctuating thermal, salinity, and chemical levels, mechanical effects, and abrasion. Each of these conditions represent a unique challenge for product designers to overcome to ensure a long lifespan of equipment can be reached. Currently there are no off-the-self solutions to rapidly assess these varying parameters and their combined effects. Current testing methods are either not scalable and can only consider one of the parameters in isolation, which doesn't give realistic conditions; or take too long. We will solve this problem by developing a state-of-the-art test system, with the ability to vary parameters of the fluid stream such as temperature, flow velocity, angle of incident, and fluid composition. nuron and NPL will be able to produce a validated method to quantifiably assess the in-service life of in-sewer technology in an accelerated time frame. With a bespoke testing system, we will develop a standardised testing process for in-sewer technology. This will help all companies developing sewer-technology to be able to quantifiably assess the survivability of their products, aiding and supporting development of new technology. This has a three-fold impact: supporting new technology by providing a method to reliably validate new designs; reduce the need to over engineering in-sewer technology; and reduce the perceived survivability risk for new products, enabling faster adoption of new technologies. This will result in better, more environmentally friendly technologies being developed with improved life, less waste and utilising more sustainable materials. This will actively remove barriers to technology adoption and provide substantial benefit to the UK economy, job markets and supply chains.

Lipid nanoparticles and liposomes offer a revolutionary method of delivering previously infeasible therapeutics in a controlled manner for more effective treatment. These nanomaterials allow for increased penetration into target tissues, altered bioavailability, and have potential for improved targeting within the body. Exploiting these characteristics offers huge promise in terms of improved patient outcomes while minimising harsh side-effects. Currently it is difficult to rapidly measure drug-load distribution and drug-release profiles of nanomedicines without using proxies and extrapolations. As a consequence, the nanomedicine field suffers from poor reproducibility and reliability at the drug-screening level. Understanding of these parameters is required by researchers, manufacturers and regulators to optimise the dosing and performance of these highly-targeted nanotherapeutics. We have recently launched an instrument that can accurately measure real-time drug-load distribution and release profiles of drug-loaded nanoparticles, including liposomes and lipid-nanoparticles (LNPs). Our multiparameter sensors provide a novel and high-precision method for rapid characterisation of nanotherapeutics based on their unique optical signatures, measuring both size and refractive index simultaneously and independently on a particle-by-particle basis. Oxford HighQ's instrument is capable of measuring multiple critical attributes of nanoformulations, including: * Drug mass per nanoparticle (as a function of size) * Real-time drug-release profiles * Shell/coating thickness and density * Refractive index * Size and polydispersity This project will provide reference datasets for lipid-based nanoparticle formulations used in healthcare. The key objectives of this project are to provide orthogonal measurements of the physicochemical properties of therapeutic nanoparticles in order to demonstrate the performance parameters of Oxford HighQ's instruments, such as its resolution and limit of detection, and to provide a range of reference points for nanoparticle characterisation supporting the use of the instruments in the QA/QC testing of advanced therapies.

Climate change poses an immediate risk to operations from extreme weather events. While the risk modelling industry understands how Shared Socioeconomic Pathways are likely to impact insured assets in a future climate (up to the year 2100), there is currently no attempt to manage financial volatility over the coming months. For example insurers faced expensive payouts from claims during the UK flooding events during autumn 2019-20, while farmers suffered from the severe cold during spring 2018 followed by one of the hottest and driest summers. Seasonal variability in extreme weather/ climate risk depends on many different climate indices, with business exposed to a variety of weather perils that can either be more (or less) likely within the upcoming months. Since insurance pricing is not currently flexible, settlements can sometime be much more costly when a specified weather hazard is more frequent and widespread within an operational period. The economic benefit of seasonal climate forecasts is therefore substantial, yet they are largely unquantified. This project aims to formulate a credible and rigorous methodology for the validation of a more localised and detailed seasonal forecast product that we can share with our financial clients. The vision is that we can then supply this analysis with our prospective clients for their auditing and model evaluation process. For instance providing drought/ flood risk information to crop insurers at a farming spatial level. We expect that by performing a more complete validation assessment to meet the requirements of the wider industry, we can reach more customers much faster. Overcoming this assessment challenge would therefore enable business growth within a uniquely new and potentially disruptive market. We aim to apply NPL's validation to our forecast products in other geographies as necessary using their transferable methodology. Since climate risk impacts most operations, solving this challenge would facilitate wider market opportunities in retail demand management, parametric crop insurance, renewable energy management, asset reinsurance and banking.

Camnexus is a technology startup of the University of Cambridge that develops end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for business clients in remote and industrial operations. Our mission is to enable businesses operating in the water, food and energy sectors to achieve their sustainability targets with a low-power IoT and real-time cloud-based automatic anomaly detection systems. To date, the company has deployed its IoT solution in four different operational environments, including underground sewage chambers, open pit mining operations, and agriculture greenhouses. The innovative nature of our solution is based on the integration of low-power (LPWAN) technology with Camnexus development of an intuitive cloud-based real-time data processing, analysis and visualisation platform for monitoring and prediction of operational inefficiencies. The Camnexus IoT solution consists of end node sensor devices, the Camnexus LoRaWAN gateway and servers, and the real-time data processing and visualisation capability in client-specific customised dashboard. The communication between the gateway and the cloud can be done through WiFi, fibre optic (ethernet) or 3G, 4G or 5G. Recent participation of Camnexus in the first private 5G network accelerator of Cambridge Wireless, UK, resulted in the new product and service offering, a dedicated LoRaWAN IP68 gateway (KUBO(c)) for industrial operations, which can connect to 3G, 4G, 5G and satellite, in addition to fibre optic. Camnexus' solution of communication to the network of sensors is based on LoRaWAN technology, which allows larger area coverage and infrastructure scalability, ideal for industrial applications with a large number of connected devices. Camnexus requires the experience of a professional testing laboratory, which has been previously cost-prohibitive to Camnexus, in order to determine the maximum area coverage of communication to define the optimal range that allows maximising the data transfer (bandwidth specification) without putting the communication at risk. The analysis would also allow the definition of the optimal distance, including the selection of antennas to ensure the communication quality. We aim to address the interference and attenuation measurement and analysis issues regarding the capability of Camnexus equipment in this project.

Aletheia Imaging Solutions Ltd (AIS) is an industrial metrology spin out from The University of Manchester. At the heart of the AIS business plan is an innovative, patent pending, piece of technology, a 3D calibration target capable of permitting the calculation of spatial resolution and measurement confidence in X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT). The AIS 3D calibration target enables users to exploit the vast capabilities of XCT for non-destructive testing (NDT) purposes. Through detailed case studies performed in collaboration with industrial partners, the AIS approach to XCT metrology has been proven to be a reliable means for calibrating XCT equipment. The AIS approach is intended to allow XCT users to inspect additively manufactured (AM) components for defects in order to allow them to be deployed in mission critical applications. XCT can only be relied upon as an NDT method for mission critical components if the XCT instruments employed to carry out the inspections are calibrated and the corresponding spatial resolution and measurement confidence values are known. The AIS 3D calibration target provides these parameters. AM is much faster and more economical than alternative fabrication methods, so customers stand to achieve vast cost savings by using the AIS approach to enable AM to be employed as their chosen manufacturing technique. Although it is proven that the AIS 3D calibration target works and is a highly effective tool for XCT metrology, there is currently no way of calibrating the 3D calibration targets themselves. It is inevitable that errors in the manufacturing processes used to produce the AIS devices will result in small geometric variations between supposedly identical devices. In this project, AIS will work with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to develop a characterisation routine to use imaging techniques such as scanning electron microscopy to profile the dimensions of the features on the 3D calibration targets. It is intended that this routine will output a "fingerprint" of the characterised device, detailing any variations between the actual device under investigation and the idealised design. The project will seek to determine the optimal imaging technique for carrying out the characterisation and engage in the development of a digital solution to enable the results to be used in subsequent calculations using the AIS devices. Successful completion of the project will enhance the utility of the AIS 3D calibration targets and ensure AIS maintains its position as a world leader in the XCT metrology market.

Lightricity has developed world leading efficiency indoor photovoltaic (PV) technology capable of powering a multitude of small wireless devices e.g. for wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT). The company currently sells its unique indoor PV component technology to IoT device developers and also offers PV-powered IoT devices to systems integrators and IoT solution providers. In order to test our products in the full range of lighting conditions likely to be experienced by the devices and therefore demonstrate performance potential vs battery-powered devices, we have developed a family of affordable, portable light simulators (Lightbox). As well as helping address our internal needs, the Lightbox is currently sold to researchers and PV-powered device developers. We need to fully characterise and optimise the Lightbox product in order to improve its performance. Working with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) brings access to unique custom measurement capabilities, expertise and linkage to standards development. The project will help us improve the accuracy of the Lightbox and ensure that it is aligned to future international standards. This will increase customer confidence in this product and make it a unique, low-cost testing tool for PV-powered IOT devices.

With the planned roll-out of electric vehicles, tyres, and their associated emissions, are potentially becoming the biggest source of pollution from motor vehicles, but these emissions are poorly understood. There is currently no standardised regulatory method for measuring the wear rates, the chemical composition of the abraded material or the ultimate toxicological effect on humans and the wider environment. This project aims to start addressing, and develop measurement methods for, the second unresolved part of this chain - measuring and characterising the chemical compounds in tyre wear, as it is created from vehicles in real-world operation. To achieve this, it is necessary not just to identify and quantify the wide range of compounds and elements in tyres, but also to understand the accuracy and repeatability of the measurements. If successful, it opens up the opportunity to be able to understand the environmental effects - encompassing air, water and soil - to a much greater extent than currently. This is important as tyres have been identified as one of the largest sources of microplastics in the ocean. As driving safety cannot be compromised by reducing grip, the best way to address this problem may be to change the composition of the tyre material rather than the rate of wear. As the light-duty vehicle fleet shifts to electrified cars and vans, average vehicle weight is set to increase significantly, which is likely to result in higher wear. Leveraging Emissions Analytics' existing capability to measure the organic constituents of tyre wear, the project will expand that to cover inorganic components and understanding measurement uncertainties. By addressing a measurement challenge, there is the potential to unlock private sector value together with public value in addressing current and pre-empting future environmental challenges.

Plasterboard is responsible for 3.5% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions, with inefficient production accounting for 67% of life cycle emissions \[Maskell, D. et al 2017\]. Production of toxic Hydrogen Sulphide gas from the mixing of plasterboard, biodegradable waste and rainwater within landfill has resulted in tighter waste regulations including waste segregation and increased landfill taxes (£91/tonne and increasing in the UK \[HMRC, 2018\]) to cater for the 15m tonnes of plasterboard waste that is disposed annually. Only 1% of UK plasterboard demolition waste is currently recycled \[WRAP, 2019\]. Adaptavate Limited, a UK-based, award winning SME, is focused on developing and commercialising materials that disrupt foundation industries and the construction market. This project accelerates the development of a world-first gypsum-alternative low-carbon plasterboard created from agricultural crop waste, Breathaboard. Utilising next generation, bio-based, renewable materials and production methods, Breathaboard responds to growing user demand for more environmentally friendly construction materials, offering: ●Superior condensation, air quality and energy efficiency performance ●Bio-based, non-toxic materials with excellent closed-loop credentials ●Lower lifecycle carbon emissions and natural resource impact. This project focuses on enhancing Breathaboard's design for manufacturer and technical validation, enabling an optimised, commercially viable product, poised for worldwide adoption. Through collaboration with NPL, Adaptavate are looking to gain key insight to manufacturing quality using state of the art analysis. The outcome is focused on delivering some novel in line non destructive quality assurance techniques.

Xampla's natural replacements for plastic are based on a ground-breaking scientific breakthrough from the University of Cambridge. Learning from the way a spider makes silk, the Xampla team can engineer commonly available plant proteins into new forms, using low energy and with no chemical changes. Our materials can reduce the harmful impact of plastic in our environment. The strength and performance of Xampla's plant-protein materials is dependent on the precise structure. This project aims to characterize the materials to improve our understanding of the materials, deliver performance improvements and enable scale-up of our production. This innovative analysis work will be undertaken by NPL, with a collaboration between two highly skilled expert teams.

This project aims to improve Neuroloom's co-culture platform ability to screen novel therapies for toxic effects on the heart. The experts in recording electrical signals from biological tissue at the UK's metrology Institute, the National Physical Lab will assist Neuroloom in measuring the activity of the heart cells in Neuroloom's microdevice whilst the nervous systems cell in the microdevice are at different levels of activity. This will allow Neuroloom's device to detect when a drug has a toxic effect only when the heart is in different states of activity. During different state of activity, e.g. running versus resting or panicking versus relaxing, the heart responds to drugs in different ways. Enabling Neuroloom's product to detect the response of the heart cells to drugs. Detecting this response allows drug developers to avoid spending unnecessary money on trialing drugs on humans or animals and cause harm to the trial participants. Demonstrating this capability will improve both Neuroloom's productivity and competitiveness by generating more revenue per device and offering a capability not currently available on the market.

Rawwater is commercialising its unique leak and defect sealing technologies. One of the remaining hurdles to commercialisation is control of material ingress through the repair site and into the system. For many applications, this is undesirable. NPL have a vast range of knowledge and access to equipment for Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). The proposed project would be to test NDT options for a limited number of 'typical' leaks repairs to assess whether NDT will be able to identify if there is any ingress. The reason that it is so crucial to achieve an NDT method is that the only other way of measuring is destructively which either involves changing the end state, potentially disrupting any ingress and therefore not providing accurate information or physically destroying each test piece, which is not a commercially or environmentally viable option. The target is to identify NDT options for laboratory analysis, to allow Rawwater to control parameters to reduce/remove ingress and explore the potential to use this in the field to provide customers with a post seal analysis to prove ingress has not occurred.

Angus Horticulture Ltd have developed a composting process which utilises waste from the Scottish shellfish industry to produce an innovative and novel soil improver that can increase the long-term soil health and quality of agricultural and horticultural soils. This approach builds on many years of research and experience from scientists employed by Angus Horticulture Ltd as well as others globally, on the use of shellfish waste and its key component - chitin - for sustainably improving soil health, and subsequently reducing the impact of significant soil-borne pests and pathogens of a range of agricultural and horticultural crops in the process. In addition the chitin-based soil improver will increase the organic matter content of soils; deliver carbon savings by sequestration of carbon in the soil from the shellfish waste and other components of the soil improver/conditioner; reduce the amount of fertiliser required by farmers/growers; and reduce pesticide used to treat soil-borne pathogens and pests of crops. To improve the quality control of the final soil improver product, an accurate and economic method for determining the chitin content of the composted chitin soil improver is necessary. This collaborative project with the National Physics Laboratory will develop a deployable solution for chitin determination that has been validated using material supplied by Angus Horticulture Ltd of various known chitin concentrations, and several batches of chitin soil improver product.

IMSPEX provides a range of analytical devices to different sectors to help with health, environmental and industrial problems. Our mission is to bring laboratory quality analytical capabilities out of the laboratory and to the point of need. The simplicity and speed of analysis of the technology, known as GC-IMS, is ideally placed to allow those in need of analytical information to obtain it quickly, in place and in real time, without having to rely on slow, costly and remote analytical operations. One of the GC-IMS systems from IMSPEX is the Breathspec(r), which is a breath analysis device specifically designed for the analysis of chemicals exhaled from a person when they breath out. IMSPEX believe that their Breathspec(r) can be used in the NHS or community settings to help with the diagnosis of infections and disease. As it non-invasive and results can be produced in less than 10 minutes means that people are happy to have a test. However, it is currently very difficult to make sure breath measurements are accurate and the systems needs to be tested in a certain way that regulators are happy with. Therefore, in this project, IMSPEX will work the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) who are world leaders in making calibration standards. With the help of NPL the Breathspec(r) system will be tested and validated for breath measurements against an acceptable traceable standard.

Oxford nanoSystems Ltd (OnS) is a high-tech start-up that spent the past 6 years developing nanoFLUX -- a nano-coating which dramatically improves the efficiency of two-phase heat-exchangers, such as evaporators. Our core technology, nanoFLUX is a highly-porous coating that enhances evaporative heat transfer by significantly increasing the density of nucleation sites on a surface. Unlike mechanical and sintered enhancements, nanoFLUX can be applied to internal surfaces and intricate micro-scale structures. Looking towards future applications, we acknowledge the UK's drive for sustainable energy. There is a growing demand for electrolysers that produce green hydrogen for energy storage. From the existing electrolysis methods are two of interest: PEM and alkaline electrolysers (AWE). PEM electrolysers have certain advantages including compact size, the ability to deal with a variable/intermittent renewable power source and the purity/ pressure of the hydrogen generated. However, PEM electrolysers require expensive noble metal catalysts at the electrodes. Alkaline electrolysers use lower-cost materials (e.g. nickel electrodes) and can offer the potential to process saline water. The downside is the efficiency and performance are less than the PEM electrolysers. OnS will focus on AWE, because it is the most mature technology and we believe our technology is able to substantially improve the efficiency of the process. In this project we will use a hierarchical structure including nanoFLUX to enhance the cathode electrode. This will reduce the reaction overpotential by enhancing bubble nucleation and release of hydrogen. As a result, more electrolysis reactions are possible and the efficiency of the whole system will be greatly enhanced. Currently there are no technologies on the market that can offer a low cost, easy applicable solution. We need to quantify nanoFLUX performance in AWE hydrogen bubble formation in comparison to uncoated or SotA samples. To achieve this, NPL will design a flow cell test rig and provide independent measurements. This will enable OnS to offer our coating service to electrolyser manufacturers and thus providing the company with an additional revenue stream. The output of the project will be a report detailing the performance and accelerated lifetime testing on the coating material in AWE application. A further output will be a new test rig at NPL to allow testing of hydrogen bubble formation, and know-how in surface area measurements of coatings on substrates. This will allow NPL to expand the range of services it can offer.

Infinitesima develops and manufactures the Rapid Probe Microscope (RPM). It is a very high speed atomic force microscope (AFM) with particular application within the semiconductor industry. At the heart of the system is highly sensitive interferometric closed loop control over three (x,y,z) axes. The height (z axis) is the most challenging and also the most critical. Within this project we will explore, in collaboration with world class experts from NPL, if there are aspects of the design of this part of the system that can be further optimised to continuously improve the performance of this measurement system.

Metal additive manufacturing is the process of building up parts in a layerwise process, rather than machining them from initial homogeneous bulk material. By selectively adjusting the machine parameters it is possible to include multiple material properties within a single part, enabling a wider range of more optimised designs than has previously been possible. There is an ever-expanding range of Additive processes and materials, enabling totally new performing parts that are lighter and have novel functions. Additive Flow is the leading software provider for multi-property optimisation and has the capability of generating new ways of manufacturing with multi-properties, and multiple process parameters. This is a fresh new area for growth within engineering in the UK and internationally. In order to unlock the potential of this multi-property optimisation, new ways of testing and gathering data for components that have multiple material properties are needed. We generate in collaboration with NPL a series of multi-property components, which will then be tested and the data will be fed back into the existing software that will improve engineering performance and cost savings for manufacturing. Additional benefits include reducing complexity for users within a multi-scale and multi-disciplinary engineering design space increasing accessibility and adoption of new technologies. Additive Flow's optimisation software determines trade-offs between manufacturing speed and cost against the function and performance of the final part. This can allow more novel parts to be produced quicker and more cost-effectively, enabling greater exploitation of the benefits of AM. However, many of the resulting designs result in inhomogeneous material for which accurate material property data is lacking. The lack of data has resulted in sub-optimal optimisation due to the need to be sufficiently cautious to avoid part failure and subsequently the certification is also expensive. This project will take approaches to measure and evaluate the physical material properties of heterogeneous structures and use this data to validate processing parameters predicted by the digital simulation. This has benefits to the development of the UK industry, where the solution would greatly improve design optimisation processes, have positive economic, social and environmental implications because material wastage is minimised and process failure is avoided.

Modern Machine Learning data analysis promise fast and flexible data processing, allowing reduced cost and lower barrier to entry for many 3D data acquisition tasks (e.g. laser scans). One problem regularly faced when trying to incorporate data pre-processing steps into downstream tasks such as creation of Digital Twins is to measure the accuracy and reliability of the system generated geometry. Having solid error bounds for the accuracy of the generated/processed 3D structure accuracy is the key enabler/barrier to adaptation of these techniques in markets such as Energy and Construction. The standard practice in data community is to measure performance on a separate validation dataset. This gives some indication into the performance of the ML models however, the overall question around the reliability of the geometric model remains. In addition, the best practice for selecting an unbiased and representative validation set is currently not well understood. Visio Impulse (https://www.visioimpulse.com) will work closely with the National Physical Laboratory, NPL, to explore various techniques for measuring accuracy and reliability of the ML generated 3D structure with the aim of providing certainty for geometry sensitive processes. The expertise and instrumentation available at NPL will be used to determine the correct approach to measuring geometric errors and the certainty bounds around the 3D structure modelling techniques, the dependencies and sensitivity to various elements within the model as well as the sensitivity to data acquisition approaches. This will allow the development of optimised (hybrid) strategy for 3D data acquisition and post processing and will be tested to show consistent performance, thus elevating the barriers to adoption of these techniques.

Quantum Science Ltd (QS) is an award-winning technology company focused on innovation, development and commercialisation of next-generation nanomaterials and other advanced materials for semiconductor and healthcare applications. At QS we have developed a new class of heavy metal-free nanoparticles that are non-toxic and environmentally friendly. QS has started supplying these materials to a number of customers in the image sensor supply chain. Our customers use these materials in optoelectronic devices, such as infrared photodetectors, by depositing nanoparticles into electrically active solid films. To provide our customers with the best nanoparticle materials that would offer the best device performance, it is necessary to have detailed knowledge of the electronic properties of the nanoparticles and information on how our processes impact upon these. Such detailed knowledge could be obtained via direct measurement and characterisation of the nanoparticle surface. The combination of measurements proposed here, have not been previously attempted, and together will complete the picture to give a full understanding. Overcoming such measurement challenges will improve QS product competitiveness, advance customers' device performance, increase sales, gain more market share, and open up new markets.

Background: EMD has been working with a Norwegian company for some time, developing a moisture activated sensor with an RF transmitter. The BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) RF transmitter is powered by a salt water battery. When moisture ingresses the battery housing, it comes into contact with a very dry salt impregnated separator between the anode and cathode. Once whetted, the battery starts producing energy, sufficient to power the transmitter for around 1,000 advertisements, (transmissions) over a 20-minute period. Bearing in mind a smart phone BLE receiver checks for new advertisements 5 times per second, it is most unlikely that a warning transmission will be missed. In the primary application, the system provides a warning signal to stakeholders when a tyre is worn close to the legal limit. In the secondary application, it provides the warning signal when damp has reached the unit, which is placed in a location which should remain dry. Deployments are likely in domestic, rented and office buildings, wind generators, oil rigs, dry cargo carriers. This is a challenging project - we have identified core issues which must be addressed before we can realise products. The A4I competition provides a means by which UK based SME's can access 'best in class' support. EMD will be supported by The NPL (National Physical Laboratory), who will undertake measurement and analytical tasks, which we alone could not do.

SupraQ is a non-invasive Cardiac Output (CO) device using Continuous Wave ultrasound. Our technology utilises an ultrasound transducer presented to the suprasternal notch (V-shaped notch at base of neck) to measure blood flow in the ascending aorta. This need has enormous market potential helping over 16 million patients each year. Clinicians currently lack a low cost, simple, reliable, non-invasive haemodynamic monitor to assess the circulatory status of sick non-ventilated patients rapidly and accurately, and then guide their treatment. Protecting patients from haemodynamic errors through improved screening and monitoring would save thousands of lives, improve outcomes and reduce costs. Haemodynamic instability is frequent, resulting in myocardial infarctions, stroke and kidney injury. Complications have clinical and financial consequences; unplanned ICU admissions; longer hospital stay; increased readmissions; increased 30-day mortality; and shorter lifespan after discharge. Prompt diagnosis, particularly in Covid-19 patients, is critical before a circulatory problem becomes severe. Usage would improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital stay, improve utilization of stretched resources and deliver economic benefits. Deltex has vast experience in haemodynamics, its current ultrasound monitoring technology has been repeatedly demonstrated to improve patient outcomes (23 Randomised Controlled Trials and a NICE recommendation).

With increasing CO2 emissions and concerns over mass use of fossil fuels, the use of renewable sources of energy and carbon-free fuels is of critical importance for a transition to net-zero emissions and hydrogen represents a real alternative to fossil fuels. Hydrogen is notoriously difficult to store as conventional storage methods require extreme conditions such as high pressures or low temperatures. At H2GO Power we have developed a solid-state hydrogen storage system that represents a safer, cheaper, and denser alternative to conventional storage technologies and exploits the reversible chemical bond that H2 can form with other molecules, allowing absorption and desorption cycles to be carried out several thousands of times. The materials we use in our patented technology, however, require a period of activation which represents a bottleneck step in terms of time and overall cost. Understanding the factors affecting activation times will allow targeted engineering of materials, leading to a decreased consumption of hydrogen and overall a more efficient, cheaper, and denser product. Using the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) state of the art facilities we are planning to carry out a detailed investigation on the particle morphology and crystallographic properties of our storage material that, coupled with a study of hydrogen preferential paths within different particles, will provide invaluable information on the step to adopt to optimise the activation time of our materials. We will be using a variety of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and X-Ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) to image the surface and particle morphology at high resolution and provide information on variations in elemental composition. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) while Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) will also be used for the analysis of the phases and crystallographic structures and orientation on the samples. Nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) is one of the rare techniques that can map the distribution of hydrogen and do so at 100 nm spatial resolution. It will be used to examine the association of hydrogen with microstructural features such as individual particles and the grain boundaries between them. It can also help determine if other trace and light elements are present in the sample that is unmeasurable or below the detection limits of the other techniques. There are few laboratories globally that have these capabilities and expertise all under one roof, and thus NPL is well-positioned to undertake these measurement challenges.

This project is to support the enhancement of a fast, accurate and low cost sensor for compositional analysis of H2 and Natural Gas blends. The sensor has been developed for Hydrogen, Natural Gas and Biomethane applications (or blends of any of the above) and can be utilised for compositional analysis and gas properties (such as CV and Wobbe). The core sensor technology consists of an interdigitated electrode on a chip coated with a platinum nanocomposite layer that interacts with the gas. Also included is precise temperature and pressure monitoring so that the data can be corrected for these parameters. The existing product has been designed to operate across a relatively narrow temperature and pressure range, consistent with Best Available Technologies such as Gas Chromatography. This project is to expand the operational temperature range of the product to -40C to + 70C so that it can be more widely and cost effectively deployed on a global scale without the need for ancillary heating/cooling and the associated complication, cost and environmental impact of doing so.

One of the most widely taken medications are Proton Pump Inhibitors(PPI) for the reduction of stomach acid. At present only solid forms or very limited stability suspensions are available. These suspensions often block feeding tubes in hospitalised patients with these tubes having to be replaced at considerable cost and discomfort for the patient. The development of a liquid alternative is therefore a major step forward and would have considered benefit to both health care providers and ultimately to the patient. The major issue with PPI's is that they are notoriously unstable and will rapidly degrade when exposed to a wide range of external influences such as heat, oxygen, light and acid environments. As it is an orally ingested medication the problem of acid degradation in the stomach has previously been overcome by placing them in a 'gastro-protective' coating that allows the PPI to pass through the stomach and be absorbed in the less acidic lower gut. This causes other issues such as speed of absorption. The aim of this project is to improve on the stability work already carried out by the company using their unique solubilisation platform. It is important to look at the products to define the presence of precipitates or crystal formation and what size they may be to determine their effect on stability and to understand the possibility of using filtering techniques to remove them. Once this has been completed we will be able to look at other factors effecting overall stability and improve the shelf-life of the products while being assured that we have a 'pure liquid' that will not stick to or block tubes and so improve the life of patients and healthcare workers.

The goal of HexagonFab is to unlock the secrets of biomolecules and shed light on how they interact. The tools created by HexagonFab help researchers to develop the medicine of the future, to find the best ways to produce novel biomolecules and to assure that medicine is always safe and efficacious. The current systems used in drug discovery and development to analyse traditional molecules like proteins and small molecules are hitting their limits with the new generation of advanced drugs. HexagonFab has developed a novel sensor platform based on nearly a decade of research at the University of Cambridge, thereby offering a solution for drug developers. The goal of the project is to create the foundation for the development of a version of the HexagonFab Bolt sensor, which will enable its application towards new classes of molecules such as Ribonucleic acid (RNA) or peptides. RNA therapeutics represent a rapidly growing category of drugs that creates a new paradigm for personalized medicine and treatment of many diseases. Given the challenge of small molecules such as RNA to traditional analysis instrumentation, the HexagonFab Bolt could become the perfect solution to answer this industry need.

AI Exploration has developed a novel sensor that can measure trace H2O in a multi-component CO2 flow for Carbon Capture and Storage applications. During this project we aim to address the measurement challenge we have with our existing sensor. The presence of different types and levels of other impurities (besides H2O) poses a significant challenge to perform this measurement accurately and repeatedly. The focus of this project is to test AIX's existing prototype system along side other measurement systems in NPL's primary standard multi-gas, multi-pressure humidity lab to assess the performance of AIX's technology in different environmental conditions and compare the performance to other sensing approaches. The true benefit of solving this problem is it will allow AI Exploration to fast track the product towards commercial industrial trials with large operators like BP which will increase its competitiveness in the marketplace.

Queensgate have unique control capability with expertise in high speed, high precision applications. Ultra-low noise electronics allow operation at higher bandwidths; over 40% of the stage resonant frequency with low picometre resolutions. Control of acceleration and deceleration enables the fastest step settle times, and recently velocity control was introduced which has significant advantages for fast imaging. As part of Prior Scientific, Queensgate have developed longer-range stages providing significant advantages for image acquisition using multiphoton microscopy. Piecewise adaptive linearity compensation will improve linearization for longer range (400 µm to 800 µm) multi-axis stages (XY and XYZ) and stages with local linearity errors. Improved linearization will extend the use of the long-range multi-axis stage to surface imaging applications which require sub-nanometre resolutions and reduce image distortion. This has application in life science, semiconductor wafer testing and manufacture and has potential for quantum photonics.

Fourth State makes products which generate useful reactive gases by combining ambient air and electricity; we specialise in generating oxides of nitrogen and ozone in-situ. Our technology is based on plasma (ionised gas), the fourth state of matter after solid, liquid and gas. This A4I feasibility project with The National Physical Laboratory will seek to improve concentration measurements for these substances produced by our products.

Adaptix develops novel 3D X-ray imaging technology for medical applications. A prototype has also been tested in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) applications to inspect electronics devices and components and far exceeded the imaging capability of current 2D x-ray NDT systems. It also has a smaller footprint, is lower cost and produces less flux (requires less shielding to be safe, so portable for desktop use). The aim is to deliver a novel and commercially attractive alternative to the industry's existing quality assurance procedures, which involve manual handling of each sample with a microscope: the industry needs automated, cheap quality assurance methods, applicable quickly, to an entire batch of samples. This project will lay the groundwork to add a new and complementary capability of multi-modal imaging to our existing 3D x-ray product. Specifically, Adaptix aims to incorporate multi-wavelength optical imaging within the shielded x-ray cabinet. Concurrent to the X-ray scan, we will conduct an optical scan that will be used to detect oxidation. Tin oxide has differential absorption of different optical wavelengths, a characteristic we aim to exploit. With an optical scan we want to detect tin oxide on electronic connectors. Such oxides form when the components have not been maintained in an appropriate environment. Detecting tin oxide may also indicate if counterfeit/refurbished parts have been mixed into supposedly new products, which is often the case in global and unregulated supply chains where parts are bought and sold many times. Of the annual $800bn in semiconductors sales,~ $32bn go through 'channel'. The US Navy estimates 15% of its electronic parts are counterfeit, and this is probably a better controlled environment than the majority of supply chains. The industry requires a low-cost method of increasing test throughput (potentially to 100%). It is important to reduce total test cost and the need for expensive and scarce trained electronics inspectors. This adds significant value to our 3D X-ray system for NDT applications. It would offer a highly novel and market-leading feature (in a new market) for the second version of the system to drive further revenues and industry-benefit. NPL will help us develop a test to identify the presence of tin oxide on the components. They will also help to establish the sensitivity and specificity of this approach, and establish the wavelength needed to maximise signal-detection and resolution, and identify commercially available source that are capable of delivering this.

Biophilica has developed Treekind(R), a patent-pending leather alternative made with green waste. While Treekind(R) has excellent performance across the board for leather goods applications, the flex performance could be improved for footwear applications. The vegan footwear industry was worth £18.1 billion in 2019 and expected to expand at a 7.2% CAGR between 2020 and 2030 (Future Market Insight 2019). Footwear, the largest segment, accounted for 30% of the entire vegan leather market in 2019 (Grand View Research 2019). Sustainability is key, with global brands like Adidas recreating classics with eco-friendly materials. Customers are searching for petrochemical-free and cruelty-free materials -- however these are rare (Vegconomist). Only one other leather alternative is free of petrochemicals -- Mirum(R) by NFW in the US. Treekind(R) is * completely free of petrochemicals and toxins * estimated carbon neutral * compostable and recyclable * made from the abundant green waste feedstock (6 million tonnes in the UK, 880 million tonnes in the world, annually) Treekind(R) has, because of these environmental benefits, been recognised by: The Mayor's Entrepreneur, Manufacturing Futures, Drapers, Global Good, BusinessGreen Leaders, Vogue Yoox, and The Microfiber Innovation Challenge. These benefits also make Treekind(R) attractive to leading UK and international shoe brands looking for alternatives to conventional leather and new materials that avoid the use of petrochemical, non-biodegradable PU or PVC. We have relationships with several leading shoe brands, spanning luxury, classic, and casual, that want to use our material for capsule collections and in factories with real-life equipment and techniques. Biophilica is part of accelerators Sustainable Ventures, Fashion for Good, and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership. Improving the flex performance of Treekind(R) is important because * It means that we can enter the lucrative, expanding footwear market. * Resource and cost efficiency with less waste in manufacturing. * Demonstrate that sustainable/PU-free materials can have high performance. * By entering this market, our material replaces leather and petrochemical materials that are not recycled and add to the UK's and world's waste problem. Over 300 million pairs of shoes are discarded in the UK annually -- the majority going to landfill (Dover District Council). In this project, NPL and Biophilica will collaborate on analysing samples to better understand what drives failure and success and ideate new solutions with the goal of achieving consistent and high performance (over 100k flexes).

MicroLED, especially RGB microLED is considered as the holy grail of the future display technology. Porotech's mission is to bring microLED into commercial market at mass production scale through continuous innovation. Our microLED products based on unique process and customised porous structure have established advantageous position by achieving exciting technological and commercial breakthroughs in the past two years. However, until now, achieving the necessary high-efficiency, ultra-fine-pitch red pixels has proved a challenge for the whole industry. Porotech fully acknowledge and understand the role that science has in aiding economic growth and add value to society. Evangelized by Dr Yingjun Liu, co-founder and CTO, Porotech's team will partner with NPL's Electronic & Magnetic Materials Team led by Dr Sebastian Wood, and Quantum Materials and Sensors Team led by Prof Ling Hao to meet the challenge through A4I program. The consortium is well equipped with bespoke facilities such as advanced scanning probe microscopy and non-contact microwave resonator system, aiming to establish multiple dimensional, multiple-scale view of hierarchical structure and complex spatial-temporal behaviours at device level in LED-on-porous-template. By the end of this project, we aim to establish a metrological methodology based on fundamental understanding, and ultimately meet manufacturing requirements to develop, optimise and assure quality of our wafer products. Porotech has worked closely with NPL before. In 2020, via M4R Porotech worked with Rob Simpson from NPL for thermal measurement of porous wafer, which lead to deeper understanding of the thermal behaviours helping us to continue R&D even during pandemics. Our current collaborative project can lead to innovative solution on bigger challenges in the future on microLED, AR, power electronics, and quantum technology.

Nitrogen dioxide pollution is associated with diseases such as stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, while ammonia emissions significantly contribute to several well-known environmental problems. Remote monitoring of rising levels of both nitrogen dioxide and ammonia are essential to be able to reduce mandated emissions and monitor compliance and ultimately save lives. The development of low-powered, sensitive, and selective chemiresistive gas sensors for monitoring of key pollutants is essential for public and environmental health considerations. The use of novel nanomaterials for battery-operated highly sensitive sensing devices is gaining commercial interest so more accurate environmental monitoring can be carried out. **By capitalising on the skills and expertise of outstanding UK scientists and capabilities of cutting-edge facilities will enable us to test the performance of our devices using a dedicated certified instrumentation.** Utilising the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) gas testing facilities, advanced quantitative analysis will ensure greater validation of our sensing products. Investigating the quantified, traceable interaction of gases with our sensor platform will enable Advanced Material Development (AMD) Ltd. to advance several sensing application technologies for various clients both in the UK and the US. Well-controlled experiments generate data which opens further commercial opportunities. Once successful, this adds considerable value to the company and increases our ability for full product development and commercialisation.

Making Hydrogen smelly; Hydrogen is the solution to future low carbon energy needs, if so, it would be essential to have an olfactory alarm to identify the danger of unintended release. Smelly odorants are ubiquitous in natural gas as we use them in industry and our homes. However, the sulfur molecules currently used as natural gas odorant is incompatible for use in a hydrogen car. Therefore, an alternative fuel cell friendly odorant needs to be identified. Partnering with NPL, this project investigates alternative odorant systems in hydrogen applications, particularly hydrogen vehicles, through a set of measurement techniques. Through the project, we hope to identify new odorants that will accelerate the safe adoption of hydrogen in the grid.

Anemos builds unique, patented multi-axis position sensors (MAPS) that can measure planar and angular coordinates to extreme resolutions with a single sensor. What is predicted through extensive simulations and now partially proven in practice not only goes well beyond our original sub-micron objectives, but apparently also stretches the limits of existing metrology setups. In particular, the ability to control motion and independently measure (validate) the result represents a huge challenge in the realm of sub-nanometre position sensing. This requires extraordinarily fine mechanical control, and exquisite control of temperature, vibration, and other environmental variables. In addition, credible validation needs to be done against traceable standards such as optical interferometers and at third-party labs. The objective is an experimental system that can really test our technology to its limits in order to address new top-end market opportunities. Also, in pushing the envelope there is always much to learn about unforeseen weaknesses and limitations: the problem is not just to prove what we think we know, but to uncover what we don't.

Vegetable specifications set by retailers mean that not all vegetables will make it onto their shelves. The vegetable this project will focus on is the humble leek, which despite its Welsh heritage, is now mostly grown for retail in the eastern counties of England. Allpress Farms Ltd, who are based in Cambridgeshire, grow almost 25% of UK leeks and supply Sainsbury's exclusively as well as significant volumes for Lidl, Morrisions, Ocado, Waitrose and Amazon. The measurement problem that this project will address, wouldn't be a problem, if all leeks in a field grew at the exact same rate. Unfortunately as with all things in nature, some will grow quickly while others take longer to mature. This means at harvest, leeks within a single field can range from under 10mm to over 50mm in diameter. One way retailers and growers have tried to improve the proportion of crop making it onto the shelves is by widening specifications for 'pre-pack' leeks and introducing 'loose' and 'baby' products, which allow for larger and smaller leeks respectively. So, we have now got to a point where very few leeks are an unsuitable size to make it onto the supermarket shelves, however, how can we tell which leeks should go into which product batch during the harvest and packing processes? Currently, this is done entirely by eye, which relies on skilled staff and experienced supervision. Despite the skill and experience, mistakes are still made and a significant amount of product does not make it into the optimal batch. This project aims to take the first step in automating the sorting procedure by creating a small device which will be able to measure leeks accurately and provide data in real time to supervisors and management. By having a device with these capabilities, the business will be able to make well informed decisions. The generated data will allow the business to make decisions on sale prices, growing methods and future investment in a completely automated sorting procedure. While Allpress Farms Ltd knows much about growing, harvesting and packaging leeks, there is a lack of expertise in the development of small Internet of Things devices. For this reason, the business has partnered with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Bringing knowledge of measurement, testing and verification, NPL will assist by developing a computer-vision based system that will allow the accurate real-time measurement and classification of leeks.

CDO2 has developed the CDA-16 battery current density analyser as a bench-top battery cell analysis and testing system. This works by using our 16cm x 16cm sensor array to generate a current density image of a cell under test. This allows electrochemists and other battery researchers to visualise the spatial distribution of the current flow in a battery cell. This is useful in developing and assessing cell designs to ensure that they are operating as expected, as well as for investigation of cell degradation. It is also of benefit for quality control, ensuring consistency through sample testing. The aim of this project is to provide quantitative information to verify the algorithm used by CDO2 to infer the current density distribution of a battery from sensor measurements. In order to provide a quantitative reference with an accurately known current density profile, a physical artefact will be created that is representative of a typical battery under test. The proposed artefact will be designed by the instrumentation group at NPL and production will take place using the electronics manufacturing facilities at CDO2\. As well as providing a quantified calibration of the system under test during the project, the battery physical artefact will be used in future product calibration and testing.

The methods used across the healthcare industry to measure skin adhesion are limited as they do not accurately represent the real-life context. This impacts innovation in the area of skin adhesion as there is no widely recognised method to compare different products or technologies. This in particular makes judging the potential of new technologies challenging. Zentraxa's team have developed a biological glue that bonds well in wet and salty environments. We are committed to harnessing this into a water activated adhesive system that bonds more strongly, the wetter it gets. The biochemistry of our glue also makes it well suited for applications in healthcare where skin bonding is necessary. This not only includes the performance in wet, or sweaty, conditions, but the in-built design feature that enables gentle de-bonding, or removal, of wound dressings by application of a glue-dissolving spray. In this project Zentraxa and the National Physical Laboratory will collaborate to lay the foundations for a new and improved test method to measure skin bonding. This method will use materials that more closely mimic the skin's chemistry, keeping the focus on reproducibility of the test method. We will build in the capability to fine tune the water uptake during the test and use this to measure the changes on bonding resulting from the wetness of the material. Ultimately, we will use this to provide a demonstration of Zentraxa's water activated skin adhesive system and generate a compelling data pack to leverage engagement of a leading player in the healthcare industry to bring our water activated and easy-to-remove skin adhesive to market.

The main focus of the analysis project would be to 'over-test' the products in elevated lab tests to show that there has been no detrimental effects on the products. We have carried out internal testing on current and new products to the minimum required standards, this is mainly around hydrostatic pressure tests with water. The intention of the analysis project with NEL is to add to this, through extra testing not set by any industry standards to be more useful for potential clients of these products. The NPL tribology testing will add a necessary technical credibility factor, showing wear characteristics of the most volatile moving parts. The unique element of a study like this is that the flow and pressures etc are being analysed by the latest equipment - alongside the human/physical element of breaking the couplings apart multiple times per day. The lab studies by NPL are more advanced than anything we have considered so far. Smartflow have multiple routes to market, such as selling to OEMs like chemical tank manufacturers, and distributors who sell industrial products in their territories. Having credible research institutes such as National Laboratories, clearly showing the technical data and benefits of our products would certainly aid growth of the new products and the company.

In the project we aim to study a new technique to measure accurately, reliably and consistently hardness of small products with intrinsic shapes made from soft, foamed materials. Currently available "off the shelf" methods proved to be insufficiently accurate to match the very tight tolerances set up to ensure the high quality of our products.

Through this project we seek to identify and develop methods to automatically segment complex chemical imaging datasets, e.g. XRD-CT, Raman mapping and other hyperspectral imaging techniques. The goal is to identify the minimum number of unique chemical environments in a dataset, without needing prior knowledge or input as to the expected identity or number of components present. The output from this segmentation will then be used to inform subsequent data quantification and analysis steps, and also to see if it is possible to identify correlations between each of these components. A successful outcome will be of benefit to a broad range of industry and chemical services companies, as many analytical methods suffer from similar segmentation challenges.

Success in commercialising thermal vapour-based atomic sensors and devices is hampered by the availability of reliable, low-cost, quality vapour cells. Progress has been made in the manufacturing of wafer cells to allow for proof-of-concept demonstrations, but some of the more-challenging performance and functional requirements necessitate added functionality, particularly control of the cell environment. The Q-Cell project will develop a novel type of wafer cell with increased functionality (temperature and magnetic field control, reduction of heat dissipation, ambient magnetic field shielding). The cell will have a generic form appropriate for integration into a wide spectrum of robust quantum instruments. The project will accelerate the commercialisation of these atomic devices including: miniature atomic clocks; field sensors as magnetometers and inertial sensors. This development builds upon INEX expertise in manufacturing silicon wafer devices, NPL's know-how in atomic magnetometry, inertial sensors and clock development and the University of Birmingham's modelling, design, characterisation, and qualification expertise. The innovative Q-Cell design will exploit INEX' new concepts in integration of environmental controls into the wafer cell, and the University of Birmingham's solutions for magnetic field control and screening. NPL will validate the Q-Cell performance against the requirements defined by potential end-users and system integrators.

Quantum computers promise an unprecedented increase in the existing computational power, enabling improved performance to a range of applications from medicine, biology and search for new materials to improved machine learning and more accurate predictions in finance. During the last decade, we have entered the "quantum technology era", where this theoretical prospect is becoming a reality. Quantum computers improve rapidly both in terms of size and "quality", and we have now crossed the limit where these devices can be simulated by classical machines. However, the main obstacle in using quantum computers for practical applications is the fact that they are very sensitive to imperfections and undesired effects of their environment. There are two approaches to this issue. The first is to construct the computations in a way that unwanted errors are "corrected" automatically and in general. While this idea seems very appealing, it comes with a cost. For each "true" unit of quantum information used, one needs to manipulate many more physical units. The direct consequence of this is that for useful applications we would require quantum computers that are much bigger than those we can hope to have in the near-future. The second approach is the one we take here, and that is considered the most promising for near-term applications. Instead of correcting the errors, one can try to mitigate them and reduce the effect they have on the computation. This can be done by breaking a large computation to smaller parts (some run by classical computers), cancelling some undesired effects while classically processing the results, ensure that the quantum part of the computation is done in a way that accumulates the smaller possible errors. To do this it is crucial to understand in depth the inner workings of the quantum hardware that is used. A major obstacle in this understanding is the same phenomenon that makes quantum computing powerful in the first place, namely its "holistic" nature, i.e. the total is more than the sum of its parts. In this feasibility study we will characterise and model abstractly the imperfections of one of the most promising quantum hardware approaches (superconducting qubits) in a scalable way. Using this new understanding, we will develop software that is aware of the detailed imperfections of the hardware it runs, and in return provides the best way to mitigate the undesired errors for a given application.

Many industries stand to benefit from the commercialisation of quantum computing, particularly those industries that need high levels of processing power, such as the autonomous vehicle market. Quantum computers can provide a huge increase in processing speed for a number of applications in chemistry, materials science, and general linear algebra operations, and their potential for use within finance and pharmaceuticals is being explored. In this project, we will explore and develop quantum computing solutions for autonomous vehicles, and more specifically driverless cars. The aim of this project is to develop an end-to-end control system deployed in cars, where quantum computers are used to enhance the decision-making process in the control system. Autonomous systems need to repeatedly take decisions as to whether they should take a specific action or not. This is a difficult challenge, particularly when the input from different sensor data is considered. For example, deciding whether a lane change is safe is relatively straight forward for humans, but is difficult for automated control systems. QCs process data in an inherently parallel way, with a possibilistic outcome of the measurements. These can provide complementary information to the control system and hence enhance its decision-making capabilities. In a recent joint research collaboration, Massive Analytic Limited (MAL) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have demonstrated that neural networks implemented on quantum computers, the so-called Quantum Neural Networks, can predict the safety of specific autonomous car manoeuvres. This result was shown on a simplified system as proof of concept. In this project, we will extend this to a real-life scenario, where the decision depends on the positions and velocities of multiple surrounding cars, and integrate the quantum neural networks in MAL's end-to-end commercial APACC control framework of a driverless car. To this aim, we will combine the expertise in control systems of MAL and the quantum software expertise at NPL, and use the autonomous systems dynamics and test facilities at the Centre for Autonomous and Cyber-Physical Systems in Cranfield University. Quantum Neural Networks have been shown to train faster than classical models for certain cases, and hence have the potential to outperform classical machine learning algorithms used in the autonomous vehicle industry. We will systematically assess this in the project. If successful, it will be a disruptive enhancement to MAL's commercial APACC control system, giving it a significant advantage over competitors.

The Digital Supply-Chain Innovation Hub (DSCIH) will establish and nurture an ecosystem that connects expertise from supply-chain experts in many of the UKs most important manufacturing industries with technology providers, research organisations and academics to improve their competitiveness, resilience, productivity and sustainability. It will combine \>£10mn in private co-investment with £10mn in public funding over ~4 years to accelerate commercial integration of industrial digital technologies by a wide range of UK manufacturing supply-chains. The Hub will be managed by the Digital Catapult, collaborating with HVMC, NPL and TWI. The consortium are already active members of the government's flagship, "MadeSmarter" programme of R&D support to the UKs manufacturing sector. The Hub will rapidly establish a national "network of excellence" in digital supply-chains by cross linking existing networks, seeded by existing relationships and the previous successes of the MadeSmarter programme, facilitating collaboration between industries and across supply-chains. Any UK based organisation with supply-chain or digital solution expertise will be able to bid for access to ISCF co-funding, expertise and testbeds to deliver ~£8mn portfolio of digital innovation projects, helping accelerate digitisation of the UK's critical manufacturing supply-chains. The Hub will also deliver five "flagship" projects which will act as exemplar testbeds: * **Last Mile Living Lab (LMLL)**, led by DC, seeks to explore and develop delivery resource management infrastructure to tackle the challenging and costly "last mile" of delivery. * **Digital Enabled Manufacturing Sourcing (DEMS)**, led by TWI, seeks to connect manufacturing capacity with emerging manufacturing needs to increase capacity utilisation and boost production flexibility. * **Differentiator**, led by AMRC, will develop new supply-chain models to support clinical trials and help get the right medicine to the right patient at the right dose, on demand. * **Connected Tempest** (NCC,AMRC) seeks to supply and accelerate digital skills development and connectivity of the Tempest Supply chain, driving cost and time savings into the design phase of the defense programme. * **Supply-Chain Lab** (Deloitte) will be cross-sectoral and focus on earlier stage ideation to help SMEs identify valuable challenges and develop 120 day roadmaps to solution implementation The hub will monitor, impact assess and disseminate transferable lessons-learned to accelerate technology transfer between supply-chains. The Hub will be supported by ISCF MadeSmarter funding until March 2025\. Thereafter, the hub will become self-sustaining, funded by industry to ensure UK manufacturing supply-chains continue digital transformation, driving improvements in competitiveness, resilience and sustainability for decades to come.

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is the UK's National Measurement Institute and is a world-leading centre of excellence in developing and applying the most accurate measurement standards, science and technology available. For more than a century, NPL has developed and maintained the nation's primary measurement standards. These standards underpin an infrastructure of traceability throughout the UK and the world that ensures accuracy and consistency of measurement. Hydrogen is used extensively in industry and is already sold commercially as a zero-emission fuel for busses and passenger cars. In the near future hydrogen use will expand in the UK and abroad as new zero emission fuels to heat homes and power vehicles, particularly heavy duty vehicles such as buses, HGVs, trains, ships and aeroplanes. When it's used to power fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), the hydrogen needs to be very pure, as even trace amounts of impurities can impact the vehicle's performance (performance loss, shorter range or lifetime). NPL is a world leader in accurate measurement of impurities in hydrogen fuel and offers a commercial service where hydrogen fuel is sampled from the HRS and sent for analysis at NPL using sophisticated and sensitive instruments. This service is already used by HRS operators to periodically check that the hydrogen they sell commercially meets required standards. Unfortunately, the process is expensive, slow to return results and generally won't be suitable when there are 1000's of HRS across the UK and Europe (expected before 2030). A much more rapid and cost effective approach is needed. In this project NPL will develop a novel low-cost online H2 fuel quality monitoring system that will trigger a warning when any impurities that could damage a fuel cell reach critical levels. These systems (composed of two sensor types) will operate continuously at a HRS, taking small samples from the station's hydrogen supply. NPL scientists will then only need to take a sample back to the laboratory for a full analysis when a problem is detected. HRS operators will also be able to know immediately if there is a problem with the hydrogen they are selling and act as necessary. This innovative solution is a significant improvement over current practice and will lead to lower priced zero emission fuels and provide consumers with greater confidence that the fuel they are buying meets internationally recognised specifications.

The Smarter Testing project aims to develop a novel testing and certification process for aeronautical structures through the use of an optimised test campaign that will combine virtual and physical tests to provide a step reduction in development lead-time and costs. This will be achieved through the development of a continuous digital thread between virtual and physical tests to increase the use of simulations that supports the whole lifecycle of the product, from early design to type-certification. Simulations will be validated using advanced measurements, quantitative data correlation methods and exploited through data analytics in order to increase credibility and maturity.

SMARTER is a Four-Dimensional Digital Twin of the Combined ATM / UTM Airspace. Using novel machine learning / deep reinforcement learning techniques, SMARTER will address challenges arising from problem statement 2 of the Future Flight Challenge. SMARTER will: * Based on Massive Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) technology, provide an innovative, collaborative, cloud-based Simulation-as-a-Service environment where several thousand aircraft (both traditional civil aircraft, military aircraft and UAVs) will be simulated based on both real-world data and simulated data. * Learn, infer and deduce the new rules needed to accommodate the safe _and_ efficient (both environmentally and commercially) management of the combined ATM and UTM traffic (both for non-segregated, lower airspace and en route traffic). These rules can then be used in support of the safety case for CAP670, CAP722, ED-109A, DO-178C compliance for both UAV operators and Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and facilitate global capacity management modelling and collaborative decision making. * Allow users (e.g. ANSPs) to test "what-if" scenarios including modelling sensor failures / low coverage regions, weather, population density, loss of control of the UAV, loss of communications, special use areas / danger areas. SMARTER will learn how each aircraft, the airspace and indeed the system of systems is required to react in order to both meet safety and performance KPIs. * Develop novel mathematical techniques to characterise the uncertainty associated with ascertain the single source of truth for the presented state of the airspace given the multiplicity of data inputs from sensors, measurements, radar (both primary and secondary surveillance), ADS-B (over satellite comms), etc all of which are at varying levels of data quality. * Develop next-generation, turn-key 4D visualization and user experience techniques with haptic controls to gamify the manipulation of the airspace - streaming from centralized, cloud-based servers to either standard PC, mobile device or 4D visualization devices (e.g. Occulus Rift, etc.). This facilitates rapid scenario testing. Users will be able to get an account, log-in and use the environment without purchasing any specialized equipment. * Since the environment is cloud-based, it will provide an on-demand collaborative decision making environment where multiple stakeholders can work together to form a consensus on capacity & separation management standards whilst respecting the commercial constraints of both small SMEs (e.g. UAV operators), ANSPs and large multinational OEMs. SMARTER will use emerging ATM data standards (such as WIXM / FIXM / AIXM) for seamless integration into ANSP operations. Furthermore, as well as being used to facilitate the development of the safe, efficient separation management rules, the simulation environment provided by SMARTER can be used to train UAV operators, air traffic controllers and even pilots.

Data is one of the world's most valuable commodities -- affecting every person, every company, every government, everywhere. Most of the world's cybersecurity infrastructure is based on the exchange and use of digital cryptographic keys. Random number generators (RNGs) are essential components of this existing infrastructure, and newer technologies such as quantum key distribution. Quantum random number generators (QRNGs) are devices that utilise the inherent randomness in natural physical processes to create random numbers, assured unique to each device if the process is truly quantum, and are one of the first practical implementations of quantum technologies. A key differentiator of quantum RNGs over other conventional pseudo RNGs, crucial for all security applications, is that identically manufactured and prepared pseudo RNGs are certain to produce the same random sequences, while QRNGs are not. A method for providing authoritative assessment of the unique randomness produced by QRNGs does not currently exist. This project will address that need, thereby overcoming this important technological barrier to their commercial and industrial exploitation, and maximising UK return from quantum technology research in this field. Current tests for random number generators (RNGs), based on numerical analysis of their outputs, give information about the statistical properties of the output randomness but cannot assure that the output is unknown to others. Stronger assessment is possible for QRNGs, since in addition to numerical analysis to assure randomness, the physical process used to create the output can be modelled and physically tested. Assessing the "quantumness" of the process also assesses the privacy of the output. This project will take QRNGs that are either already on the market or near-market prototypes and implement this assessment approach. It will thereby provide the expertise and capability for creating a UK assessment process for QRNGs.

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is the UK's National Measurement Institute and is a world-leading centre of excellence in developing and applying the most accurate measurement standards, science and technology available. For more than a century, NPL has developed and maintained the nation's primary measurement standards. These standards underpin an infrastructure of traceability throughout the UK and the world that ensures accuracy and consistency of measurement. Hydrogen is used extensively in industry and is, on a small scale, already sold commercially as a zero emission fuel for busses and passenger cars. In the near future hydrogen use will expand in the UK and abroad as new zero emission fuels are needed to heat homes and power cars, busses, HGVs, trains, ships and aeroplanes. When it's used to fuel vehicles, the hydrogen needs to be very pure, as even trace amounts of impurities can impact the vehicles performance (performance loss, shorter range or lifetime). NPL is a world leader in measuring impurities in hydrogen and offers a commercial service where NPL scientists will fill gas bottles with hydrogen and then check the hydrogen for impurities in a laboratory using sophisticated and sensitive instruments. This service is already used by refuelling station operators to periodically check that the hydrogen they sell commercially meets required standards. Unfortunately, the process is expensive, slow to return results and generally won't be suitable when there are 1000's of refuelling stations across the UK and Europe (expected before 2030). A better approach is needed. In this project NPL will develop new low-cost sensors that will detect any impurities that could damage a fuel cell but won't be able to tell exactly what the impurity is. These sensors will be left running at a refuelling station, continuously taking small samples from the station's hydrogen supply. NPL scientists will then only need to take a sample back to the laboratory for a full analysis when a problem is detected. Refuelling station operators will also be able to know immediately (through an app or online service) if there is a problem with the hydrogen they are selling and act as necessary. This innovative solution is a huge improvement over current R&D aiming at only measuring 13 impurities individually. This project and the new sensors it will develop will therefore lead to lower priced zero emission fuels and provide consumers with greater confidence that the fuel they are buying is pure.

With the support of UK Aerospace Technology Institute, a British consortium consisting of Honeywell, National Physical Laboratory, and Alphasense, will bring total cabin air management a big step closer to reality. The innovations from ECLAIR will enable the UK to lead the market in next generation Environmental Control Systems, and the supply of related high quality aerospace graded sensors. These technologies will allow airlines to maintain good cabin air, reduce operational costs and have a significant impact on climate change. The project will result in skills, technology and job creation in the UK aerospace industry.

QFoundry brings together UK's most established supply chains for quantum semiconductor components to address critical challenges in manufacturing and deliver a National (and World's first) open-access Quantum device foundry. Utilising existing infrastructure and capital, QFoundry will deliver the foundations for robust, scalable component manufacture in the UK to enable future volume Quantum Technology applications. QFoundry will initially focus on developing manufacturing platforms and supply chains for single-mode Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and single-photon emitters/detectors to include Quantum Dot (QD) and Multiple Quantum Well (MQW) structures. QFoundry will leverage knowledge gained to-date across the UK QT programme to: * Upscale discrete component manufacture using standard semiconductor manufacturing techniques. * Consolidate links in existing UK supply chains for robust, open-access supply of VCSELs and Single Photon devices, from design to packaged components. * Develop the methodology to accelerate high-uniformity, reproducibly and reliability in the context of QT applications.

The "Advanced characterization of thin-film PZT for enhanced manufacturability and performance of pyroelectric Infrared detectors" project is an initiative which combines the skills and expertise of Pyreos Ltd, the world's only thin-film pyroelectric supplier and NPL, the national measurement standards laboratory for the United Kingdom, to advance the state-of-the-art of the manufacturing and characterization of thin-film pyroelectric detectors. This is a growing area of academic research and given its uniqueness and importance, it is an area of interest for UK national laboratories to participate in.[1] Techniques developed on the project are likely to be widely applicable in the field of functional thin-film (especially ferroelectric) oxides for MEMS and IoT applications. [1] Applied Surface Science Volume 421B, 557-564 (2017), J Appl. Phys 118 195706 (2015), Acta Physica Sinica65(12) 127201 (2016).

Without an operating system, computers would be much less useful. Before the invention of operating systems, computers could only run one calculation at a time. All tasks had to be scheduled by hand. Operating systems automate the scheduling of tasks and make sure that resources such as memory and disk space are allocated properly. Because operating systems simplify computers, everyone can handle them and benefit from them. Quantum computers are a new type of powerful computer. Big and high-quality quantum computers can outperform conventional computers at specific tasks, such as predicting the properties of a drug. Currently, it is difficult for users to interact with quantum computers because there is no good operating system. The systems that exist don't schedule tasks optimally and cannot perform calculations quickly. Building this operating system is difficult -- many have tried and no solutions have worked. We have invented an operating system to overcome this technical challenge: NISQ.OS. While competitors present quantum computers as a "black box", NISQ.OS exposes all its different elements. Many of them look far more familiar than you might think. Quantum computers consist of a quantum processing unit, which contains the qubits, a couple of layers of special-purpose chips that control the qubits, and a conventional computer for overall control. By providing access to all these layers of the "quantum computing stack", we give the user the power to schedule tasks in an optimal way. This will improve the performance of quantum computers by a 1,000-fold compared to other leading approaches. Once we integrate hardware and software tightly, we expect that the performance will improve by 1,000,000-fold. We have assembled a group of experts from across the UK to build the operating system. This includes the UK's leading quantum hardware companies, Hitachi, Oxford Quantum Circuits, SeeQC, Duality Quantum Photonics, Oxford Ionics, and Universal Quantum; Riverlane, a quantum software company; Arm, a UK-based chip manufacturer; and the National Physical Laboratory. The National Physical Laboratory plays an important role because their expertise lies in developing technical standards for breakthrough technology. To build our operating system, we need to define a new standard interface between software and hardware that everyone can use. Our project will attract many important customers, such as pharmaceutical or chemical companies, as well as the financial industry. Because our operating system is so much better, they will want to run their applications on UK-based quantum computers.

Oxford nanoSystems Ltd (OnS) is a high-tech start-up located in Abingdon that has developed a unique coating technology to improve the efficiency of heat transfer. OnS was founded in 2012 and has spent the past 5 years developing nanoFLUX -- a nano-coating which dramatically improves the efficiency of two-phase heat-exchangers such as evaporators. Up to now, OnS has focused on the air conditioning and refrigeration markets, whose primary benchmark is to reduce the evaporator size to save environmentally damaging refrigerants and reduce production costs. Since our surface treatment can improve many different heat-transfer technologies we also branched out in other markets, i.e. electronic/ battery cooling and waste heat recovery. The world-wide thermal management market is huge (\> 9.6 B$) and of key interest to OnS. Looking into future applications Oxford nanoSystems acknowledges the EU's drive for higher energy efficiency in data centres. One of the largest problems is clearly the inefficiency of the cooling system. Improving electric cooling systems, for example in data centres or in electric cars is a main target when it comes to reaching the new climate goals as reaffirmed by the Katowice Climate Conference 2018. To reach those the whole electronic/battery unit needs to be more efficient to substantially expand their lifetime. In the last two years Oxford nanoSystems further improved their coating technology and developed MicroFlux, a pre-treatment of the heat exchanger surface preceding its coating with nanoFlux. In Innovate UK 133251 project 'MicroFlux' OnS successfully demonstrated micro-grooved surfaces which show extraordinary increases of heat transfer coeffiencies. OnS research team built various thermal test rigs to measure, among others, flow rates, the heat flux and efficiency rates. Our test rigs were used to determine durability and sustainability of our coatings. In this project Oxford nanoSystems seeks to get its testing facilities (thermal test rigs) validated by an independent organisation. To scale up our process from our very successful R&D environment to industrial scale, we need to take test protocol and standardisation of procedures to the next level.

The UK has world leading capability in scalable, high fidelity qubit generation for quantum computing, with two particularly compelling approaches being neutral atoms and ion microtraps. These technologies, however, remain at low TRL because a viable commercialisation approach requires the provision of test beds available to the UK community, and test beds are unavailable owing to two technology barriers -- qubit scalability and fidelity. Providing these test beds requires inter-disciplinary expertise beyond any one company. Our vision for this project is to bring together a such world-leading multidisciplinary consortium of UK industry and academic partners -- the only group capable of overcoming the two barriers and creating a globally leading industry for commercial quantum computing and simulation hardware. The programme will show a transition from fundamental, academic TRL activity to scalable, commercial deployments of cold matter quantum information systems; overcoming the fidelity and scalability barriers via advancement of system manufacturability including microfabrication and vacuum hardware; development of the photonics backbone including advanced lasers for state preparation, qubit control and readout, requiring high levels of optical power, stability and noise suppression; and the design and delivery of electronics and control systems, including modular electronics and advanced control and sequencing hardware. The key objectives in overcoming the barriers as described above is to bring the technology to a level where pragmatic test bed facilities for the benefit of the quantum community can be realised. Commercially, by establishing the potential scalability of the technology the consortium will establish a supply chain cluster, evidencing the potential impact, and producing a roadmap to industrial production. The partners have extensive experience in the sector and can already demonstrate commercial deployment of relevant technologies across the global market for quantum information systems. Furthermore, the planned work can be expected to dovetail with existing national quantum computing infrastructure, to realise coordinated growth of the UK quantum computing sector for the wider benefit of UK plc, and trigger significant additional investment outside the project funding.

The evolution from local towards virtualised data storage, computation, network management, applications and workspaces has changed the way we use our digital services and brought some clear benefits over traditional systems, such as easy management, universal availability and decreased hardware requirements for devices. We are witnessing a change from separate person-to-person, person-to-machine and machine-to-machine (IoT) computing towards Internet of Everything (IoE) computing. The foreseen next step in the evolution of wireless communication technologies is the evolution towards the 6th, generation networks. This transition will boost network sharing in cities and indoor spaces, and -- especially -- drive the local computing paradigm. In today's cloud systems, data processing and decision-making logic is handled at data centres, which is not optimal from the viewpoint of performance, efficiency and reliability, security or privacy. Edge computing is a key technology to unleash the full potential of 5G technologies, since it enables the deploying of computational tasks near the end-devices and therefore opens novel business opportunities around real-time cloud services for wirelessly connected mobile and IoT nodes. It provides computational capacity near the source of the data, allowing various data pre-processing, refining and analysis functions to reduce the amount of data to be sent to cloud servers and therefore reducing the load inflicted on core networks and data centres. This project will take the concept of edge computing to a new level by introducing the third, local, tier in addition to the data centre and multi-access edge computing (MEC) tiers. We will utilise Artificial intelligence to unleash the full potential of each Edge architectural tier to meet different application requirements. This project focuses on developing an intelligent three-tier Edge IoT architecture for enabling novel services around business areas such as smart transportation, Industry 4.0 and entertainment.

This project applies measurement technology and knowhow to the production processes involved in manufacturing holographic wire grid polarisers for infra red applications. This will help improve first time pass rates and give more consistent, high quality product.

Quantum magnetometers optically monitor the interaction between alkali-metal-atoms and an external magnetic field and detect the change in electron spin due to the magnetic field being applied. This allows the detection of micro-defects in materials and objects that are not visible or hidden from view. The MagV project will deliver the World's first commercial miniaturised rf atomic magnetometer that can operate in unshielded environments allowing general use and wide deployment. Primary applications have been identified in consultation with an extensive Industry Advisory Board, who have defined industry challenges driving the need for miniaturised-RF-quantum-magnetometers as novel sensors within non-destructive testing. The project brings together substantial research on quantum magnetometers with route to commercialisation through established VCSEL supply chain partners and an end-user to maintain UK leadership in quantum technologies.

AirQKD establishes a UK ecosystem, from single-photon components to networked quantum systems, to protect short to mid-range communication in free space. In particular we carry out pilot demonstrations of the enabling infrastructure for quantum-secure 5G and autonomous and connected vehicles.

Thin and printed Zinergy batteries are designed to provide a cost-effective and flexible power solution for the Internet of Things. In collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory, this project will allow us to enhance the shelf life of our batteries and exploit our technology in various applications which require a long-lasting flexible form of power, ranging from body patches for sensing or drug delivery to smart cards and many more.

DIFCAM Evolution is a development of the previous InnovateUK DIFCAM project that established the practicality of combining high resolution imagery with shape measurement to enable change in tunnel condition to be measured for the purpose of tunnel examination, evaluation and management. DIFCAM Evolution presents an opportunity to build on the solid foundations of knowledge and experience already gained from the original DIFCAM project, further developing the technologies used, enhancing and expanding capabilities in key areas such as subsurface defect detection and automatic defect recognition, and positional reproducibility using RailLoc. It will also provide a road-map for the integration of the successful technologies to deliver Network Rail’s aspiration for fully automated tunnel examinations that can replace manual inspection techniques. DIFCAM Evolution will demonstrate feasibility and be a test bed for several data gathering technologies that would be needed for automated tunnel examination. These fit broadly into the categories of positional measurement and control, visual examination of the tunnel intrados, measurement of tunnel shape, determination of sub-surface defects and other important ‘features of interest’ such as lining thickness and quality, ground contact with the extrados and the presence of shaft eyes, for example. The development phase will combine trials of a range of non-destructive evaluation techniques alongside the cutting-edge systems provided by our technology partners, with varying technology readiness levels. The new types of data generated by the DIFCAM Evolution system will provide new opportunities for creating value and supporting the management of tunnel assets. As part of the project, processes will be developed for data fusion and analysis, including the automated identification and classification of defects in accordance with Network Rail’s TCMI specification, which will be reviewed with a view to extending and enhancing it to make the most of the system’s capabilities. The project will deliver a report which includes a critical review of the work carried out and its results, identifying key activities for further development and associated challenges and opportunities, with a road-map for future deployment and commercialisation to achieve Network Rail’s objective of fully automated tunnel examination that considers not only technological development but also the challenges and opportunities presented by regulatory requirements, safety and technical/operational standards. This will directly support Network Rail in aligning the management of tunnel assets with their corporate objectives, delivering outputs in a safe and sustainable way while balancing life cycle costing with initial affordability.The exposure of rail workers to hazards and improvement of their wellbeing by reducing requirements to do monotonous work at anti-social times and in dirty and unpleasant environments will also be minimised through significant reduction in the requirement for ‘boots on the ballast’ examinations.

As natural gas becomes the leading fossil fuel, industrial gas leaks are becoming a major source of climate changing carbon emissions. The SPLICE project assembles a world-leading scientific and industrial consortium to develop and industrialise gas (methane) imagers based on time-correlated single photon counting, one of the early applications of quantum technology. This revolutionary UK technology will make accurate leak measurements at a fraction of existing costs, allowing the global gas industry to control fugitive gas emissions, help save many billions of £, and building a sustainable world leading business that reduces climate change. Shortwave infrared (SWIR) wavelength single photon avalanche detectors (SPADs) are emerging from initial applications to quantum telecommunication networks into new sensing applications, including vehicle lidar. QLM, a start-up out of the University of Bristol and QuantIC, the Quantum Enhanced Imaging Hub, and ID Quantique, the world leader in near IR single photon detection, have used non-cryogenic SWIR SPADs to demonstrate innovative, low-cost, highly sensitive, long range, single-photon lidar gas imagers that see and measure invisible toxic gases. These quantum gas imager prototypes have demonstrated outstanding performance, but the technology remains at prototype level, using individually packaged commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) photonic and optical components and only addressing a single gas, methane, so is not yet ready for industrial use. The SPLICE project will be a major expansion of engineering talent and effort aiming to build the first scalable industrial product to come from the UK's £billion investment in quantum technology. The SPLICE team will innovate this technology into a flexible sensor platform that addresses key customer demands for robust, low cost and industrially qualified products that can simultaneously image multiple greenhouse gases. Commercial photonics experts QLM, IDQ, Compound Semiconductor Application Catapult and Bay Photonics will collaborate to expand the range of critical components, develop new multiple gas designs, start UK development of enabling SPAD detectors with the University of Sheffield, and expand work on new mid-IR quantum sensing architectures that can measure all possible gases with the University of Bristol. Together we will integrate the best of these new designs into compact state-of-the-art packages and develop and qualify complete networked IoT imager products to industry requirements. And then with gas emissions experts at the National Physical Laboratory and natural gas and industrial sensor leaders National Grid, Ametek, and BP we will validate our imagers' capabilities for commercial applications and start to address the multi £100m business opportunity.

GKN Wheels and Structures has over the past 4 years embarked on a multi million pound investment in their Telford plant to a world class Off Highway wheel manufacturing site. This investment will increase capacity to circa 300k wheels per annum with increased complexity.The customers quality requirements are also increasing and with the cost, for example of a new tractor, in the region of £250k the cosmetic finish is of extreme importance.An area where considerable impact can happen is during the paint process. GKN use class leading e-coat finish to ensure maximum corrosion protection is given to the steel wheel but this is just one aspect. There can be other blemishes on the wheel, much more subjective than corrosion, which this project is aiming to address with automation.Along with our project partner, NPL (National Physics Laboratory), will develop the image processing algorithms required to perform defect detection and measurement, using the latest automation equipment.

Small amounts of impurities on the surfaces of pharmaceutical crystals (used in tablets and inhalers) can significantly affect the performance of the crystals. During drug crystallisation, byproducts of synthesis steps are likely to be "pushed" to the surface. The levels of such surface impurities are far too low to be of concern regarding patient toxicity. But such low impurity levels when concentrated on the surface can lead to tablets which don't meet drug release rate specifications.This is especially problematic when the surface impurity profile changes when new production sites are added for medicines achieving high sales. To more efficiently deliver quality medicines to our patients, we need to understand the surface purity of drug crystals.Additionally, spray-dried inhalation powders have complex, amorphous surfaces which are difficult to characterize. Characterising nearest-neighbour interactions between molecules in the surface mixture will facilitate the design of stably-amorphous surfaces.By teaming up with the National Physical Laboratory, we will gain access to a new type of instrument, an OrbiSIMS, which permits surface mass spectrometry at accurate mass resolutions and with MSn capabilities. Surface mass spectrometry by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) can detect impurity peaks. But lacking accurate mass resolution or MS-MS, TOF-SIMS cannot identify the surface impurities. The combination of the front end of a TOF-SIMS (i.e. a primary ion beam for removing and ionizing surface molecules) with the accurate mass resolution and MSn of an Orbitrap permits identification of the surface impurities. Furthermore, an OrbiSIMS should be able to differentiate between different physical states, such as amorphous and crystalline, with greater facility than TOF-SIMS can due to the richness of the spectra (more peaks since less overlap). Perhaps even different amorphous states could be characterised based upon interactions of amorphous molecules with their nearest neighbours. This could aid in the development of stabilized amorphous surfaces.

A collaboration between Cambridge Vacuum Engineering (CVE) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to analyse failure mechanisms of electron beam welder filaments that will provide knowledge, improvements and confidence in filament technology, that CVE and their customers can use to benefit modern manufacturing. Filament life is an important factor for users of CVE equipment. CVE electron beam welders are widely used in high volume production industrial sectors such as automotive and sensors, where any down time for filament change incurs great cost. CVE welders are also used in low volume, high value sectors such as aerospace and nuclear where filament reliability is imperative as a questionable weld can create high value scrap. The electron emission filament is the heart of an electron beam welder; by advancing knowledge of this key element, CVE aims to provide a filament solution that manufacturers can utilise to preserve electron beam welding as one of the most advanced and powerful manufacturing technologies.

Our target is to implement additional moisture content sensing capabilities to our flame baked cracker production facility to reduce the process waste and improve the consistency, and hence stability, of the final product. The existing cracker product is distinct as it is baked in a traditional brick lined oven to kosher standards - there is little or nothing like it on the market.By better understanding the moisture content and physical properties of our product at every stage from raw ingredient, to dough mixture to final baked product, we believe this will enable us to improve our processes and make significant reductions to the waste levels. This will be an initial, but fundamental step to characterising our product and the information gained will help inform future upgrades to the baking process.

With NPL, validating 2D+ metrology tool at biotech and silicon fab resolutions (1-100nm) to extend markets served

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Although renewable energy has always been a priority in UK, the incentives cuts for solar have slowed down new investments. There is a need for more efficient technologies to make the PV market more self-sustainable and preserve the thousands related jobs. Bifacial solar panels (BFPV) is one such technology: light can enter from both sides, thus generating more electricity. Unfortunately, there are issues limiting the wide adoption of the new, more efficient technology, the main one being the uncertainty in the forecast of energy output of BFPV. High uncertainty increases the risk for investors, limiting the proliferation of BFPV. The project builds on the cooperation between RINA and the National Physics Laboratory (NPL) developed during our A4I Round 3 Feasibility Study and aims to develop an innovative method to perform yield studies, with reduced uncertainty on the output of BFPV systems. The project focuses on a key problem in assessing the energy output of BFPV plant: the accurate evaluation of bifacial gain. In our Round 3 work, NPL introduced "effective" albedo (light reflected from the ground) as an input to RINA's energy output assessment method, which incorporates the varying light spectrum of the reflected light as well as the spectral response of solar panels into the analysis. The impact of this method on significantly reducing uncertainty on BFPV energy output estimations was demonstrated, and the energy estimates themselves rose for example sites. They key objectives of the current Round 5 project are: Develop the Round 3 methodologies to be applicable globally; Specify the hardware and procedural requirements for on-site albedo monitoring including uncertainty analysis. Incorporate uncertainties due to additional PV module factors into the bifacial gain estimation. Develop typical effective albedo datasets as a guide when site-specific data are unavailable. Feed into the working group for the improvement of the IEC 616724-1 standard. Determine the impact on financial risk by using different measurement and data analysis methods within BFPV energy forecasts. Benefits from the project will affect the whole value chain of energy, from generation to consumption. More reliable and better-understood measurements and data validation reduce the technical and financial risks of investors, consequently boosting BFPV investments. As a result, more power generated and higher efficiency guaranteed by the BFPV technology will favour a decrease in electricity price for consumers. This will also contribute towards reducing CO2 emissions and the UK's environmental impact.

Progress in commercializing cold-atom-based quantum instruments is limited by the availability of reliable size, weight, power and cost-reduced narrow linewidth lasers. Great progress has been made in the development of semiconductor laser platforms to allow for many of the laser-cooling functions to be achieved, but some of the more-challenging functional requirements are unlikely to be met by this approach. The Safire project will accelerate the commercialisation of cold-atom Quantum technologies including optical clocks, gravimeters, inertial-navigation units and ion-trap quantum computers. In optical clocks, the magic wavelengths for the creation of an optical lattice at 813 nm (Sr) and 759 nm (Yb) require high power and narrow linewidth. This function is generally achieved with a tunable Ti:Sapphire laser. These laser systems generally cost ~£100k and are large and fragile devices, making them one of the primary impediments to system miniaturisation and cost-reduction. Many quantum instruments based upon cold-atom interferometry, such as gravimeters and inertial navigation units for GNSS-free navigation, require a narrow-linewidth Raman-beam to operate. In Rubidium interferometers the relatively high-power (multiple Watts in some systems) and narrow linewidths (~10s of kHz) required are often provided by a frequency-doubled telecoms-fibre laser. These lasers are expensive (\>£50k) and their complexity often leads to unreliable operation. This represents a significant risk to the potential commercialisation of interferometer-based instruments that must be fielded in non-laboratory environments. The Safire project will develop a new capability in ultra-compact diode-pumped-solid-state lasers that addresses the requirements of the optical lattice function in clocks, the Raman-beam function in atom interferometers, and also for ion-trap quantum computers, in a form-factor appropriate for integration into robust Quantum instruments usable outside of the laboratory environment. This development builds upon NPL's long history in optical clock development, Optocap and RAL-Space's experience in micro-ECDLs for cold-Rubidium instruments from the Innovate REMOTE project, and on Caledonian Photonics' capability in miniaturised, robust monolithic DPSS lasers.

QUANTIFI aims to develop a world-leading Quantum Computing Dynamical Mean Field Theory (DMFT) solution for strongly correlated catalytic materials. DMFT is needed to properly describe a large number of important transition metal oxides used as catalytic materials for emissions reductions as well as oxides for batteries and other applications. On conventional computers DMFT is restricted to very small systems due to the prohibitive computational cost. Quantum computers are expected to lead to exponentially large speedups, making currently unfeasible calculations feasible. We will bring the resulting quantum software product to the market and integrate it in cloud services. This will enable the UK to maintain its world leading position in the quantum materials software market with the advent of quantum computers (QCs).This will be achieved through the development of a framework based on quantum algorithms that interfaces with a QC to solve the electronic structure problem using DMFT. The vision directly relates to the overall need of the chemicals/materials sector for accurate, rapid modelling solutions, overcoming existing limitations that prevent accurate modelling of materials, reducing the need for lengthy, expensive lab trials. Application of the solution to the materials sector will enable faster discovery of new materials, new economies and new (patentable) discoveries.The technology will be innovative in a number of clear ways, in particular this will demonstrate the feasibility of using quantum computing to accelerate materials modelling and discovery, including:\* Use of a Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) for ground and excited states within an exact diagonalization (ED) DMFT approach.\* Quantum Machine Learning algorithms for noise reduction and error mitigation.\* Use of quantum DMFT solvers on currently available and near-term ('NISQ') QCs for real materials of industrial relevance. These are expected to be able to solve systems, where state-of-the-art classical methods fail due to the exponential growth of computational times.QUANTIFI is innovative in that we use a Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) for ground and excited states within an exact diagonalization (ED) DMFT approach to demonstrate the feasibility of quantum DMFT solvers on currently available and near-term ('NISQ') QCs for industrially relevant materials. The work is supported by NPL and KCL, world-leading experts in DMFT.QUANTIFI, therefore, has potential high impact in catalysis and hence a large product relevance for many of the UKs chemistry manufacturers, materials designers, and pharmaceutical companies.By achieving this, it is estimated that the consortium and wider supply chain will achieve significant benefits.

Tubes are often made by a series of sequential drawing operations, each of which can introduce defects into the final product. These defects include both discontinuities (e.g draw lines) and dimensional inaccuracies (which can be in wall thickness, outer diameter (OD), inner diameter (ID), concentricity or straightness. As the tubes become smaller, the difficulty in measuring these accurately increases, resulting in the use of statistical sampling of tubes for destructive testing. Needless to say this is not ideal, resulting in the wastage of perfectly good tubes. The problem of analysis of tubes such of these is not new, but the small scale of the tubing produced by Johnson Matthey introduces further problems to the testing, increasing the complexity of the testing. Furthermore, the range of sizes also provides its own obstacles. It is entirely likely that there will not be a one size fits all solution to the problem. The size range is also affected by the aspect ratio of the tubes, with each tube being up to 2 m in length. This length is then often sectioned by customers, giving them access to areas of the tube JM does not have access to. The aim of the project therefore is to explore with the NPL enhanced methods for testing using existing NDT techniques. The project will start by considering the currently available methods, then downselect to the most promising techniques. These will then be developed to function on the smaller sized components produced by JM. Finally, the feasibility of the derived techniques will be considered from a manufacturing viewpoint. Ideally the techniques would be useable inline with the drawing process, but if this proves impossible then consideration will need to be given to where the testing would fit into the production facility, as well as at what stage the tube will be investigated.

Awaiting Public Project Summary

Quantum technologies provide both a threat to, and a solution for, ensuring security in the the communication systems which underpin our daily lives. As quantum computing increases in capability, existing methods for securing data will become obsolete. In parallel new quantum cryptographic methods are being developed which will help to mitigate this threat (for example, Quantum Key Distribution). This will ensure that our most sensitive data can be protected from external agents, be they state actors or sophisticated hacker groups, both now and in the future. A proposed method to deliver a quantum key service is through satellite assets, however for adoption, the security of these assets must be assured. This project aims to assess particular vulnerabilities of very small satellites (nanosatellites) to backdoor attacks on quantum payloads through the satellite platform. Nanosatellites are increasingly used in commercial services due to their low cost, and as such can be used to fulfil niches roles within a wider capability (e.g. can be produced quickly and cheaply to smooth spikes in demand). The approach to be developed is to ensure that quantum components can be segmented from the rest of the platform, ensuring even if the platform is breached, secure quantum information cannot be accessed. Monitoring of the quantum technologies within the space environment will be required to ensure that their proporties are uncompromised. This will have the added benefit of allowing quantum subsystems to be hosted as a secondary payload on larger satellites. Bringing together extensive experience in the space, security and quantum domains, this project will assess the potential attack vectors and provide a bench top demonstration of a fully tested system which is aligned to relevant standards. The quantum elements of the programme will be the implementation of a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) and quantum protocol processing algorithms on representative space hardware. Test points will then be defined for threat analysis and penetration testing. This will serve to increase trust levels in these platforms to facilitate the delivery of quantum cryptography, and other secure quantum services, from space-based assets.

The last three decades have seen the widespread adoption and industrialisation of nanoparticles serving applications in many technology sectors, including healthcare, energy production, manufacturing industry and agriculture. In the pharmaceutical sector, at the heart of this progress is the ability to fill otherwise inert particle materials with highly toxic anti-cancer drugs or genetic materials and/or functionalise the surface to both mask their presence from the human immune response and to better target the release of the "payload" at a particular organ, tumour or cellular component. These developments have led to a series of scientific breakthroughs in the field of advanced therapeutics by using nanocarriers to deliver drugs where it is needed in the body and reducing therapeutic index, i.e. toxicity to healthy organ and tissues. However, manufacturing of such "advanced therapies" is challenging as it requires fine tools to scrutinise nanoparticles 1000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Oxford HighQ has developed a new technique providing the ability to characterise the composition of nanoparticles through their optical properties, i.e. more specifically their refractive indices. One could use this parameter to measure on a particle-by-particle basis the amount of therapeutic molecules loaded within/on a nanoparticle carrier. The limited footprint, ease-of-use and potential for this technique to be built in-line within a manufacturing process makes it particularly attractive to the pharmaceutical industry. This project will employ the expertise of the UK's National Physical Laboratory to design and manufacture highly engineered materials that can be used to fully characterise the capabilities of this new technology, and provide facilities to rigorously validate this new measurement against orthogonal analytical methods. The latter tends to be bulky, time consuming and expensive methods, which highlight the need for a more agile technological platform for rapid screening of materials and quality assurance purposes. The joint team will focus its efforts in developing a series of demonstrations to unlock the true potential of Oxford HighQ's technology. For example, the project will output an application note directly relevant to advanced therapeutics that will help promoting out new technology in the pharmaceutical sector.

A small Southampton-based company called "xim" are developing Lifelight First(r), a technology that measures your heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and respiratory rate in just 40 seconds using a smartphone camera. Lifelight First makes health monitoring effortless and is useful for those who find existing equipment on the market, such as blood pressure cuffs, painful or inconvenient. Unlike blood pressure cuffs which require the patient to roll up their sleeves; cause embarrassment for those with larger upper arms; and squeeze your arm so tightly that sometimes they can create a bruise, Lifelight First is completely contactless and hassle-free.Xim are working with the National Physical Laboratory using funds from the Innovate UK Analysis For Innovators grant competition. The aim of their 10-month project is to improve Lifelight First's algorithms so that it can perform as well as blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters and heart rate monitors currently used by the NHS. That way, Lifelight First can be used within the NHS sooner.

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This innovation demonstrates a new method to detect traces of substances of interest directly from a surface for analysis by a Mass Spectrometer. A mass spectrometer can confidently identify a compound by its mass. Analysing trace substances using mass spectrometry is the most reliable, future-proof method for a wide range of analytical chemistry research and development applications as well as finding direct application in the field of forensic investigations and public safety. The detection of drugs of abuse and explosives has been successfully demonstrated with earlier prototypes of this innovation. Coupling this innovation with a mass spectrometer allows for a rapid screening method that has high sensitivity and confidence. This innovation can rapidly analyse a large surface area, such as a swab, much faster than other comparable existing technologies. Additionally, unlike existing technology, this innovation does not require solvents or expensive gases which reduce the environmental impact and increases laboratory throughput. Ideal for the rapid analysis of substances in analytical chemistry applications, the innovation could also be applied to the protection of transportation hubs and crowded places for security purposes.

The project combines Sixfold's Programmable Oligonucleotide Delivery System (PODS) with the unique and deep expertise of LGC in quantitative bio-measurement of proteins, and NPL in analysis and measurement of physicochemical and biofunctional properties of nanomaterials, including advanced imaging. PODS have demonstrated a highly promising safety profile for delivery of Cell&Gene therapeutics such as short-interfering RNA (siRNA) for gene-silencing. The aim now is to optimise siRNA-PODS's efficacy by incorporating a protein corona (PC) manipulation module. To that end, the project employs an iterative technical approach, takes advantage of the interdisciplinary expertise of the consortium and leverages LGC's/NPL's unique facilities, equipment and know-how. This allows for optimisation of PODS that can be seamlessly integrated into the development of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), enabling PODS to quickly progress through preclinical development, and expediting commercialisation.Given their high specificity/selectivity for gene-silencing, siRNAs have the potential to provide effective treatment options for a variety of genetically-driven diseases including cancer. The first ever regulatory approval of Alnylam's siRNA therapy in 2018 \[1\] has validated the clinical and commercial opportunity for such therapies. The major limiting factor for their further clinical and commercial success is the lack of safe and effective systems for systemic delivery of siRNAs to specific diseased cells. This is recognised by academia and industry \[2\]. Current approaches (primarily viral- and lipid-based) are sub-optimal given their limited specificity, toxicity, and complex/expensive manufacturing \[2\], limiting the type and number of addressable disease indications.PODS can address the drug delivery challenge given their unique, biocompatible design based on a central nanoscaffold, which can be functionalised with multiple therapeutics and highly-specific targeting molecules that recognise biomarkers on cancer-but not healthy-cells.Preclinical data indicates a highly competitive safety profile of siRNA-PODS cancer therapy. However, the gene-silencing efficacy remains to be optimised. siRNA-PODS' efficacy is limited by recruitment of PC onto PODS upon intravenous administration. The PC can dramatically influence the physical properties, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of nanoparticles \[3\].By utilising LGC's/NPL's expertise, the project enables the necessary advanced (i) proteomic, (ii) morphological and (iii) functional profiling of PC-bound-PODS, allowing for incorporation of optimised PC manipulation module(s) for enhanced therapeutic efficacy. This would accelerate the completion of preclinical development, unlocking Sixfold's ability to generate first revenue from licensing agreements and expediting clinical development not only for our primary indication but also for other diseases, contributing to the competitiveness of the UK's ATMP sector.\[1\]Alnylam\_Press Release\_30.08.18.\[2\]Karim\_ME\_et\_al.\_Pharmaceutic\_2018.\[3\]Nguyen\_VH\_&\_Lee\_BJ\_Int\_J\_Nanomedicine\_2017\.

Tribosonics is an innovation-led company located and forged in Sheffield, United Kingdom. It drives transformation by using its unique ultrasonic sensing technologies to address challenges in tribological contacts (wear, friction and lubrication). Using its unique Technology Stack, it provides data of unmatched information density at an embedded component level with core measurement competencies in stress, lubricant film thickness, wear, fluid properties, contact pressure and non-destructive testing. Tribosonics have developed a pump monitoring system using their ultrasonic measurement technology. Tribosonics' existing monitoring product, the BD002, works very well for situations where there is almost pure gas or pure liquid. However, in-field applications, the fluid flow inside the pump may be considerably more complex and Tribosonics are currently unable to accurately interpret measurements achieved outside the situations of almost pure gas or pure liquid. Improving the current product through improved signal processing as a result of carrying out this project and correlating our measurements with measurements of the various states in the pump will result in several benefits including reduction in time spent commissioning the product, reduction in time spent by in-house engineers supporting field engineers, an increase in the number of products sold due to improved capabilities and improved processes due to better monitoring technology. Additionally, and significantly, improving the measurement science will open up new opportunities in new markets, especially in fluid process monitoring.

New legislation has highlighted the need for nutrients, such as phosphorous, in wastewater (WW) discharges to be reduced to protect our environment. The water treatment industry currently uses metal salt dosing (MSD) to precipitate the phosphorous into a sludge which can then be removed and disposed of. However, this method has numerous drawbacks such as requiring hazardous chemicals for pH balancing, producing large volumes of waste, and being unsustainable. Therefore, many WW operators do not see MSD as a viable treatment method to meet new legislation. Microalgae are single-celled aquatic organisms that can use the energy from light to take up simple nutrients from their environment along with CO2. When used in a controlled system, microalgae can be used to remove contaminants from WW. Algae can also remove other hazardous substances e.g. heavy metals, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, effectively cleaning the water. Industrial-Phycology (I-PHYC) has developed a new technology based on the industrial application of microalgae for the sustainable and environmentally friendly treatment of WW. I-PHYC's process is a modern, modular system, which can treat WW to meet current and future legislation. The process is weather and sun independent, ensuring year-round consistent water treatment. The unique design allows the process to be applied to a variety of water treatment sites. I-PHYC's current demonstration process at Weston-Super-Mare is the largest algal process in the UK. During the development of this facility there has been considerable interest from the WW sector. However, it has been highlighted that this process would not be adopted until the energy consumption is reduced to <25 Kw/h. I-PHYC has identified several areas where energy use could be reduced without impacting performance. However, to optimise our units using traditional scientific methods would require hundreds of hours of labour and significant investment, while not fully accounting for the complexity of the variables. Support though 'A4I' has connected I-PHYC with the National Physical Laboratory and National Engineering Laboratory, world leading modelling facilities. They will create advanced models of our technology, which will allow I-PHYC to understand how the optimal combination of mixing method, and lighting dispersion can be utilised to reduce energy consumption. The ideal model scenario can be tested in our unique testing facilities and the data gained fed-back into the NPL model. Once a robust model is created I-PHYC can then make informed multi-layered investment decisions, allowing the I-PHYC process to establish itself has a competitive, sustainable WW process.Awaiting Public Project Summary

Though we don't often think about it, complex materials have a profound effect on our daily lives and routines. The engineering of new materials, along with the precise control of their properties, allow the development of new technologies and innovations across every industry. As examples, modern planes could not operate without strong and light materials capable of operating at above 2000°C, and mobile technology would not be possible without batteries that can store a vast amount of energy over long periods of time and function optimally in a range of real-world conditions. Graphene is a nobel-prize winning material, and is categorised as a 2D material, which means that it is composed of only a single layer of atoms. This, it turns out, leads to incredible material properties such as great thermal and electrical conductivity, as well as boasting the largest tensile strength of any material ever discovered. Anaphite are a team of expert research scientists and engineers who are committed to producing breakthrough materials that have a substantial impact on our green future. We have developed a novel process which is able to incorporate graphene into existing materials in everyday use, vastly improving their material properties for certain applications. Naturally, the extent to which this process is able to 'boost' the performance of the host material depends on how much graphene is present within the end product, as-well as how dispersed it is. Material preparation typically involves many process steps, any of which can affect the overall dispersion of graphene within the final product. We have taken steps to try to characterise these variables within our lab but in order to fine-tune these materials for use within commercial products, we need to quantify the extent to which the different processes disperse the graphene differently. The National Physics Laboratory is home to some of the UK's top researchers, along with some of the most advanced equipment used to measure material properties. We propose a collaborative project between Anaphite and NPL, whereby Anaphite's materials are rigorously measured and characterised in order increase the ability for us to build revolutionary materials.

This project will use machine learning approaches to extract physico-chemical information from chemical imaging data. This novel approach will tackle an emerging problem in this field, namely how to automatically identify and extract chemical signals from the rich and ever-larger datasets that it is now possible to collect. There are several features that suggest this problem can be tackled using machine learning approaches. We have developed software for the rapid simulation of chemical imaging data, and we can use this to generate large labelled datasets for training the convolutional neural networks (CNN) that we will build. In addition we have substantial libraries of real data which the developed CNN's can be tested against.

Efficiency and convenience are driving a global and widespread move from hydraulic and pneumatic to electric actuation. Requirements for more sustainable solutions, safer automated environments, wearable bionic devices, service robots and other human-proximal and off-grid applications are reinforcing this trend and building demand for new types of electric actuation to overcome the limitations of existing technologies. Typical problems are inefficiency, complexity, bulk and cost introduced by gearing and a narrow range of speeds where peak efficiency is achievable.WaveDrives disruptive electric actuation technology responds to this demand, drawing on insights from our deep experience building prosthetic and robotic devices for commercial exploitation. A first linear actuator (SILA) using this technology was launched in 2019. SILA works like a magnetic screw and has integral non-contact transmission, is ultra-efficient, highly scalable, quiet, frictionless, compact, precise with no backlash, ingress-protectable, back-driveable off-power, intrinsically non-jamming, needs little/no maintenance, and is straightforward to manufacture. These and other novel characteristics offer step-change motion-control performance and SILA is already being evaluated for diverse applications in aerospace, prosthetics, construction, defence, logistics and manufacturing. As well as solving motion-control problems in multiple sectors, SILA's ultra-efficient use of energy indicates its potential as a tool to help counter climate change, once in mass production. WaveDrives has developed a spreadsheet that provides guidance on scaling SILA to deliver customer specified levels of thrust. However, prediction issues persist despite extensive effort to reconcile theory with practice and each estimate requires time-consuming experimental confirmation. A more complete, analytical understanding of the magnetic materials and fields utilised in SILA is urgently needed so Wavedrives can confidently specify product versions that will meet customer needs and plan a product range to address the extensive application space. In this project WaveDrives will collaborate with international experts from the National Physical Laboratory(NPL) to develop an analytically derived and validated spreadsheet model and understanding to solve this problem. A reliable and robust description of the forces in the SILA actuator will be produced using an innovative combination of magnetic characterisation, force measurement, and analytical and numerical models, using NPL and WaveDrives' unique facilities and expertise. SILA competes with mature, well-established actuation technologies and actuation is often critical to equipment design. Industry decisions to invest in a disruptive new actuation technology represent a significant commitment . This project will help WaveDrives secure such decisions, improving SILA's competitive position and de-risking WaveDrives technology commercialisation.

In roughly the last five years it has become possible to determine the structures of macromolecules such as protein complexes and membrane proteins at near-atomic resolution using single particle cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM). These developments have increased the need to explore chemical space in order to get samples ready for cryoEM. Biophysical methods such as dynamic light scattering (DLS) and thermal shift assays can be used for this exploration. The company is now seeking to market its robotics -- currently used as automated crystallization drop-setters -- as dispensers for high throughput biophysical analysis of samples for cryoEM, using new software. However, recommendations for the exploration of chemical space will also be required, and these are, so far, lacking. This A4I proposal aims to help by listing one or more sets of solutions that can act as "screens". A screen will comprise a set of (e.g., 48) chemical solutions that have given favourable results in the past. In use, each solution would be mixed with a new sample, following a constant workflow for all samples. The objective is to identify reagents that alter the behaviour of the target in favourable ways, usually by breaking up aggregation. (This is similar to screening in protein crystallization, but the chemical space explored and the assay used will be different.) The objective is to find suitable starting conditions for protein structure determination. This new work-flow will dramatically reduce the number of trials needed for protein structure determination especially by cryoEM, and increase the throughput of structural biology labs. It will thus open a new market for the company's robotic platforms in the context of sample preparation for single particle cryoEM.

Radiation therapy is a state of the art treatment that more than 50% of cancer patients need. Radiation therapy works by firing high energy x-rays, similar to those used during image acquisition, at a tumour in order to \*\*\*burn it out of the patient.Due to the fact that radiation is produced during this treatment, current machines are installed in specially designed rooms to shield people outside from the radiation. As a consequence of this approach, the installation of current devices is incredibly complex and expensive and means that only large hospitals can afford the technology. Only having radiation therapy available in large hospitals means that patients have to travel to those centres to receive the life saving treatments.Leo Cancer Care, in partnership with Innovate UK and the National Physical Laboratory are developing an innovative approach to integrate the radiation shielding into the design of the current Leo Cancer Care radiotherapy device. This collaborative effort will result in the ability to install such life saving technology into a non-radiation shielded room or even make the technology completely mobile by installing it on the back of a truck.This development will result in dramatic cost reductions in radiation therapy technology meaning that more systems will be available to cancer patients throughout the UK and in smaller hospitals close to home. The mobile option that Leo Cancer Care would look to develop at a later date would allow cancer care to travel to patients rather than the other way around.

Base Materials is the UK's leading manufacturer of epoxy resin tooling board that's used by the advanced composites industry to manufacture composite components and tools used for automotive and industrial applications. Our project seeks to utilise the expertise of NPL to measure the properties of our materials and assist us with modelling and optimising our process conditions. The wider influential challenges associated with this project are environmental and, if this project is successful it will significantly reduce the environmental footprint of our manufacturing process.

Erodex have developed a completely innovative machine that addresses key measurement problems that are inherent to the manufacture of turbine blades, nozzle guide vanes and segments. The project goals are aimed at improving product safety within the Aerospace and Industrial Gas Turbine industries by offering automated, extremely accurate and repeatable scientific solutions to current inspection pain points, whilst improving efficiency by driving down the current TAKT times associated with manual methods currently used. Many manufacturers of turbine components suffer from inspection bottle necks, and can incur significant costs in manual inspection activities, and sub-contracting of such activities. The Erodex invention has been named Valid8. Valid8 uses robotic, tele-centric, fibre optic, vision and automation technology to check cooling hole geometry, which is currently done using manual pin gauges. Components can have 400 cooling holes each, which makes pin gauging a very labour intensive, and scientifically restricted method. There is also risk of human error associated with this method, with lack of concentration leading to errors, and missed cooling holes. The Valid8 uses robotic, laser and vision technology to check seal slot geometry and position with an average TAKT time reduced to 25% of traditional CMM measurement methods. Coating checks are traditionally destructive, so visual inspection must be carried out on components that will be assembled in aircraft. This is again a very subject method, which is open to variables such as inspector integrity, beliefs, understanding and training levels. Valid8 uses constant integrity light sources and vision technology to assess coating condition of turbines components, highlighting issues such as lightly coated areas, scratches, chips, contamination and process spatter. Our solution offers an extremely repeatable and automated check to remove subjectivity from the process and reduce checking times. Valid8 also includes an automated solution to back wall impingement, experienced by turbine blade manufacturers when an electrode travels too far into a core. This is currently another manual check in a typical process. The final stage of this project is a collaboration between Erodex and the NPL to outline a standard for these types of measurements, that Erodex and the industry as a whole can use for validating equipment designed for these very unique components. On completion of this project Erodex believe that the turbine industry will benefit from increased efficiency and product safety of their processes and products respectively.

The Haydale group have a range of plasma functionalised nanomaterial (HDPlas) products which they disperse in a variety of polymers to enhance their customers products. Countless developments conducted within Haydale have demonstrated that the use of their patented HDPlas plasma technology is effective in imparting specific functional groups to the nanomaterial surface for improved compatibility within the host polymer. This nanomaterial surface functionality leads to property enhancements in the final products above and beyond the use of unfunctionalised nanomaterials. Interpreting the mechanism by which the plasma functionalisation of nanomaterials enables the observed property improvements, such as mechanical, thermal and electrical conductivity, will enable Haydale to focus the development of their entire product range; allowing quick and efficient selection of improved functionalisation chemistries that can optimise the performance of their current products. AFINITY aims to uncover this mechanism using a dual approach of advanced analytical techniques at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and modelling at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). This dual approach of using analytical facilities with complimentary modelling will ensure that the highest level of information is obtained from AFINITY, and that any conclusions are drawn with a high level of confidence and accuracy.

This project is aligned with the scope of the "Mechanising and Improving Advanced Therapy Manufacture" competition. Specifically, the project will address challenges in the manufacture of AAV gene therapies and will establish Allergan's UK-based 200-strong workforce as a key player within the AAV industry improving the competitiveness and productivity of their therapeutic products. The project will introduce novel technologies early within Allergan's product development to allow for improved reproducibility and control in manufacture. Allergan has a portfolio of AAV therapies in pre-clinical and Phase I development primarily targeting ophthalmic indications with large, global patient populations. However, industry-standard manufacturing strategies for AAV vectors lack the ability to be efficiently scaled to allow Allergan to meet their commercial ambition. One such challenge facing AAV manufacturers is the incorporation of new analytical technologies to perform rapid measurements of critical quality attributes allowing implementation of a real-time control strategy. The partners will: *Utilise the consortiums unique analytical and measurement expertise to identify critical process parameters and critical quality attributes specific to AAV production, using multi-site analysis of surrogate and clinically-relevant AAV products to determine transgene impact on monitoring and characterisation. *Empirical data-driven models will be developed linking traditional off-line analysis to data collected from disruptive in-line process analytical technologies (PATs) during both upstream and downstream manufacturing processes. *A control strategy will be determined using the product CPPs and CQAs to determine the sensitivity of in-line detection. * Next-generation PATs, Raman spectroscopy and multi-angled dynamic light scattering detectors, will be developed using multiple AAV products to assess product CQA variability. The PATs will be used to demonstrate the impact of full end-to-end in-line monitoring and product characterisation during a full manufacturing process of Allergan's exemplar clinical AAV product. *A final prototype, proof-of-concept, in-line set up will be integrated within Allergan's production process to demonstrate the disruptive approach to PAT in AAV manufacture. NPL are providing substantial measurement expertise to this consortium to aid in the development of these technologies, overcoming challenges and limitations, and informing future considerations. NPL will also benefit from this project through involvement in viral vector processing identifying novel challenges for future focus. Supporting Allergan in the investigation of novel PATs for in-line AAV manufacture will enable the UK-based organisation to implement refined control strategies to improve reproducibility, product quality and manufacturing costs allowing increased adoption of their novel advanced therapy portfolio by the patient population.

The Oil and Gas (O&G) industry has a rapidly growing problem with leak detection, security breaches and the prevention of incidents. These incidents affect global prices, oil and gas supply and cause long lasting and highly destructive damage to the environment and the lives of those who live and work near these pipelines. From 2010-14 in Europe, multiple oil spillages averaged in excess of 397m3 of crude oil per year, with some exceeding 1000 m3 (https://www.concawe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Spillage-descriptions-2005-2016.pdf). The estimated cost of oil clean up alone (exclusive of fines etc) was €14 per gallon, making the average cost per incident in the region of EU €1.23 million. These numbers are increasing annually and represent a significant threat to the public, environment and critical infrastructure security. Water Utilities are losing over 20% of their water supply through leakages. They are not only losing a precious resource in clean water, but leakages are also affecting consumers with higher prices. This is compounded by reduced profits as a result of lost revenue. Moreover, significant fines imposed by Ofwat for missing leak targets further negatively affect their bottom-line. This project seeks to thoroughly test the accuracy, stability and reliability of the pipeline monitoring solution. The DASHBOARD system will result in a step change in pipeline leak monitoring by facilitating the identification of leaks on oil and gas pipelines in near real-time. This will enable predictive infrastructure maintenance and enhance asset management. DASHBOARD combines innovative hardware and software, capitalising on the power of transformational data collection, communication, analysis and visualisation. The DASHBOARD solution is a high value proposition for O&G and water companies and society as a whole with the following benefits: (1) Continuous pipeline monitoring and visualisation with real time alerts ensuring uninterrupted supply of O&G. (2) Greatly improved detection rates. (3) An estimated 20% reduction in operation and maintenance costs due to reduced call outs for leaks. (4) A retrofittable hardware device with an estimated lifecycle of 10+ years. (5) Reduced environmental impacts due to reduced hydrocarbon leaks. (6) Reduced wastage of an important resource in desalinated water. We expect the project to result in improved operation of the DASHBOARD solution and a wider application scope. In the long-term, the project would result in job creation within the UK.

The large-scale multimodal sensor fusion of internet of things (loT) data can be transformed into a N-dimensional classical point cloud. For example, the transformation may be the fusion of three imaging modalities of different natures such as LiDAR (light imaging, detection, and ranging), a set of RGB images, and a set of thermal images. However, it is not easy to process a point cloud because it can have millions or even hundreds of millions of points. Classical computers therefore often crash when operating a point cloud of multimodal sensor data.The emerging quantum computing technology can help users to solve the multimodal sensor point cloud processing problem more efficiently.The development of the quantum computing hardware is proceeding at a fast pace, and current quantum computers exist, with the number of quantum-bits (qubits) per computer steadily increasing. Quantum computation is therefore expected to become an important and effective tool to overcome the high real-time computational requirements. In order to operate point clouds in quantum computers, there are two problems to be solved, and these are quantum point cloud representation and quantum point cloud processing. Quantum representations of two-dimensional images abound. However, there is a distinct paucity of methods to express a three-dimensional image using quantum representation. Furthermore, to provide a quantum computing based solution for fused multimodal sensor data the representation and processing needs to be further generalized to N-dimensional quantum point clouds.We have theoretically demonstrated that representation and processing of QPCs is possible if the quantum computers have no inherent errors. Existing and near-term quantum computing hardware is noisy, so that any proposed quantum algorithm needs to be tested for its resilience to this noise. In this project we will therefore perform QPC processing also on real noisy quantum hardware. We will first simulate QPCs including noise and perform uncertainty quantification to understand its effects on QPCs. A systematic metrological comparison between CPC and QPC on noisy quantum computers will be performed. This includes definitions of measures for the efficiency and accuracy of QPC results, such as the uncertainty induced by the noisy hardware when preparing and processing the quantum point cloud, and the evaluation of the statistical variations of QPC outcomes.

This project will develop specialised reference artefacts, using novel fabrication methods, that validate and verify the capabilities of Non-Linear Acoustics (NLA) equipment for Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). Commercial aviation, Aerospace, Defence and Automotive industries are investing heavily in the scale-up of Additive Manufacturing (AM) of metals. To enable widescale adoption new NDT technologies are required to test the integrity of these manufactured parts. Manufacturers require the capabilities of such equipment to be validated and verified against certified standards. Current defect calibration standards are inadequate or unrepresentative of the defects seen in AM processes and therefore new standards must be created with seeded and qualified defects which are relevant to the real world. These will then subsequently be used to verify a new generation of NDT equipment.

The project scope is to develop a test method for measuring contamination films on the steel surface at the Zodiac galvanising line in Tata, which supplies galvanised thin strips to Automotive Customers for pressing into body panels. The Zodiac galvanising line is the final process in a production process that takes several weeks from liquid steel to a coil that is ~0.7mm thick; so the need to achieve a good zinc coating for the required corrosion performance is critical.The strip comes into Zodiac and is welded to the previous coil and then cleaned, annealed and then coated with Zinc before being despatched to the customer. Before the strip is coated in Zinc the surface of the steel is cleaned to remove all contamination; if any minute levels of contamination is left on the steel then the subsequent Zinc coating will not adhere to the steel surface. To achieve this the cleaning section is complex and involves chemical application and agitation, surface brushing, sprays and drying operations; to optimise the removal of any contamination left on the strip from the previous rolling processes. It is important to the manufacturing line to be able to measure the surface cleanliness in real time i.e. on the processing line itself. This will enable responsive problem solving to correct any discrepancies with surface cleanliness. This project is to develop an effective online measurement device with the capability to reliably measure the cleanliness level of the steel surface ahead of coating operations. The environment poses a few challenges; The online device would need to continuously measure throughout the length of a steel 20T coil Identify levels of organic and metallic particles Quantify the level of residue Test over a reasonable test area Ability to accommodate the moving strip surface Detect very low levels of contamination ie thin layer or isolated particles.

"Development of a QC Method for the Determination of Aspect Ratio of Graphene & 2D Nanomaterials" aims to find an alternative time and cost-effective way to determine aspect ratio for Graphene and 2D materials. The approach that will be undertaken is as follow: *Production of Graphene Nanoplatelets materials; *Aspect ratio investigation with state-of-the-art techniques (SEM/AFM); *Alternative characterisation method (DCS and laser diffraction); *Data comparison and modelling; *Analytical method validation. The project partners involved Thomas Swan (TS), National Physical Laboratory (NPL) bring unique technical skills that when collaboratively combined, will allow for the accelerated technical development of this project. Outputs from this project will yield to higher quality graphene materials by improving its characterisation and open up new and exciting markets, allowing Thomas Swan to maximise it's manufacturing and commercial potential in the global graphene market.

Livestock and aquaculture protein demand is increasing due to human population growth, yet current production depends on unsustainable soy and fishmeal imports. Insects-as-feed is a rapidly emerging market. It comprises of 55+ producers globally. Our market sizing calculations predict 300 production facilities worldwide by 2025, each with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes of insect protein/year selling at £700/tonne, giving revenues of £2.1B/yr. This project will develop a non-destructive measuring approach to select a commercially relevant trait within black-soldier-fly larvae to improve Beta Bugs' existing genestock. We will do this in partnership with NPL's Agri-Tech team, who have experience of developing non-destructive methodologies for the agri-tech sector. Livestock and aquaculture protein demand is increasing due to human population growth, yet current production depends on volatile and unsustainable soy and fishmeal imports. An alternative source of protein for livestock and aquaculture feed are insects, which are rapidly growing in importance globally. Today there are 55+ black-soldier-fly producers in the UK, Europe, the Americas and Asia. Market calculations predict 300 production facilities worldwide by 2025, with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes of insect protein/yr and £2.1B/yr revenue. Black-soldier-fly producers are not able to compete with fishmeal, a key aqua-feed ingredient, on protein level. As a result, they have to compete with soy protein and soy-protein-concentrate on price point. By developing this non-destructive approach Beta Bugs will be able to improve its genestock, selecting for a trait that will improve the insect-meal quality. This will improve Beta Bugs' product offering, enabling it to capture significant market share of the rapidly growing "Insects-as-feed" sector.

The influenza burden Each year more than 800'000 people in the UK see their GP for suspected influenza infection and 20'000-30'000 people are admitted to hospitals. Hospitals face the daily risk that incoming patients (110,000 annually in the Emergency Room in Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge 2017/2018) will lead to Influenza outbreaks in the hospital. Indeed, there were more 2200 confirmed influenza outbreaks in the UK last year in hospitals, care homes, and schools. To prevent outbreaks, patients must be tested for influenza before antiviral treatment is initiated. Unfortunately, this testing process can take several hours, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment. The current established and trusted "gold standard" method of testing for influenza in hospitals can take up to 12 hours. A delay of half a day is highly costly to the patient and hospital: patients must wait longer to be seen by the correct department, wards become congested with patients waiting for test results and the risk of viral outbreaks increases as potential carriers of the virus wait for results. Clinicians have expressed a need for rapid influenza detection tests that can be carried out by non-medically trained personnell in the Emergency Room. A selection of currently existing rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has been tried. The sensitivity of most have been shown to be insufficient, thus often resulting in false negatives. There is an urgent need for a novel rapid diagnostic test for influenza virus that can be used in hospital emergency rooms. What can be done At HexagonFab, a biosensor has been developed and built from novel nanomaterials, which will bring the sensitivity of laboratory based tests to the emergency room. The technology gains its outstanding sensitivity through the unique surface of the nanomaterial, which is the core sensing element. In order to improve the sensor, it is necessary to investigate in detail how the nanomaterial interacts with its environment and how it can be tailored to be even more sensitive and specific. This continued InnovateUK A4I project brings the unique expertise of NPL, one of the leading research organisations of the UK, to investigate the surface of the nanomaterial and how the sensor can be optimised to achieve the sensitivity of current laboratory-based tests, while allowing use at the patient in the emergency room.

Smartflow Couplings are a small team of mechanical engineers with experience in industrial coupling design, for oil & gas, chemical sectors in particular. They have been trading a variation of their range of products over the past 3 years and gradually building up to a good level of business. They have invested in product development in these past 3 years and are now ready to launch the remaining products from this range with a further 9 products. The products are dry break couplings used to prevent spills on industrial sites. Therefore there needs to be a level of trust from the end client, as they are used for health and safety and environmental reasons. A project collaborating with NEL and NPL will enhance credibility in the marketplace. This project will be able to replicate the tough conditions seen in the industry, and the couplings' performance analysed during elevated parameters in week long tests. NPL will determine the wear characteristics of the critical moving parts within the couplings, helping identify life expectancy and service interval recommendations.

Ordnance Survey's research and development team routinely uses machine learning to extract new information from existing data sources. As machine learning is a relatively new field, there is a need to provide high-quality metrics to help understand the data quality of machine learning outputs. This project will create a new range of tools and processes to describe and quantify the quality of Ordnance Survey's machine learning outputs. These tools and processes will use different testing methodologies as well as comparative assessments of networks to create benchmarks for accuracy. The project will establish a regulated quality control metric for Ordnance Survey's machine learning models to ensure its processes stand up to the growing accuracy requirements demanded by its widespread customer base.

"Intelligent Fault Detection for Additive manufacturing (IFDAM) is a ground-breaking project to embed machine learning and AI into the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process. HiETA Technologies Ltd is a market leader in using LPBF process to produce highly efficient and lightweight thermal management solutions for motorsport, automotive, aerospace and energy applications.Metal AM technologies are seeing a substantial growth and currently rely heavily on post-process inspection methods to determine part build quality. This is costly and time consuming. Failed parts are not identified until significant value has been added to the component as it travels through the production value chain. For example, a defect during the AM build process may not be identified until it has been leak tested. By this point up to 70% additional value has been built into the component. The cost savings which can be achieved through the IFFAM project are considerable through waste reduction in the manufacturing process as HiETA will be able to stop adding value to defective parts.In-process monitoring technology has recently become available but is yet not proving its value to be implemented in the AM process chain. The current challenges are: 1\. Generation of big streams of data at high frequency 2\. Storage, collection and analysis of data, i.e. centralised servers for data storage, absence of data mining and predictive analysis 3\. Absence of control strategies i.e. reactive response (via alerts) rather than corrective response once the defect has been detected.The IFDAM addresses these challenges in the following ways:1\. Adaptive data management i.e. selection of most useful data and development of data dimensionality reduction techniques 2\. Enable mining the relationships between part design, materials, and production processes to predict performance and validate those results against physical test results 3\. Development and validation of corrective/feedback control actions using deep learning algorithms for automated fault detection and correction to reduce the number of post-build inspection and costly certification experiments for the aerospace and energy sectors. With the support of STFC and NPL, IFDAM will drastically improve the in-process inspection methodologies to allow for in-line quality evaluation of components. Ultimately this will allow HiETA to bottom out root causes of part defects, designing them out for future components massively reducing reject levels and allowing HiETA to use AM to compete on price and quality with more traditional manufacturing processes."

The Falcon Project based on Westcott Venture Park, the old Rocket Research Establishment near Aylesbury is one of only three companies who currently manufacture solid fuel rockets and rocket propellants in the UK. Previously we used conventional high shear mixing to combine the propellant components such as aluminium powder, ammonium perchlorate, various binders and HTPB rubber; However, Falcon is adopting Resonant Acoustic Mixing (RAM) for new applications because it has many advantages. Whilst RAM offers many benefits, our problem is that the mixing action (which takes place in a closed vessel clamped to a table which vibrates at the resonant frequency of the vessel and table) is not fully understood. For consistency, it's critical that the propellant constituents are uniformly dispersed, and how that takes place is particularly where the components can have different sizes and densities let alone the effect of other additions to plasticise the HTPB rubber base is unclear. Our objective is to develop a technique together with NPL to enable us to follow the dynamic mixing process whilst it's in progress both for quality control and optimisation of new formulations.

LightOx looks to advance the scientific field of biological imaging using fluorescence by developing novel agents that have intrinsic chemical properties for targeting cell subtypes and intracellular organelles. The experimental basis of this comes from a background of 15 years of research within university institutes and are now being undertaken by the company and in collaboration with other research institutes. The project has many possible outcomes and a level of uncertainty and risk associated with it. As we are fundamentally changing the chemical structure and electronic nature of these molecules there is no guarantee of success. We have shown this science is both novel and undiscovered through the publications presented this year and the granting of our patent portfolio, and as such we believe we have a niche area of development to work within. By careful experimental design we have planned an over-arching R&D programme spanning the next two years that will allow us to investigate the relationships of our novel imaging agents in a variety of disease states and organisms including cancerous, mammalian, plant, fungal and bacterial species. We have developed over 130 imaging agents to date and have 3 chemical families. As part of this A4i project we will test selected probes from each family as agents for 2 photon biological microscopy. This imaging technique has many benefits over more conventional microscopy, including the use of light that is less toxic to biological samples and that can penetrate more deeply. The data arising from the collaboration between NPL and LightOx is essential to open new markets in this area. We are eager to partner with leading global institutes to investigate and de-risk our work. It is only with this unique mixture of people are we able to achieve our goals, and the fact we are able to publish and patent with peer review processes shows this work to be truly unique to our team.

"With growing concerns on environmental pollution and its adverse impact on human health, it has become increasingly important to measure and control industrial processes, reduce emissions from fossil fuel power plants and better understand the ambient air quality around us. To date, however, precision instrumentation capable of high sensitivity and accurate concentration measurements tends to be manual, cumbersome to use, requires continuous calibration and maintenance and is often limited to use in controlled environments. MIRICO's Laser Dispersion Spectroscopy technology is a revolutionary approach for highly sensitive remote measurements of gases, offering high versatility and enabling new approaches to emission monitoring that provide more realistic, robust and reliable data on emission sources. In collaboration with NPL, MIRICO will test this new spectroscopic technique, utilising NPL's state of the art facilities to demonstrate the technology's superior performance in demanding industrial environments. The resulting technology will provide the potential to improve environmental monitoring efforts, enhance product yields in industrial processes and provide policy makers with the tools to reduce emissions of pollutants and enhance the ambient air quality to mitigate the impact on human health."

"SteelRock Technologies' (SRT) designs and produces life-saving RF-based countermeasure/counter-UAV systems for the UK and other international customers, however, the regulatory environment surrounding the use of RF-emitting countermeasure equipment (jammers) is complex and restrictive. The legal framework has not taken into account the emerging threat from nuisance and hostile unmanned aerial vehicles and greatly restricts the testing, development and sale of SteelRock Technologies' (SRT) equipment. In order to address this regulatory / legal challenge, a continued programme of testing and measurement is required a) to establish a robust safety case for SteelRock Technologies' equipment b) to differentiate this technology from analogue jamming systems and c) to support the obtaining of CE marking for the commercial use of this equipment. The UK taxpayer is directly impacted by the commercial successes supported by this project as SRT will deliver life-saving technologies more widely across the UK, as well as establishing a new market based on the development of next-generation RF equipment and RF-based countermeasure systems. A safety case has, in part, been established with initial results gathered during a Round 3 mini project in collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory. Continuation of this test programme, undertaking further tests (measurement and analysis of wave form patterns generated by the equipment) in the real-world (non-chamber-based) environment that will enable SRT to present comprehensive data-sets to support a robust safety case, differentiation from other similarly categorised technologies, and the reduced risk of collateral effect when using our technology. The project will be undertaken in both laboratory and 'real-world' settings, ensuring that base-line data-sets can be compared with the operation of the equipment in an operational setting. The potential benefits of this project are wide-ranging, from the establishing a safety case for the use of this equipment for life-saving purposes (protecting people and critical national infrastructure) to the creation of a new low-level airspace management market in the UK. Both the safety and economic potential that this project hopes to enable will have a lasting impact on the United Kingdom."

"Sensor Coating Systems Ltd (SCS) are developing an innovative technology for measuring temperatures in harsh industrial applications, such as gas turbines. This is a unique technology for high value markets such as power generation and aerospace industries. The technology is based on a smart-memory material that has been developed by SCS and it is applied as a paint or a coating on the surface of the components to be measured. The coated components are then used in standard operation conditions where they exposed to high temperatures. After the process, once the components have cooldown, they are interrogated with a laser-probe instrument also developed by SCS. From the luminescence properties of the material and by performing a sophisticated calibration method, the past maximum temperature of the component can be measured. When the SCS coating material is exposed to high temperatures, its structural properties are permanently changed. These structural changes are correlated with the lifetime decay (LTD) of the luminescent signal that is emitted by the material when it is illuminated by an excitation source of appropriate wavelength. The LTD signal is then measured using a custom-made readout system developed by SCS before it is calibrated against temperature. A number of these devices have been built using the same modular approach, but it has been found that identical devices are sometimes produce different results. Recent efforts have been focused on homogenising all the measurement devices and make steps towards the standardisation of the SCS technology. During a previous Innovate-UK mini project, a standard light source that would help standardise instruments was developed in collaboration with National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Preliminary findings indicate strong non-linear behaviour of the highly sensitive detection device used in the SCS instrumentation. It is also observed that there are unit to unit differences that would also influence the measurement. In this project SCS and NPL will address these measurement challenges by looking both into hardware and software upgrades and aim towards achieving full standardisation of the measurement devices. The results will be incorporated in a unique uncertainty model to quantify the temperature measurement uncertainty which is extremely useful for end-user applications. By the end of this project it is anticipated to have at least two fully homogenised measurement devices which are going to be used in typical industrial applications in aerospace and power generation."

Rolls-Royce are synonymous with safe and reliable power, and produce the world's most efficient aerospace gas turbine engine. To maintain safety and efficiency, Rolls-Royce perform routine inspection and servicing of their engines throughout its lifecycle. As engines wear, the most critical components may show signs of deterioration that may lead the engine to be removed from service ahead of its next scheduled overhaul. To address these challenges, and to maximise engine availability and time on-wing, Rolls-Royce continues to lead the way in the development of in situ inspection and repair techniques. Such tools can be deployed via a range of access holes (or "borescope ports") across the side of the engine, and navigated to the area of interest. Once there, a range of inspection and maintenance tasks can be performed by a highly-skilled mechanic, such that the engine can be safely returned into service. Due to the geometrical restrictions, and the required dexterity and capability of the tools, this approach is analogous to keyhole surgery. THEMIS (THickness Evaluation and Measurement In Situ) aims to increase Rolls-Royce's portfolio of in situ inspection techniques. In particular, the aim is to develop a process that can measure the thickness of components and coatings when the engine is still intact and installed. This will allow an even more in-depth understanding of the integrity of the asset, and thus allow the mechanic to determine whether further maintenance is required or if the engine is safe to fly-on. THEMIS is highly challenging project, but would help to develop a technique that would have a significant value to the Rolls-Royce Aftermarket Services team.

Emberion develops and produces state-of-the-art graphene photodetectors that convert light to an electrical signal and bring numerous advantages in terms of imaging and sensing quality compared to current technologies. The superior technical performance of Emberion's photodetectors is due to a unique combination of properties afforded by the recently discovered graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern, and nanomaterials, tiny components that are manufactured at a very small scale (nanoscale) and exhibit novel characteristics compared to the same material without nanoscale features. The new high-performance photodetector technology that Emberion is creating will enable applications such as night vision, search and rescue and security imaging to be brought to the market at a lower cost point than existing technologies which are very expensive to manufacture. This means that features such as cameras that enable drivers to see hazards in low light or poor visibility conditions like fog or rain, will be mainstream products that can be fitted to all cars, not just offered as options on high end vehicles. This will improve road safety for drivers and other vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians. These imaging devices can also be used in the sorting of waste to improve recycling, and in aerial imaging of crops and agriculture to improve farming output. In order for Emberion to bring new disruptive photodetectors to market, volume manufacturing of devices with repeatable device performance is needed, which relies heavily on quantifying the fundamental material properties of constituent components. The project will therefore develop reliable methods that will deliver critical information by coupling data and evidence provided by NPL to enable Emberion to optimise its manufacturing methods, while lowering manufacturing costs and improving quality control.

"Discovered by scientists at the University of Manchester in 2004, Graphene is called a wonder material, because it has such phenomenal properties. It is more electrically conductive than copper, stronger than stainless steel, it is flexible and it is almost fully transparent. No other material has such a combination of outstanding properties. Its use in electronics has been postulated since its discovery, and indeed outstanding electronic devices made from graphene have been proven on small scales in research laboratories. However, the lack of a production technique for graphene suitable for the electronics industry has hampered its commercial viability in this area. Paragraf, a spin-out from Prof. Sir Colin Humphreys' research group at the Department of Materials Science in the University of Cambridge has developed a production technique for graphene, making it suitable for electronic and sensor devices. The company secured £2.9m in a seed phase round, and has a small production facility just north of Cambridge. Paragraf's first commercial device is a Hall sensor made from graphene. Hall sensors are magnetic sensors, and up until now have been made from materials like silicon. They are used in many applications, from measuring the speed of rotating shafts (a specific example would thus be measuring the speed of a car) to positional sensors in laptop screens. However, they have struggled to find room in harsh conditions, such as high levels of radiation and high temperatures. Due to its combination of outstanding properties, graphene Hall sensors can work in these environments, opening up new applications such as electronics on robotics for nuclear decommissioning, or more robust electronics for space. This project will bring Paragraf and the National Physical Laboratory together to test Paragraf's Hall sensors in various harsh conditions. The outstanding test facilities at the NPL are unique in the world in their ability to do this. Results from the tests will allow Paragraf to target high-value applications, to bring graphene electronics to market and to consumer use."

"The project combines Sixfold's Programmable Oligonucleotide Delivery System (PODS) with deep expertise of NML in quantitative bio-measurement and NPL in qualitative and quantitative advanced imaging to determine and optimise PODS in vivo profile. PODS have demonstrated a highly promising safety profile for delivery of Cell&Gene therapeutics such as short-interfering RNA (siRNA) for gene-silencing. The aim now is to complete preclinical studies and meet the requirements of the regulatory agencies by collecting more robust data on PODS' pharmacokinetics/dynamics profile. To that end, the project employs an iterative technical approach, takes advantage of the interdisciplinary expertise of the consortium and leverages NML's/NPL's unique facilities, equipment and know-how. This allows for optimisation, enabling PODS to quickly progress through preclinical development, and expediting commercialisation. Given their high specificity/selectivity for gene-silencing, siRNAs have the potential to provide effective treatment options for a variety of genetically-driven diseases including cancer. The first ever regulatory approval of Alnylam's siRNA therapy in 2018\[1\] has validated the clinical and commercial opportunity for such therapies. The major limiting factor for their further clinical and commercial success is the lack of safe and effective systems for systemic delivery of siRNAs to specific diseased cells. This is recognised by academia and industry\[2\]. Current approaches (viral-based/lipid-based) are sub-optimal given their limited specificity, toxicity, and complex/expensive manufacturing\[2\], limiting the type and number of addressable disease indications. PODS can address the drug delivery challenge given their unique, biocompatible design based on a central ""naked"" RNA nanoscaffold, which can be functionalised with multiple therapeutics and highly-specific targeting molecules that recognise biomarkers on cancer -but not healthy- cells. Preclinical data indicates a highly competitive safety profile of siRNA-PODS cancer therapy. However, to complete the preclinical studies and meet the requirements of the regulatory agencies, Sixfold must collect more robust data on PODS' pharmacokinetics/dynamics profile. Although Sixfold has performed biodistribution studies in rodents, the results of these experiments have not allowed for quantitative analysis on the composition of PODS, their by-products and their exact distribution in tissues. By utilising NML's and NPL's expertise, the project will enable the necessary advanced in vivo analysis/measurement of:(i)intact PODS versus by-products, (ii)spatial distribution and subcellular localisation in tissue. This would accelerate the completion of preclinical development, unlocking Sixfold's ability to generate first revenue from licensing agreements and expediting clinical development not only for our primary indication but also other diseases, contributing to the competitiveness of the UK's _Advanced Therapies_. \[1\]Alnylam\_Press Release\_30.08.18.\[2\]Karim\_ME\_et\_al.\_Pharmaceutic 2018"

Advanced dressing products providing antimicrobial properties can improve healing rates, alleviating suffering, and ongoing healthcare costs. Some wounds represent more clinically severe (acute) situations such as large area burns/scalds or significant wounds on patients less able to fight off infections. In such situations, high risk of wound infection represents risk to life, necessitating the use of premium dressing products with powerful antimicrobial properties. Such products carry higher expense (both manufacture and end-user costs), but their use is justifiable to reduce mortality rates in high-risk situations. There is market demand for a more moderate-cost antimicrobial wound dressing product, intended for use in sub-acute, but hard to heal wounds, where the risk of chronic infection leading to longer term wound care is significant. Specifically, there is market-pull for a polyurethane foam product employing a silver-based antimicrobial action. The improved wound dressing product that this work relates to, is designed to directly address this market need by providing a line-development of our existing polyurethane foam-based product family. The innovative nature of the antimicrobial product must be well understood in terms of its compatibility with living tissue and its overall safety. Full understanding of these characteristics requires analysis of the physical and chemical nature of the product as may be expected from intended use. The scientific analytical methods required to obtain this information are not available off-the-shelf and A4I funding will allow us to identify and access the most appropriate cutting-edge analytical expertise and methods provided within the UK national measurement system.

"Inductosense is a spin-out from the Ultrasonics and Non-Destructive Testing Group at the University of Bristol. We have developed compact, wireless, battery-free sensors for monitoring corrosion or erosion in pipework. Our technology enables anyone to take the data from the sensors quickly (or a robotic vehicle to take the data) and for the data to be digitised and remotely analysed. The sensors also work underneath layers of material, such as coatings or cladding, eliminating the need to remove the layer from the pipe before taking a measurement. Inductosense has generated traction in the Oil&Gas industry and now has sensors deployed world-wide on onshore structures such as chemical plants, gas plants and refineries. We are getting lots of interest now in whether our sensors could be applied sub-sea - eg to structures such as risers, sub-sea pipeline. In these more demanding environments it would not be so easy to replace a sensor if it were to fail, so a long lifetime (ideally matching that of the structure) is essential. We want to understand what the lifetime of our sensors could be in such a harsh environment and also be able to tailor our sensors and technology to be suited to it."

Microfluidics devices are widely used in cell analytics and cell sorting devices in laboratories all over the world. uFraction8 Ltd developed novel microfluidics based, industrial scale cell harvester with the immediate application in microalgae industry. Successes in harvesting microalgae cells as well as in small scale trials with other types of cells provided preliminary support for that other cell types (such as mammalian cells, stem cells, fungi etc), which represent diverse morphologies and viability profiles, can also be effectively harvested with uFraction8 device without causing any harm to the subject of harvest. To be able to determine the impact uFraction8 device will have on sorting those cells, reference datasets resulting from complex analyses are needed. uFraction8, being an early, small start-up will collaborate with the National Physical Laboratory who will provide necessary expertise, access to measurement infrastructure and bespoke knowledge of parameters which need to be addressed to answer all these important questions. Both this collaboration and the datasets are crucial for supporting the expansion of this disruptive technology to other markets that rely on and benefit from cell sorting and processing, including pharmaceutical and food industry as well as other substantial markets, thus enabling more efficient and sustainable cell-based production.

"The project combines Sixfold's Programmable Oligonucleotide Delivery System (PODS) with NPL's deep expertise in analysis and measurement of physicochemical and biofunctional properties of nanomaterials. PODS have demonstrated a highly promising safety profile for delivery of Cell & Gene therapeutics such as short interfering RNA (siRNA) for gene silencing. The aim now is to optimise siRNA-PODS's efficacy by incorporating enhanced functionalitie(s) including endosomal escape mechanism(s). To that end, the project employs an iterative technical approach, takes advantage of the interdisciplinary expertise of the consortium and leverages NPL's unique facilities, equipment and know-how. This allows for optimisation of PODS that can be seamlessly integrated into the development of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs). As such, the project enables PODS to quickly progress through preclinical development, and expediting commercialisation. Given their high specificity and selectivity for gene silencing, siRNAs have the potential to provide effective treatment options for a variety of genetically-driven diseases including cancer. The first ever regulatory approval of Alnylam's siRNA therapy in 2018 \[1\] has validated the clinical and commercial opportunity for such therapies. The major limiting factor for their further clinical and commercial success is the lack of safe and effective systems for systemic delivery of siRNAs to specific diseased cells. This is recognised by academia and industry \[2\]. Current approaches (viral-based/lipid-based) are sub-optimal given their limited specificity, toxicity, and complex/expensive manufacturing \[2\], limiting the type and number of addressable disease indications. PODS can address the drug delivery challenge given their unique, biocompatible design based on a central nanoscaffold, which can be functionalised with multiple therapeutics and highly specific targeting molecules that recognise biomarkers on cancer -but not healthy- cells. Preclinical data indicates siRNA-PODS' efficacy is limited by their entrapment in intracellular vesicles (endosomes) upon cancer cell entry. This prevents siRNAs from reaching the cytoplasm where they exert their therapeutic effect. To address this, Sixfold has designed novel endosomal escape mechanism(s). The collaboration with the NPL will enable the necessary advanced analysis and measurement of the enhanced functionality PODS (ef-PODS), allowing Sixfold to effectively optimise their therapeutic effiacy. This would accelerate the completion of preclinical development, unlocking Sixfold's ability to generate first revenue from licensing agreements and expediting clinical development not only for our primary indication but also for other diseases, contributing to the competitiveness of the UK's ATMP sector. \[1\]Alnylam\_Press Release\_30.08.18.\[2\]Karim\_ME\_et\_al.\_Pharmaceutic 2018"

Nu Quantum partners with the National Physical Laboratory to develop cutting-edge single photon sources and detectors to enable a step-change in performance of free-space quantum key distribution. NPL will use Nu Quantum's arrays of room temperature devices to optimise an automated quantum optical measurement suite: a step towards national standardisation of quantum devices through large-scale measurement.

SeeQC is developing an advanced quantum computing platform. To rapidly develop this platform, we must solve the challenge of how to efficiently measure and analyse the performance of SeeQC and other emerging state-of-the-art quantum computing platforms. Measurements and benchmarking must be performed via a method that can impartially compare and contrast the key performance metrics that underpin the performance of SeeQC hardware and that of our competitors. Only via rigorous and impartial benchmarking of Quantum Processor Units (QPUs), will SeeQC prove the competitive advantage of our technology to our customer base.

"PragmatIC is a world leader in the field of low-cost flexible electronics, with a core focus on RFID tags to enable item level tagging for stock control, anti-counterfeiting and direct digital engagement purposes, primarily in the field of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) where silicon solutions are cost prohibitive. PragmatIC current product family includes the PR1100 ConnectIC series which are designed for HF RFID proximity identification applications in which one or more custom readers are incorporated into the closed RFID system. These products are based on a novel thin film transistor technology, utilising ultra-thin metal oxide films of only a few tens of nanometres as the key functional layers, manufactured with a proprietary billion unit and fully automated production system (FlexLogIC) for flexible integrated circuits (FlexICs) based in Sedgefield. One of the main challenges with this innovative technology is monitoring the electrical properties of the extremely thin semiconducting layer in situ at the various stages of the manufacturing process. MASCOT develops a metrology capability suitable for industrial implementation, culminating in an in-line tool for thin film measurement with the right sensitivity, throughput, cost and ease of integration to PragmatIC's FlexLogIC manufacturing platform. With such a tool, process monitoring metrics for the semiconductor film can be further optimised, enabling early detection of variations within the films to allow corrective action to be implemented early in the manufacturing process, which maintains throughput and minimises scrap. This directly correlates to improvement in PragmatIC's manufacturing yield and associated reduction in the overall FlexIC cost point, a crucial metric for mass technology implementation in the low-cost FMCG markets."

"Vert Rotors was founded in 2013 to accelerate innovation in global industries by making more power available from compressed gas and by making work safer and more comfortable. Our patented Conical Rotary Compressor (CRC) technology enables compact, powerful and quiet gas compressors that can operate with air, refrigerant and other fluids in a wide range of applications. The CRC is a novel form of positive-displacement compressor, in which two tapering, screw-shaped rotors interact to capture, compress and discharge a gas stream. Vert Rotors has developed and patented techniques for the optimal design and implementation of the rotor profiles. CRC technology offers a unique set of technical advantages and application benefits: High pressure ratio, wide speed range, low noise and vibration, compactness and scalability. CRC technology is commercially attractive in high-value applications because of these unique advantages. Our technology demonstrations have attracted interest from significant customers including top-ten global compressor manufacturers. The rotor surface designs are generated using complex mathematical algorithms. Our team have developed proprietary manufacturing processes and built up valuable know-how in this area. The metrology of these surfaces, in particular the outer rotor, presents a significant challenge for which we have not identified a commercially-available solution. The development and implementation of such as solution would provide a significant step forward for Vert Rotors as we commercialise CRC technology in high-volume markets."

"QLM is developing compact, high-sensitivity, low-power, Tuneable Diode Lidar (TDLidar) gas detection and imaging systems based on novel semiconductor infrared lasers and detectors and quantum technology developed by researchers at the University of Bristol. By providing far more cost effective and practical methods to identify and quantify leaks in gas production and distribution facilities we expect to enable the global O&G industry to make significant improvements in limiting fugitive gas emissions. Natural gas leakage is projected to constitute more than 10% of all global Green House Gas emissions over coming decades so the scale of the problem, and the benefit of effective solutions, is many billions of £. The plan for QGMC2 is to do extended sensor trials with NPL's assistance. NPL's Emissions and Atmospheric Metrology Group (EAMG) has strong expertise and credibility in the demonstration and calibration of natural gas leaks in commercially relevant environments and in relating sensor measurements to physical leak rates. The goal of both of the Quantitative Gas Measurement Campaign (QGMC) projects is a series of successful sensor application demonstrations with close involvement by end users that will lay the foundations for rigorous product development contracts with the same users. We expect to test both the latest version of our drone-based leak mapping system and new sensor configurations including fixed and handheld quantitative imagers and sensor arrays configured as fence-line monitors."

Fleet Bioprocessing Ltd. are experts in the development of immunoassays, widely-used tests for the diagnosis of diseases which rely on the well-known specificity of antibodies to detect specific molecules. Examples in common use include tests for detecting HIV and hepatitis, for diagnosing thyroid hormone abnormalities, or for differentiating heart attacks from other conditions such as angina which may display similar symptoms. New immunoassays are under development all the time, e.g. to improve the detection of cancer tumours or to monitor factors associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. Immunoassays rely on the successful chemical "labelling" of antibodies and related proteins, so for example that they can be detected efficiently via the presence of a fluorescent dye - and Fleet are expert in the bioconjugation techniques required for this purpose. Fleet routinely use simple analytical techniques to characterise these labelled antibody conjugates, allowing us to determine basic information such as the antibody concentration and the mean number of dye molecules per antibody molecule. However these techniques tell us nothing about whether the labelled antibody conjugate has retained its ability to detect the molecule of interest, or has been damaged in the labelling process. For example it is possible to attach too many dye molecules to an antibody, with the result that its ability to bind the target molecule is compromised. It would be very useful to have access to a rapid, inexpensive analytical method allowing us to confirm that the conjugate has successfully retained its structure during the labelling procedure. Fleet have evaluated several techniques for this purpose, but to date all have failed to meet our requirements; simple techniques based on spectroscopy which would meet our needs of being rapid and inexpensive have not shown adequate sensitivity to differentiate between "good" and "bad" conjugates, while techniques capable of achieving the required sensitivity have proved prohibitively expensive and/or time-consuming. An initial project with LGC and NPL (completed in March 2019) identified techniques with exciting potential to fill this knowledge gap, and to better understand the mechanism of conjugate inactivation. This follow-up project aims to confirm the potential of these techniques. Fleet will prepare a range of antibody conjugates for evaluation and assess them in a model immunoassay, while LGC and NPL will characterise them using a range of candidate analytical techniques. This will hopefully allow us to confirm the capability of these techniques for routine use by Fleet Bioprocessing Ltd.

"SilverRay Ltd. is a start-up company whose primary goal is to exploit the technology developed in a large area, high sensitivity broad-band X-ray detectors. This proprietary technology has demonstrated its sensitivity to be 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than the conventional organic detectors; while operating at low voltage and offer excellent conformability to non-planar surfaces. One of its key selling points is the potential for low cost manufacurability of the technology over large areas. The detector active material consists of an 'X-ray sensitive ink' containing an interpenetrating network of organic material and inorganic nanoparticles. The 'X-ray sensitive ink' can be used to coat films over any substrate, especially without constraints for flexible detectors. Thus far, small area detectors (area < 1 cm2) have been developed with the scale-up currently being carried out by SilverRay Ltd. Challenges lie within the production of uniform thick film coatings, where the company seeks for the application of uniform nanoparticle distributions through-out the film depth and spatially across pixel-to-pixel. A well-uniformed distribution of inorganic nanoparticles is crucial to the imager, as the high atomic number nanoparticles are the key component which makes the ink sensitive to X-rays and as a result generate charge carriers. Therefore, it is expected to have a uniform distribution of nanoparticles on each pixel of the backplane, so that the charge generation from each pixel due to X-rays is uniform and identical to each other. In this project, we will focus on the fabrication of large area thick film coating and these films will be characterised by the A4I partners; NPL and LGC. They will be working on how to optimise their instrumentation further to analyse the uniformity of nanoparticles with higher precision towards its nanoscale morphology, and present a solution that can be implemented in an in-situ printing manufacturing environment. The outcome of this project will facilitate the company to have a better understanding on routes to optimise the active layer of the detector which would lead to higher performances and faster responses."

"Deltex is pleased to announce that it has gained Innovate UK funding through a successful bid to the Analysis for innovators round 4: mini projects phase 2 competition. This Innovate UK funding brings with it the opportunity to collaborate with world-class UK agencies to seek solutions to improve existing technologies. Deltex Medical is pleased to be partnering with the National Physics Laboratory (NPL) in a project to enhance the design of its haemodynamic monitoring probes. Deltex is the world leader in Doppler ultrasound for haemodynamic monitoring. Use of the company's TrueVue Doppler, is proven to reduce post-operative complications and is recommended by NICE. The system also saves hospitals the costs of treating complications that would otherwise result in increased lengths of stay. The minimally invasive TrueVue Doppler technology uses an ultrasound probe inserted into the patient's oesophagus (food pipe). The oesophagus lies close to the aorta in the patient's chest and so blood flow velocity can be measured much like a police speed camera checks a car's speed. In this case the moving objects are blood cells. The TrueVue system measures blood flow velocity and the timing of each heartbeat. TrueVue then calculates a range of parameters useful to clinicians in managing patient care to minimise or even prevent post-operative complications. Clinician's achieve focus of the probe by feel, navigating using their knowledge of cardiovascular anatomy and the ultrasound signal they view on the TrueVue monitor. They rotate and manipulate the depth of the probe to find the optimum aortic blood flow signal. Deltex will use the grant monies to collaborate with NPL in a study to develop ultrasound lenses to optimise the product's beam width and power output. The advantages of a wider beam are two-fold; firstly finding the aortic blood flow is quicker; and secondly any movement of the patient or equipment has less potential to move the beam out of focus. The result will be that users will be more confident with the device leading to increased use of a technology proven by NICE to reduce post-operative complications, hospital stay (-3 days) and healthcare costs (£1,100 per patient). The project will benefit clinicians and patients by leading to ease of use improvements. Deltex expects that the outcome will increase the range of uses of a medical device with already proven efficacy."

"Johnstons of Elgin (JOE) is a luxury textile producer operating in the Highlands and Islands for over two centuries. JOE manufacture and sell luxury textiles globally (clothing, home interiors and accessories) using mainly cashmere and merino wool. The project will explore novel measurement techniques for measuring critical finish attributes of woven cashmere fabrics. Through this work we expect to develop an objective measurement system for quantifying and articulating the finish of our woven products. This solution will improve our process control capabilities, improve productivity, give us an innovative competitive edge over our global competitors and enable us to deliver finishes to increasingly tighter customer specifications."

The Morphologi 4-ID is a static imaging and spectroscopy system providing automated size, shape and chemical identity. The graphene market is a key growth area and a current frustration of researchers in this field is that multiple characterisation techniques are required increasing cost and time to analysis of product properties. We believe the Morphologi 4-ID can consolidate some of the measurements required and additionally provide automation and clear data linking size and shape to chemical information.This project is intended to demonstrate the system capabilities in an independent institution who can leverage their expertise in this area. The project also intends to work towards the development of independent graphene standards for future development work and verification of both systems and graphene products.

The large-scale multimodal sensor fusion of internet of things (loT) data can be transformed into a N-dimensional classical point cloud. For example, the transformation may be the fusion of three imaging modalities of different natures such as LiDAR (light imaging, detection, and ranging), a set of RGB images, and a set of thermal images. However, it is not easy to process a point cloud because it can have millions or even hundreds of millions of points. Classical computers therefore often crash when operating a point cloud of multimodal sensor data. The emerging quantum computing technology can help users to solve the multimodal sensor point cloud processing problem more efficiently. The development of the quantum computing hardware is proceeding at a fast pace, and current quantum computers exist, with the number of quantum-bits (qubits) per computer steadily increasing. Quantum computation is therefore expected to become an important and effective tool to overcome the high real-time computational requirements. In order to operate point clouds in quantum computers, there are two problems to be solved, and these are quantum point cloud representation and quantum point cloud processing. Quantum representations of two-dimensional images abound. However, there is a distinct paucity of methods to express a three-dimensional image using quantum representation. Furthermore, to provide a quantum computing based solution for fused multimodal sensor data the representation and processing needs to be further generalized to N-dimensional quantum point clouds. The project will therefore involve the development and analysis of an N-dimensional quantum point cloud, and a systematic metrological comparison between CPC and QPC will be performed. This includes definitions of measures for the efficiency and accuracy of QPC results, such as the time it takes prepare and process the quantum point cloud and the evaluation of the statistical variations of QPC outcomes. The project will also evaluate how an N-dimensional quantum point cloud addresses the problem of uncertainty in multi-modal sensor data, such that precognitive/predictive models can be derived with outcomes of greater certainty than classical information processing methods.

NeuroCONCISE Ltd, is an Ulster University spinout company. Our mission is "to provide affordable, high quality neurotechnology and related services for rehabilitation and movement-free diagnostics, communication, control and entertainment". We have a solution that can revolutionize the way consciousness/awareness can be assessed following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and basic communication channels can be realized, even when a person is unable to speak or move. Developed over 15 years and underpinned by award-winning research, NeuroCONCISE's platform neurotechnology (wearable) product, comprises; unobtrusive, concealable electronics on a flexible substrate for recording brain signals using electroencephalography (EEG) with high precision; advanced algorithms that translate brain activity into accurate control signals; clinical assessment/diagnostic augmentation software; and a basic communication and neurotechnology training system. The technology centres around our ability to interact with technology by imagining movement and modulating brain activity to control a brain-computer interface (BCI) i.e., neurotechnology. NeuroCONCISE was founded in 2016, is currently Innovate UK funded, has partnerships with 17 brain injury units (including 13 NHS/HSC trusts) across the UK and Ireland to trial the technology and has ethical approval in Ireland and the UK to conduct trials with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDoC) patients. Plans are in place to develop research undertaken at Ulster University to provide stroke rehabilitation technology for a larger and growing market need. NeuroCONCISE's platform neurotechnology can also offer video game control using either motor imagery which involves the imagination of limb movements to evoke frequency-specific neural potentials or visual evoked potentials (VEPs), which are stimuli presented on-screen that are flashed or moved at specific time periods to evoke time-locked neural potentials. The heavily established gaming market can benefit from movement independent game control using EEG and also be used to augment traditional game controllers to provide the player with a more immersive and personal gaming experience. This project will enable NeuroCONCISE to develop dry EEG electrode technology that works alongside our electronic EEG processing hardware to produce the most innovative, unobtrusive, flexible, portable, user-friendly and quality EEG device for the clinical, research and consumer markets.

"There is currently extensive inefficiency in the UK beef sector. Producers routinely assess the performance of their animals by eye and frequently retain them on farm too long, resulting in animals becoming too fat. This leads to increased variable farm costs, reduced annual capacity of beef finishing units and sub-optimal price paid for carcasses -- for a finishing unit producing 300 animals per year this equates to a cost of £11,400\. Over-fat animals also increase the primary processing costs for abattoirs and have a higher environmental impact per kg of product produced. The price paid to the producer for a beef carcass is also predominantly assessed subjectively by eye. Lack of confidence in the reliability of carcass evaluation makes it difficult to agree quality-based payments that reflect the true value of carcasses. This project aims to develop on-farm and in abattoir technologies to automate and optimise on-farm selection of animals for slaughter and carcass evaluation. The project will integrate automated data gathered across the whole life of individual beef animals (from calf to carcass) to create an enhanced decision support platform to modernise and drive efficiency improvements across the UK beef supply chain."

"Muc-Off strive to take the 'myth and anecdote' out of bicycle chain lubrication by the application of good science and results-based data. The tribology (wear and friction) of chain links is extremely complex with many components in the chain undergoing different friction regimes, and for this reason much testing is on application-based Dynamometers. For the development of the next generation of lubricants we will rely more heavily on chemical analysis and fast repeatable tribology testing. This will allow: \* A better, more transparent, understanding of the performance and environmental impact for the consumer \* Faster product development \* More targeted performance gains \* Less development iterations. The research will create a novel measurement and analysis process to determine and score lubricant component's performance and environmental impact. The research also includes a fast, highly repeatable, novel process to measure and analyse the performance and durability. This will be validated on our application specific Dynamometers"

Each year more than 800'000 people in the UK see their GP for suspected influenza infection and 20-30'000 hospital people are admitted to hospitals. Hospitals face the daily risk that incoming patients (100,000 in the Emergency Room 2017 in Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge) will lead to Influenza outbreaks in the hospital. Indeed, there were more 700 confirmed influenza cases last year at Addenbrooke's hospital, and three ward closures due to Influenza outbreaks. To prevent outbreaks, patients must be tested for influenza before antiviral treatment is initiated. Unfortunately, this testing process can take several hours, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment. The current established and trusted "gold standard" method of testing for influenza in hospitals can take up to 12 hours. A delay of half a day is highly costly to the patient and hospital: patients must wait longer to be seen by the correct department, wards become congested with patients waiting for test results and the risk of viral outbreaks increases as potential carriers of the virus wait for results. Clinicians have expressed a need for rapid detection influenza tests that can be carried out by non-medically trained personal in the Emergency Room. A selection of currently existing rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) has been tried. The sensitivity of most have been shown to be insufficient, thus often resulting in false negatives. There is an urgent need for a novel rapid diagnostic test for influenza virus that can be used in hospital emergency rooms. At HexagonFab, a biosensor has been developed and built from novel nanomaterials, which will bring the sensitivity of laboratory based tests to the emergency room. The technology gains its outstanding sensitivity through the unique surface of the nanomaterial, which is the core sensing element. In order to optimise the sensor, it is necessary to gain a deep understanding of how the nanomaterial interacts with its environment and how it can be tailored to be even more sensitive and specific. The InnovateUK A4I project brings the unique expertise of leading research organisations in the UK to investigate the surface of the nanomaterial and how the sensor can be optimised to achieve the sensitivity of current laboratory-based tests, while allowing use at the patient in the emergency room.

This innovation demonstrates a new method to detect traces of substances of interest directly from a surface for analysis by a Mass Spectrometer. A mass spectrometer can confidently identify a compound by its mass. Analysing trace substances using mass spectrometry is the most reliable, future-proof method for a wide range of analytical chemistry research and development applications as well as finding direct application in the field of forensic investigations and public safety. The detection of drugs of abuse and explosives has been successfully demonstrated with earlier prototypes of this innovation. Coupling this innovation with a mass spectrometer allows for a rapid screening method that has high sensitivity and confidence. This innovation can rapidly analyse a large surface area, such as a swab, much faster than other comparable existing technologies. Additionally, unlike existing technology, this innovation does not require solvents or expensive gases which reduce the environmental impact and increases laboratory throughput. Ideal for the rapid analysis of substances in analytical chemistry applications, the innovation could also be applied to the protection of transportation hubs and crowded places for security purposes.

"Quantum computers have the potential to be an invaluable tool to solve major problems in chemistry and materials science, which are relevant for industrial applications in areas ranging from the design of new drugs to the engineering of advanced materials. However, current and near-term machines are very sensitive to small perturbations that introduce error into their outputs and reduce their accuracy. Since these calculations are infeasible for a conventional computer, it's impossible to simply check the answer: we need to construct a mathematical model of the quantum computer and its algorithm to calculate how accurate the results are. Therefore, systematic studies of the sources of error and their relative impact on the accuracy of the computation are needed. The aim of our project is to estimate the degree of this uncertainty based on the measurable error parameters of the quantum device. To simulate a physical system on a quantum computer its mathematical description is decomposed into a sequence of primitive operations (gates) which the quantum hardware performs on the quantum memory (qubits). Current and near-term machines, while large enough to perform useful calculations, are not large enough to incorporate error correction to protect the simulation from imprecision in the gates and errors in the qubits. Given the extreme sensitivity of these devices, the results of the simulation will inevitably have some degree of error due to noise in the quantum computer. There are many sources of error within a quantum computer: gate timing errors, qubit decoherence, thermal noise, and measurement errors, among others. Each of these contributes an undesirable noise term to the computation process which produces uncertainty in the final result. Quantum computers may be based on a variety of different physical effects -- microwave pulses or magnetic fields for example -- and the contribution of each error type will vary accordingly. Quantum metrology can determine the magnitude of each error source for a given device, but the key measurement challenge is to link, via metrological analysis and uncertainty propagation, the contributions of the different errors to the uncertainty of the final result. To address this need we will develop an analytical and numerical framework that accounts for all the sources of error within a quantum computer and relates them to the results of the algorithm running on it. The success of this project will enable better algorithms that will improve the accuracy of physical simulations on quantum computers."

"Deltex are pleased to announce that it has gained Innovate UK funding through a successful bid to the Analysis for innovators round 3: mini projects phase 2 competition. This Innovate UK funding brings with it the opportunity to collaborate with world-class UK agencies to seek solutions to improve existing technologies. Deltex Medical is pleased to be partnering with the National Physics Laboratory (NPL) in a project to enhance the Quality Control of its haemodynamic monitoring probes. Deltex is the world leader in Doppler ultrasound for haemodynamic monitoring. Use of the company's TrueVue Doppler, is proven to reduce post-operative complications and is recommended by NICE. The system also saves hospitals the costs of treating complications that would otherwise result in increased lengths of stay. The minimally invasive TrueVue Doppler technology uses an ultrasound probe inserted into the patient's oesophagus (food pipe). The oesophagus lies close to the aorta in the patient's chest and so blood flow velocity can be measured much like a police speed camera checks a car's speed. In this case the moving objects are blood cells. The TrueVue system measures blood flow velocity and the timing of each heartbeat. TrueVue then calculates a range of parameters useful to clinicians in managing patient care to minimise or even prevent post-operative complications. Deltex will use the grant monies to collaborate with NPL in a study to further enhance the Quality Control measurements of the probe's ultrasound output. Partnering with NPL will bring considerable ultrasound expertise and access to specialised equipment. This will provide a better understanding of the energy map of the ultrasound crystals and deliver innovative methods to create a new generation of product test equipment. The system envisaged will also store all results digitally allowing rapid trend analyses. The result will be that the product's enhanced quality will provide increased use of a device already recommended by NICE to reduce post-operative complications, hospital stay (-3 days) and healthcare costs (£1,100 per patient). In conclusion a successful project will benefit clinicians and patients alike through enhanced quality management. Deltex expects that the outcome will increase the range of uses of a medical device with already proven efficacy."

"Bifacial solar panels (BFPV) are designed to allow light to enter and power to be generated from both sides. Moreover, they are often more durable because both sides will be made UV resistant, and potential-induced degradation concerns are lowered when using a frameless structure. Unfortunately, there are also issues that are limiting the wide adoption of the new, more efficient technology. While for measuring the performance of traditional PV modules there are already international standards, no standard exists for BFPV. Furthermore there is presently much uncertainty in the calculation of energy output of BFPV. As a consequence, the risks for investors increase and limit the proliferation of BFPV. PV has always been a priority in UK but unfortunately, the incentives cuts have slowed down new investments. There is a need for more efficient technologies to make the PV market more self-sustainable and preserve the thousands of related job places. The mini-project builds on the cooperation between RINA and the National Physics Laboratory (NPL), with the aim of developing an innovative method to perform yield studies, with reduced uncertainty on the output of solar PV systems, over their lifetime. The mini-project focuses on a key problem in assessing the energy output of BFPV plant: the accurate evaluation of the effect of albedo.Thanks to more reliable albedo measurements, the technical and financial risks of investors are reduced, consequently boosting the investments in BFPV. The key objectives of the project are: 1\. Evaluation of the effect of spectral albedo on BFPV yield modelling accuracy. 2\. Determination of reliable spectral albedo data sources for use in BFPV system yield modelling 3\. Determination of the requirements of spectral albedo data for BFPV system modelling. 4\. Determination of the financial impact of replacing the effective albedo data with spectral albedo data in BFPV system modelling. Benefits from the project will affect the whole value chain of energy, from generation to consumption. More reliable yield prediction will encourage investments, generating not only more power but also new jobs in direct and satellite activities. The higher efficiency guaranteed by the BFPV technology will favour a decrease of electricity price for consumers. Finally, the increased share of PV energy in UK scenario will have a positive effect on the environmental impact, reducing the CO2 emissions."

Electronic textiles (e-textiles) has been seen in movies for decades, from Marty McFly's self-drying jacket in Back to the Future (1989) to the more recent wearable haptic suits in Ready Player One (2018). The reason many of these devices are science fiction and not science fact is that there are still many engineering issues which need to be solved when moving electronics onto textile. Textile Two Dimensional aims to solve these issues through innovating the materials and technology which is currently used to build electronic textiles. To make the e-textile, electronic inks will be formulated and then printed onto textile surfaces using scalable printing techniques such as inkjet printing or roll-to-roll printing. The material we will use to make the electronic ink is known as graphene, a honeycomb arrangement of carbon atoms which is a single atom thick. The advance of using graphene over traditional metals is that it that it is more sustainable, lighter, flexible and potentially much lower cost. However another key parameter of building electronics on textile is the strechability of the electrical components with the textile fibres. Textile Two Dimensional will partner with the National Physical Laboratory to improve the strechability of electronic inks. The National Physical Laboratory will help to develop new national measurement standards for the strechability of wearable devices while also helping to solve key issues related to the fracturing of electronic components on textile through experimental measurement and analysis.

"RD graphene (RDG) has developed a novel, ambient process to produce pure 3D foam-like graphene electrodes that can be produced in seconds and cost-effectively on reel-to-reel equipment. This completely removes the barrier to commercialization for next generation, graphene-enhanced products. RDG currently uses its limited resources to develop graphene super-capacitors. Demonstrated performance of these already match best-in-class commercially available products, which validates the high quality of the manufactured product and commercial exploitation is planned for the next couple of years. Another potential market that RDG wants to exploit is based upon graphene's incorporation in Field Effect Transistors (GFETs), which exploits the exceptional electronic properties graphene is expected to exhibit. GFETs are able to tune the properties of the graphene in order to controllably incorporate them into devices for real-world applications, for example, gas detection. Should this study confirm that GFET on RDG's electrode is feasible and as good as expected this will add additional, multi-billion Pound market opportunities which RDG is eager to exploit. Opportunities are: transistors, sensors, solar panels, LEDs, antennae and many more."

EnzBond has created a novel route to a high value lipid-peptide pharmaceutical product and a bottle neck has been reached in the final step purification and handling as the product is very sticky. The "stickiness" of the product is a result of a macro-molecular structure, micelle, forming which is difficult to study using our current methods. The end result is significant downstream issues such as column blockage and multiple rounds of purification due to impurities being trapped. In collaboration with NPL, the physics of the micelle will be better understood and novel purification methods will be developed. At the end of the project EnzBond will have an innovative continuous process to produce a ultra-pure lipopeptide without the known issues arising.

"Activirosomes develops effective, affordable vaccines to respond quickly to new infection outbreaks and to prevent and protect against serious illnesses in humans and other animals. We have developed a series of Active Virosomes (AV) vaccines to pre-clinical proof of concept stage: we demonstrated that they are immunogenic and create a protective effect in small animal models of the relevant infectious diseases. We must characterise and optimise them before starting toxicology and pharmacokinetic studies, and as an essential requirement for regulatory approval. However, we have four analysis and characterisation problems that are currently a barrier to progress. This project explores solutions. This project aims to demonstrate feasibility of solving them using a series of analytical methods proposed by our A4I partner, NPL. Activirosomes and NPL bring together the expertise and facilities to perform the study described in this application and will work together to interpret and apply the results. The results of the studies and their interpretation may identify other barriers or related sub-problems that need investigation before we can implement the solutions. The results will also enable us to determine whether additional facilities or expertise are needed to solve the problem, in addition to those used in this study. We will explore these additional barriers in follow-up studies."

"The use of High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) power transmission has grown over recent decades as power electronics have enabled DC power to be converted easily to AC, which is a more usable form of electricity. Over the coming decade, demand for HVDC based power systems is expected to rise substantially due to growth in adoption of offshore power generation and an increasing desire to minimise transmission losses. Given this growth in the HVDC transmission market (primarily interconnectors and export cables for offshore generation), it is desirable to develop systems to improve the reliability of DC power transmission platforms. Synaptec's instrumentation technology integrates optical fibre and piezoelectric technologies to facilitate novel distributed measurements of voltage and current along transmission lines using the pre-installed optical fibres. This offers unprecedented power system visibility for a low cost, enabling new control and protection functions to be implemented on complex circuits. However, present techniques that are successfully employed to measure AC current will not work for measurement of DC current, and new approaches and innovations are required to extend this platform to DC circuits. In this project, NPL will conduct a literature review of DC current measurement techniques that may be appropriate to be used as part of Synaptec's wide area distributed sensor platform. The merits and drawbacks of potential methods will be compared and the results of this analysis will be used to establish if a suitable method can be realised. Selected methods will be reduced to practice in collaboration with Synaptec. The aim of the work will be to provide Synaptec with a potential solution that can be further developed into a prototype product. Accessing the DC power transmission market would have significant impact on Synaptec's growth, and the success of this project will benefit the UK economy through development of new IP with the potential to improve the reliability and efficiency of clean power generation and transmission over long distances."

An investigation into the creation of a Testing Standard for the performance of multi-layer composite heatshields in Dynamic rather than Static environments using Thermal Pulse Analysis.

"This project will conduct a feasibility study aimed at improving the operational effectiveness (i.e. reduce costs, increase envelope, improve exploitation) of airborne hyperspectral remote sensing. The key objective will be to develop and evaluate techniques to mitigate the effects of variable illumination, in particular cloud shadow, on the recovery of surface reflectance. The techniques will be developed and tested on a significant volume of empirical and modelled data. The main areas of focus are; * To determine if the at-sensor radiance spectra reveal information regarding the local illumination conditions via radiative modelling and empirical data collection. This seeks to identify traits embedded in the at-sensor radiance that may provide information regarding the local illumination conditions. Existing techniques include empirically derived 'shadow indices' that use a few selected bands; the innovation is to examine the entire spectrum to seek an improved technique. * To exploit the statistics of the illumination field (determined above), including in shadow, to devise a mitigation approach. This approach is an extension of previously published 'invariance' techniques designed to be robust to varying atmospheric and environmental factors. These determine the subspace which contains the majority of variance caused by these factors. These unwanted dimensions are then 'projected out' of the at-sensor signature. These techniques have been limited to clear sky conditions by 'off-the-shelf' radiative transfer models. The innovation is to include the attenuating effects of cloud in the determination of an invariant subspace thus enabling robust exploitation over a wider range of environmental conditions. * To develop a empirical correction technique exploiting time series, cloud-free airborne and satellite imagery. This approach is motivated by the increasing regularity and availability of satellite imagery. Published techniques crudely replace shadowed pixels with the corresponding cloud-free pixel from an image acquired at around the same time. This approach is not suitable to be applied to sources with differing spectral and spatial response (i.e. satellite and airborne). The innovation is to develop a technique in which a correction for cloud shadow in the hyperspectral image is derived from that of a satellite (e.g. Sentinel-2) multi-spectral image."

"The motivation for this project is to establish traceability to national standards for the key performance parameters for the Keysight audio source and analyser. The challenge is to provide traceability for the three relevant parameters: absolute amplitude accuracy; amplitude flatness over the audio frequency range; and the fidelity of the measurement requirements, reflected in the dynamic range and accuracy. The accuracy needed to differentiate between products in this market is generally less than 1%. Due to the very low levels of distortion present in an audio source it is inherently difficult to establish a fully traceable measure of the total harmonic distortion. This project focuses on a providing a traceable series of assessments that would increase confidence of new customers in the absolute performance of these instruments, when calibrated against the UK's primary standards. This would represent a step change in the way in which these products can be tested as well as establishing a step change in the level of accuracy. This coupled with the independently verifiable, and traceable, levels of THD would enable increased confidence in this product range and would therefore lead to more sales.

"The project will demonstrate the feasibility of designing and producing a low cost differential test probe to characterise differential circuits using time domain reflectometry (TDR) in conjunction with LA Techniques' existing vector network analyser (VNA). The increase in use of very fast logic circuits (now common at multi GHz speeds) has led to an increase requirement for low cost and easy to use techniques to characterise differential microwave circuits. Our aim is to develop a unique hand held, low cost probe to operate with our existing instrument to make measurements at up to 6GHz. Multi gigabit logic circuits will be at the heart of all future telecommunication infrastructure for the UK (including 5G mobile and wireless networks) and will create enormous demand for cost effective tools for the measurement of their performance, both in production and during development. The project will focus on determining the feasibility of producing a hand held low cost probe. The key objectives will be to produce a working prototype, characterise it and develop a means of calibration compatible with LA Techniques' existing vector network analyser. The project is innovative as no such probe exists in the market today. Existing techniques are cumbersome and expensive, either employing complex probing arrangements connected to multiport vector network analysers or using real time low frequency time domain reflectometry resulting in low frequency (1 GHz or less) measurements. Our vision is to produce a probe and VNA package unique in the market; offering a low cost and stunningly easy to use differential measurement capability to 6GHz."

"Impression Technologies Limited (ITL) is a relatively new manufacturing business developing hot forming of aluminium sheet. ITL is already in low / medium volume production for a number of premium car manufacturers and as part of it's growth strategy it now needs to ramp up volumes. As part of the volume ramp up process we need to collect large amounts of data on the HFQ process to give our customers confidence that it is robust and that we understand well the operating parameters of the various stages. These end customers require that the formed parts meet certain mechanical properties (Tensile Strength, Yield & elongation). To ensure we meet these criteria we currently use a portable hardness checker and correlate this to mechanical properties. This equipment is now proving to be not fully capable of checking material properties and hence we are looking to improve the measurement method. This improvement will be necessary for HFQ (Hot Form Quench) to enter new market areas including aerospace, rail and high volume automotive. The vision of this project will be to develop a new, novel non destructive, robust test process that can reliably identify material mechanical properties from a fast inspection methodology. This will be used firstly to ensure 100% of our products meet our material requirements with a fast and reliable process, it will then be used to help refine our process to improve throughput and quality levels whilst reducing product variation. The key objectives will be a process that :- * Is fast (<60 seconds to check a part). * Is repeatable ( with a Gauge R&R result of <30% to meet automotive inspection standards). * Gives a high degree of correlation between measurement output and material properties . * Is non destructive. The project focus will to be to investigate the possibility of using eddy current testing to non destructively test material and then to create, through test & analysis a correlation between eddy current results and material properties. This project is innovative as there is currently no known non destructive, reliable measurement process on the market for aluminium, and whilst an equivalent process has recently been released for steel grades - this is not suitable for translation to non-ferrous materials."

"This project is a feasibility study to test the sensitivity of cutting-edge inspection techniques for measuring the finish on woven cashmere fabrics; specifically, the fabric's raise and handle. The project will be driven through collaborative work between Johnstons of Elgin and the National Physical Laboratories (NPL). The aim of the project is to establish a novel technique that achieves objective standardised measurement of the handle and raise on Johnstons' woven cashmere fabrics. Johnstons of Elgin competes with a value proposition rooted in tradition and craftsmanship. Consequently, the measurement of product finish has always depended on subjective assessment of the finishing experts. Increasingly however, the consistency and accuracy in the measurement of the quality attributes of the fabric's finish is critical to the survival and expansion of the business, due to changing customer demands and productivity pressures from global competitors. This in-turn is fuelling the need for Johnstons' to introduce objective means of inspecting its fabric's finish. Hence, this project will investigate novel applications to woven cashmere of inspection techniques like laser scattering, 3D measurements and other volumetric measurements as well as attempt the design and construction of a new contacting measuring instrument for raise and handle measurement. With the aim of analysing the existing correlations between the results of the application of these techniques and those of the assessments made by the most experienced fabric quality inspectors within Johnstons. The exploration of these techniques for analysing traditionally craft-based textiles has every potential to be a disruptive innovation in our business and market. The very wide range of weave structures and fabric finishes produced at Johnstons as well as the subtle variations that is characteristic of the cashmere fibre, further makes this a complex, yet exciting challenge. As such, emphasis will be placed on solutions and measurement techniques that are robust enough to accommodate our range of fabric finish and fibre blends."

"This project seeks to develop a measurement technique that would maximise our ability to detect partial discharge when it is produced by the voltages from a power electronic converter. This will support the development of a test technique that could ensure the reliability of aerospace high voltage systems. The project is focused in a way that would see it add value to aerospace systems as they continue to see higher voltages being deployed. However, the project would also provide significant benefit to related applications such as automotive and marine electrical systems. The key innovation we are seeking to develop is an antenna design that maximises our chance of detecting partial discharge in insulation systems operating at the pressures expected in an aerospace system."

"Oxford Heartbeat (OxHB) is an early-stage start-up developing innovative technology to make cardiovascular surgeries more efficient and effective. We are building software that helps surgeons plan and rehearse minimally invasive stent placements inside blood vessels -- currently the most popular treatment for common cardiovascular disorders. The software allows surgeons to simulate how different stents will fit and behave in a patient's anatomy and select the best surgical scenario for every patient. The software will be installed in hospitals and used in surgery preparation, reducing the number of complications and the associated cost to hospitals and society. Having developed the minimal viable product for placements of cerebral stents in the brain, the next stage is to validate the accuracy of our simulated results. Since we are operating within the domain of surgery, it is paramount that the technology delivers highly accurate results to reliably support clinical decision-making. Therefore, we need to compare the results of our simulations with real clinical outcomes. To enable comparison to our simulations, we need to measure the configurations of real stent devices that have been deployed inside patients using clinically available historic 2D scans -- solving this complex measurement problem is the focus of this project. In the proposed project we aim to develop and evaluate a novel methodology for obtaining accurate measurements of the size and position of the complex 3D shape of stents inside brain blood vessels from the 2-plane projection view of the patient's brain captured by X-ray angiography. The expertise in accurate measurements and uncertainty quantifications will be provided by the National Physical Laboratory(NPL). The main activities include developing the new method for measuring the reference configuration of the stent from 2D patient scans by aligning them with preoperative anatomy (constructed in our software) using the metadata stored in the scans. We will test out potential steps to achieve accurate alignment and measurements in a synthetic model, then transfer it to real anonymised clinical images and, finally, perform uncertainty analysis for the main variables. The proposed project builds upon the successfully completed IUK SMART Proof of Market(PoM, 2016), Biomedical Catalyst Feasibility (BMC-F, 2017), as well as funding from NIHR i4i Connect and SBRI Healthcare (2018). The results of our previous projects have received numerous awards, including the NHS Innovation Award 2017(HEE). Oxford Heartbeat was also named the UK Start-up of 2017 at Medilink UK and the WIRED ""Best Healthcare Start-up of 2018."""

Zyba is a UK based SME developing a novel wave-energy converter called CCell, which consists of a curved oscillating paddle hinged at the seabed. The paddle moves back and forth with the waves to convert kinetic wave energy into electricity through a submerged power-take-off unit. The electricity is used to grow artificial reefs using an electrolytic process that transforms natural minerals found in seawater into rock on which the coral proliferates alternatively it can be used to power local communities. Many of the components within the power-take-off unit of the CCell wave-energy converter generate heat due to inherent inefficiencies. Some of these components are also temperature sensitive and vital to the proper operation of the device. The heat generated by the power components lead to the possibility of the electronics overheating, particularly when this is also coupled with the high sea temperatures found in the intended deployment areas, such as the Mayan Riviera in Mexico, where sea temperatures reach 35 °C and hurricanes frequently occur. For long-term deployments is it is essential that Zyba develops an informed and intelligent temperature management process. This project between Zyba and NPL will monitor the temperature dissipation within the power-take-off unit under various conditions. This research will allow Zyba to optimise the internal arrangement, particularly the airflows, and determine the safe working limits for the system.

"Nanomaterial particle sizing has been available for many years initially via ensemble methods (such as DLS) and then through particle by particle techniques (such as NTA, TRPS) and there is now an ISO standard for this. More recently these latter techniques have added the capability to count particles and therefore infer a concentration. However, the metrology associated with this has lagged. NTA is leading technology and has published reproducibility's of +/- 15%. However, without controllable standards and advanced metrology practices the improvement in reproducibility has recently stalled. NPL and LGC have recently worked together in this arena and we find an information asymmetry where each organisation has specific expertise in reference concentration samples (LGC), metrology approaches to assigning uncertainties (NPL), which allows the targeting for further optimisation and instrument development (Malvern Panalytical). Whilst each aspect individually may not be considered innovative, the bringing together of these three skills promises to improve the technology further enhancing the state-of-the-art in nanoparticle concentration measurement. Therefore we aim to bring together the knowledge of the best practice for handling a new traceable concentration standard from LGC, and the expertise in developing uncertainty measurements (in addition to some work already done on this by LGC), with the concentration calibration and instrument expertise of Malvern Panalytical to advance the process of handling samples and identifying key contributors to variation to reduce variation concentration measurements between Malvern Panalytical's thousands of customers in this field."

"We need to improve the uncertainties associated with thermometer calibrations at Valeport, which will in turn allow us to offer more accurate temperature measurements in the field. Additionally, this will also result in improved accuracies of associated sensors which also fundamentally rely on Temperature measurement, such as Conductivity (Salinity) and Sound Speed. The specific problem that we have with seeking to improve our Temperature measurement capabilities is that despite already investing in state of the art equipment in our calibration laboratories, we are unable to further narrow down the accuracy specifications of our products. To put this in context, we are currently able to confidently specify that our products will measure Temperature with an accuracy of ±0.01K. However, our international competitors (USA and Canada in particular) claim accuracies of the order of ±0.001K, an order of magnitude better. Worldwide, this market for science grade CTD products (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) amounts to several tens of millions of pounds, and given the limited number of competitors, we believe that it is entirely reasonable to expect to poach a minimum market share of 10% from our overseas competitors. In monetary terms, this would represent a minimum increase in export turnover of well over £2m per annum. Having discussed the problem with our partner NPL, we believe that our greatest sources of error are generated by the instability of the raw temperature sensor and the instability and resolution of our existing interface circuit board. The project will deliver us the understanding to develop our temperature measurement to provide an improved accuracy by an order of magnitude. We will also benefit from the ability to support our accuracy claims by working with NPL."

"**Fleet Bioprocessing Ltd.** are expert in the development of **immunoassays,** highly sensitive and specific antibody-based _in vitro_ diagnostic procedures widely used in the diagnosis of disease states. Immunoassay performance is critically dependent on **labelled antibody and antigen conjugates** which enable **immobilisation** or **detection** of these proteins: typical examples include **biotin-labelled antigens** which facilitate binding to a streptavidin-coated surface, and **fluorescent-labelled antibodies** which enable exquisitely sensitive detection _via_ **fluorometric** quantification. The performance of any given immunoassay is largely defined by the behaviour of these conjugates, which ideally display 100% retention of antibody/antigen binding activity, whilst incorporating an optimally high level of label to facilitate immobilisation or detection. A trade-off between these competing aims is required for optimal performance. The chemistry required to _create_ such conjugates is well-established; with Fleet's expertise, existing **bioconjugation** techniques are routinely exploited to yield conjugates with world-class immunoassay performance. By contrast, **the availability of** **rapid and inexpensive procedures for effective analysis and characterisation of these conjugates is extremely limited.** Simple cheap techniques can be used to determine basic conjugate characteristics such as antibody concentration or mean biotin or enzyme incorporation, but these provide no information on whether the antibody or antigen has retained immunological functionality; **without this information it is impossible to know whether the conjugate will perform effectively in the immunoassay**. This means that the only available additional approach is to ""try it in the assay"", which (see _Need or Challenge_ section) has serious weaknesses. The knowledge gap that this application aims to address, therefore, is t**o identify inexpensive and relatively fast techniques capable of confirming that antibody or antigen has retained adequate functionality during the conjugation process**. A technique capable of showing quickly and cheaply that the tertiary structure of the antigen or antibody remained intact after conjugation would be a massive step forward of great significance to our company and to the industry in general. Initial discussions with LGC and NPL have indicated that both parties have access to analytical techniques which may directly or indirectly help to address this knowledge gap, including (from LGC) **hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS)** and **ion mobility spectrometry mass spectrometry (IMS-MS)** and (from NPL) **circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR)** and **isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC).** This project comprises the preparation of suitable conjugate panels and determination of their immunoassay performance (Fleet), coupled with comparative evaluation of these conjugates using the techniques outlined above (LGC, NPL)."

"Our company has invested in the development of two main types of novel solid state neutron sensors and which are gaining commercial traction. An obstacle to their commercialisation is lack of hard data on their performance in ""mixed"" radiation fields dominated by high intensity gamma radiation. This is typical of the nuclear cleanup scenario. Our vision for this project is that we attain design rules and hard data for the sensors which quantify the neutron specificity of our silicon carbide neutron sensors in high intensity gamma fields. The key objectives are to learn which energy ranges of gamma rays interfere with our sensors, and to what extent, whether we can remove those gamma signals by shielding, and whether placement of simple shielding gives rise to secondary radiation which affects the sensors more than the unshielded flux. Once we have learned which energies we most need to shield against, we wish to finally test a realistic ""kit"" which fully represents part of a lightweight remote controlled neutron field survey instrument. Our concentration will be on the effect of gamma radiation on our electronics alone, on our sensors alone, and the ability of the whole sensor + signal chain to return useful neutron metrology in the presence of a very high gamma photon density. We hope to be able to detect up to 8% of thermal neutrons at 1 n/cm2/sec against a background of 1e10 gammas/cm2/sec at energies above 100keV. We want to know how close to ""gamma blind"" our neutron sensors are. We believe our silicon AT and silicon carbide HT series heterodiode neutron sensors are the only solid state detectors available where bulk neutron reactive material forms part of the detector structure. This configuration gives our devices approximtely double the detection efficiency of any other solid state thermal neutron detector. The neutron reactive layer we use generates charged particles which can be always be detected in a thin sensitive region. That ""thinness"" reduces the gamma capture probability. This is why we believe our devices will show a very high gamma rejection ratio . Our sensors are commercially innovative because they allow high efficiency thermal neutron detection in an intrinsically safe, light weight, low power, robust package."

"Straw bale building is a clean, energy efficient, low carbon and robust method of construction and is in use across the UK. The aim of this project is to maximise the use of waste straw into a viable construction material by increasing the tolerance of necessary measurements to standardise the bales. In order to build with a bale it is necessary to understand that it meets a quantified measurement in relation to these factors with an emphasis on moisture content. This problem restricts the development of a recognised quality mark for straw bale buildings and houses which leads to reduced confidence from customers, developers, insurers and mortgage lenders alike. It also leads to increased costs as the houses are treated as a non-standard construction method and need non-standard insurance. A telephone survey of small to medium builders by Green & Castle has shown that there is a need and desire for contractors to both diversify and to increase their skills and awareness of more environmentally friendly methods and materials in order that the can keep up with the major house builders looking towards the 2050 standard. By measuring and certifying the parameters in a stock of straw, we can look to build an industry standard that can be more easily signed off by Building Regulations. And if building regulations can sign off the buildings, then issues related to ""non-standard"" construction can be dismissed, and more straw structures can be completed. Over the longer term the collaboration of the agricultural and construction sectors will produce much needed high quality housing and other buildings with lower emissions lower bills, higher thermal comfort and better well-being properties.

"Underwater and underground pipes are vital for the transportation of oil and gas to accommodate our energy requirements. These are usually made from a combination of polymers through the extrusion manufacturing process. Depending on the intended use of the pipe, the optimal design in terms of materials and geometry will differ. The development phase of new pipes is expensive, in part due to the 'trial and error' approach required to tune manufacturing variables to ensure a high-quality end product, which meets the specification. One way to reduce these costs is to simulate the extrusion process computationally; in other words, create a 'virtual twin' of the process. The accuracy of these virtual simulations is highly dependent upon knowing the thermal and structural behaviour of the materials in use. Metisec Ltd is an engineering consultancy that has been working on this problem for a number of years. Our experience is that the way by which the polymer cools when it comes out of the extruder and laid on the metallic scaffold of the pipe is critical both in terms of ensuring a good-quality product but also an accurate simulation of the process. Experimental characterisation of this process to define its governing thermal parameters is challenging. In this collaboration between Metisec Ltd and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) a novel approach to obtain these parameters will be developed. Controlled experiments on a molten polymer coming in touch with a cold metal will be performed with sensors placed at key locations to measure the temperature changes. A 'virtual twin' of this experiment will be developed using specialised computational software, and an algorithm will automatically compare experimental results with computational results. This will allow us to determine key thermal parameters at the interface of polymer with metal. This process will become available to the pipe manufacturing industry for the characterisation of any polymer or combination of polymers of interest and will become a flagship service that Metisec Ltd can provide."

"Deltex are pleased to announce that it has gained Innovate UK funding through a successful bid to the Analysis for innovators round 3: mini projects phase 2 competition. This Innovate UK funding brings with it the opportunity to collaborate with world-class UK agencies to seek solutions to improve existing technologies. Deltex Medical is pleased to be partnering with the National Physics Laboratory (NPL) in a project to enhance the design of its haemodynamic monitoring probes. Deltex is the world leader in Doppler ultrasound for haemodynamic monitoring. Use of the company's TrueVue Doppler, is proven to reduce post-operative complications and is recommended by NICE. The system also saves hospitals the costs of treating complications that would otherwise result in increased lengths of stay. The minimally invasive TrueVue Doppler technology uses an ultrasound probe inserted into the patient's oesophagus (food pipe). The oesophagus lies close to the aorta in the patient's chest and so blood flow velocity can be measured much like a police speed camera checks a car's speed. In this case the moving objects are blood cells. The TrueVue system measures blood flow velocity and the timing of each heartbeat. TrueVue then calculates a range of parameters useful to clinicians in managing patient care to minimise or even prevent post-operative complications. Clinician's achieve focus of the probe by feel, navigating using their knowledge of cardiovascular anatomy and the ultrasound signal they view on the TrueVue monitor. They rotate and manipulate the depth of the probe to find the optimum aortic blood flow signal. Deltex will use the grant monies to collaborate with NPL in a study to optimise the beam's width and power output. The advantages of a wider beam is two-fold; firstly finding the aortic blood flow is quicker; and secondly any movement of the patient or equipment has less potential to move the beam out of focus. The result will be that users will be more confident with the device leading to increased use of a technology proven by NICE to reduce post-operative complications, hospital stay (-3 days) and healthcare costs (£1,100 per patient). The project will benefit clinicians and patients by leading to ease of use improvements. Deltex expects that the outcome will increase the range of uses of a medical device with already proven efficacy."

"The vision for the current project is to develop a non-destructive testing (NDT) solution for use on composite utility poles that are used to transmit electricity from electricity generation stations to homes throughout the UK. Traditionally transmission solutions have been to use wooden utility poles for lower voltage or steel lattice towers for higher voltages. The issue with the former is that creosote is used to prevent the wood from rotting which is bad for the environment and the latter, that they are considered unsightly and no longer achieve planning consent due to public acceptance issues. Composite poles can be used as an alternative for both structures at all but the highest 400kV voltage levels. Composite poles are currently going through market acceptance in the UK with completion of the first line in Scotland during 2018\. While the product has been well received, future uptake will be dependent on a solving few remaining maintenance issues. Successful completion of the proposed project will solve a major barrier to adoption by providing a reliable method to assess the strength and performance of installed product throughout their life-cycle. The primary objective of the project is to evaluate the most commercially viable NDT solutions for use with composite utility poles. A secondary objective is to test a range of pole samples with varying levels of damage to demonstrate that the damage can be reliably detected and the extent to which damage severity can be determined. The longer term project aim is for I2I to exploit what will be an industry leading tool with domestic sales and export potential."

"X-rays are a somewhat widely used tool that enables features that cannot be observed through the use of visible light to be observed. This is in view of their highly penetrating nature through most materials. As such, these are used in medical imaging such as mamography, dentistry, evaluation of the mechanical integrity of pipes, ships, planes, identifying any undesired metallic contaminants during food processing among many others. In order to see or image features using X-rays, detectors which are somewhat similar in nature to cameras used in cell phones are employed. However, due to their design being based on established physical principles for bulk materials, these often require the use of high X-ray doses for features to be clearly observed. SilverRay Ltd. is a startup company that is aimed at disrupting the manner in which X-ray detection is conducted. The team at SilverRay have been able to develop a detector based on nanotechnology that enables a dose that is nearly 10-100 times lower than is used by current standard technologies. Surprisingly, we have identified this capability to be nearly x100-1000 higher than what is expected if the established rules used by the radiation physics community is followed. Therefore we believe that a new mechanism that has not been previously utilised in the X-ray detector technology is at the heart of this observed enhancement. A potential origin for the observed enhancements is the scattering of X-rays from nanoscale features. This is somewhat similar to the process that is often used by astrophysicists in order to identify dust particles in space (X-ray astronomy). While the team at SilverRay have managed to support this theory based on computer simulations, we are now gathering evidence to work towards experimentally proving this hypothesis. We believe that the use of specific measurement technologies that are able to identify a signature peak when a sample is hit by X-rays of single energy will help us to prove the mechanism. In the event that the proposed mechanism does indeed take place, we expect to see a distribution of peaks much like when the sample is hit by a probe consisting of X-rays of different energies. We believe that the team at the National Physical Laboratory with their extensive experience in developing metrology tools and measurement tools similar to what we are interested in, will be an ideal partner that will enable this characterisation problem to be solved."

"SilverRay Ltd is a start-up company whose primary goal is to exploit the technology developed in large area high sensitivity broad-band X-ray detectors. This proprietary technology has been demonstrated to be 2-3 orders of magnitude higher in its sensitivity than the conventional organic detectors; while operating at low voltage, and offer excellent conformability to non-planar surfaces. The detector active material that has been patent protected consists of an 'X-ray sensitive ink' containing an interpenetrating network of organic material and inorganic nanoparticles. The 'X-ray sensitive ink' can be used to coat films over any substrate, especially without constraints for flexible detectors. Thus far, small area detectors (area < 1 cm2) have been developed with the scale-up currently being conducted by SilverRay Ltd. Challenges lie within the production of a uniform component mixture in a thick film across the device and subsequently between pixel to pixel. Films coated over large area will be characterised along with the A4I partners, to have a better understanding on how to optimise the X-ray sensitive ink and its fabrication processes for manufacture. The outcome of this project will facilitate the company to have a better understanding on routes to optimise the active layer of the detector which would lead to higher performance imagers and faster response times, which will lead to higher specification detectors."

"Emberion develops and produces state-of-the-art graphene photodetectors that convert light to an electrical signal and bring numerous advantages in terms of imaging and sensing quality compared to current technologies. The superior technical performance of Emberion's photodetectors is due to a unique combination of properties afforded by the recently discovered graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal pattern, and nanomaterials, tiny components that are manufactured at a very small scale (nanoscale) and exhibit novel characteristics compared to the same material without nanoscale features. The new high-performance photodetector technology that Emberion is creating will enable applications such as night vision, search and rescue and security imaging to be brought to the market at a lower cost point than existing technologies which are very expensive to manufacture. This means that features such as cameras that enable drivers to see hazards in low light or poor visibility conditions like fog or rain, will be mainstream products that can be fitted to all cars, not just offered as options on high end vehicles. This will improve road safety for drivers and other vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians. These imaging devices can also be used in the sorting of waste to improve recycling, and in aerial imaging of crops and agriculture to improve farming output. In order for Emberion to bring new disruptive photodetectors to market, volume manufacturing of devices with repeatable device performance is needed, which relies heavily on quantifying the fundamental material properties of constituent components. The project will therefore develop reliable methods that will deliver critical information by coupling data and evidence provided by NPL to enable Emberion to optimise its manufacturing methods, while lowering manufacturing costs and improving quality control."

"The scotch whisky industry accounts for a quarter of the UK's food and drink exports, penetrating 200 worldwide markets, supporting 40,000 jobs and worth £5bn a year to the UK economy. A key challenge faced by all global distillers, International enforcement agencies & world health organisations is the trade in counterfeit branded spirit & alcohols. Not only are these counterfeited products damaging to health with many resulting in death, they amount to a significant loss of revenue to the scotch whisky Industry, estimated at 500m pounds per annum. Through the project we will test and improve our current system to allow our technology to identify the true authenticity of the liquid from outside the bottle. This will allow Distilled Solutions to create the worlds first end to end counterfeit prevention system.The system can scan through the glass from outside the bottle without breaking the seal with accuracy and confidence identifying the liquids true authenticity and show the presence of any dangerous substances like methanol."

Natural gas is expected to continue to increase its role as a major global energy source for decades to come. But, while natural gas combustion is cleaner and more efficient than other fossil fuels, methane, the primary constituent of natural gas, is 30 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, so leakage in production and transportation can overwrite the environmental benefits of natural gas use. Natural gas leaks within the global Oil & Gas industry are widespread and have serious safety and economic costs estimated. The market for leak detection equipment and services is therefore growing rapidly and is expected to exceed $3Bn in 2022 but existing technologies remain inadequate for widespread industrial application. QLM Technology is developing a novel remote sensing natural gas leak detection solution based on quantum technology capable of both imaging and quantifying the leaks. NPL has strong expertise in the demonstration and calibration of natural gas leaks in commercially relevant environments and in relating sensor measurements to physical leak rates. This Analysis For Innovators project will involve remotely measuring NPL's calibrated methane leaks in outdoor conditions using the QLM prototype system.

"The Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 has prevented the testing, development and sale of SteelRock Technologies' (SRT) life-saving counter-UAV / future low level airspace management equipment. In order to address this regulatory / legal challenge, a programme of testing and measurement is required a) to establish a robust safety case for SteelRock Technologies' equipment b) to differentiate this technology from analogue jamming systems and c) to support the obtaining of CE marking for the commercial use of this equipment. A safety case will be established by working with the National Physical Laboratory, to undertake a number of measurements/tests (measurement and analysis of wave form patterns generated by the equipment) that will deliver data-sets to support a robust safety case, differentiation from other similarly categorised technologies, and the reduced risk of collateral effect when using our technology. The project will be undertaken in both laboratory and 'real-world' settings, ensuring that base-line data-sets can be compared with the operation of the equipment in an operational setting. The potential benefits of this project are wide-ranging, from the establishing a safety case for the use of this equipment for life-saving purposes (protecting people and critical national infrastructure) to the creation of a new low level airspace management market in the UK. Both the safety and economic potential that this project hopes to enable will have a lasting impact on the United Kingdom."

"Hexagonal boron nitride, hBN, is a layered material like graphene that can be exfoliated down into single two dimensional sheet like atomic layers with an interesting set of thermal and electronic properties. Using patented processes, we have trademarked a hBN product, Hexotene, which is the latest addition to our high performance 2D product range. However, we know very little information regarding its structural and physical properties and, therefore, which of our patented production routes can produce the highest quality hBN materials. If we can understand more of these aforementioned properties using highly specialize instruments at the NPL, we can benefit greatly by being able to extend our market position within the printed electronics, thermal management and nanocomposite sectors. These materials advancements will bring great benefits by replacing or enhancing conventional materials and developing a range of novel technologies."

"Sensor Coating Systems Ltd (SCS) has developed an innovative temperature measurement technology for harsh industrial applications. The technology is based on the luminescence properties of a special material that has been also developed by SCS. This material is applied as a paint or a coating on the surface of the parts to be measured and it is called Thermal History Paint (THP) or Thermal History Coating (THC) respectively. The coated components are then used in standard operation conditions where they exposed to high temperatures. By measuring the luminescence properties of the components and performing a sophisticated calibration method, the past maximum temperature of the component can be calculated. The principle behind the temperature measurement is that when the THP or THC material is exposed to high temperatures, its structural properties are permanently changed. These structural changes are correlated with the lifetime decay (LTD) of the luminescent signal that is emitted by the material when it is illuminated by an excitation source of appropriate wavelength. The LTD signal is then measured using a custom-made readout system developed by SCS before it is calibrated against temperature. The readout device consists of collimation optics, a photodetector, a data acquisition system and in-house developed software that is used to record and analyse the recorded signals. A number of these readout devices have been built using the same modular approach, but it has been found that identical devices are sometimes produce different results. Recent efforts have been focused on fully homogenise all the measurement devices and make steps towards the standardisation of the SCS technology. The objective of this project is to review the existing SCS measuring and signal processing system and develop a standard calibration device that could be used to homogenise all measurement devices. We are also aiming to identify and fully characterise measurement parameters in a quantitative way in order to improve the robustness and reduce the uncertainty of the measurement. Working closely with a leading measurement organisation with highly trained stuff and cutting-edge facilities such as NPL, will be greatly beneficial for SCS, as it will be introduced to the best measurement standards and practices. This project will be a great opportunity for SCS to fine-tune its measurement and analysis approach and further develop their technology towards a fully certified and commercial product."

Printed Zinergy batteries are designed to provide a cost-effective and flexible power solution for the Internet of Things. The flexibility of our batteries is a result of our know-how in electrode ink formulation and their printing as thin film electrodes with high performance and robustness. In collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory, this project will allow us to enhance the performance of our batteries not only electrochemically (energy and power capacity) but also mechanically (thickness, flexibility and robustness). This will allow us to exploit our technology in various applications which require a flexible form of power, ranging from body patches for sensing or drug delivery to smart cards and many more.

"Gas array sensors enhanced by graphene offer an increased level of stability, detection specificity and sensitivity, portability and cost-effectiveness in the non-invasive detection of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are biomarkers for various diseases. Graphene-based array sensors do not suffer from the problems that the earlier versions of array sensors had, such as low performance, unwanted chemical interactions between VOCs and the sensors, poor intra-device repeatability, limited temporal stability and poor chemical selectivity. However, a major problem still faced by the producers of graphene-based gas array sensors is the ability to develop analytical instruments with high sensitivity, selectivity and low detection limit. Altered Carbon (AC) and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) are working together under the GRAVOC project to carry out industrial research of a specific computerised system for solving the problem with the gas sensor testing setup aimed at generating mixtures of multiple gases, with controllable humidity levels, in order to mimic the conditions in which the array sensor would be deployed, as well as calibrating and characterising the gas sensor arrays, and producing detailed data sheets. Development of this computerised testing system for the sensor's various usage environments will enable detailed analysis of the presence and concentration of target gases such as Ethylene, Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) in various environments. While this specific A4I project focuses on testing the three aforementioned gases, the overall aim of the sensor's analytical setup is to test various types of VOCs. This project will enable near real-time analysis of target gases, speeding the characterisation process, and will facilitate a much faster release of the AC's sensor to the market (by mid 2019) due to dramatically shortened optimisation iteration cycles. Once the current testing setup problem is resolved, in UK alone AC's graphene gas sensor has the potential to save over £4.3 billion in healthcare costs, as well as £6.3 billion in the food supply chain costs by reducing the huge problem with food waste, which if unwasted could feed 37% of the world and reduce methane landfill production. Moreover, the graphene sensor and its B2B machine learning algorithms with agglomeration of gas data over time will collectively contribute to driving 70% the IoT value over the next 10 years. This project will ultimately increase productivity and revenue at AC, benefitting the UK through increased jobs, as well as the transfer of graphene technology to a specific application in the UK."

York Instruments' main product is MEGSCAN: a next-generation magnetoencephalography (MEG) brain scanner which offers non-invasive functional brain imaging with wide clinical utility including applications relating to epilepsy, concussions, and oncology. At the heart of the MEGSCAN system is new type of magnetic sensor, called the Hybrid Quantum Interference Device (HyQUID). HyQUIDs are superconducting magnetometers that are expected to have lower noise and higher sensitivity than the magnetometers traditionally used in MEG systems. Here, York Instruments will work closely with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to build a novel measurement platform with which the performance (HyQUID noise floor) will be verified. This will lead to further understanding and iterative optimisation of the sensor to provide best performance and ultimately improved diagnostic capability of the York Instruments MEGSCAN system.

"The oil and gas (O&G) industry has a rapidly growing problem with leak detection, security breaches and the prevention of incidents. These incidents affect global prices, oil and gas supply and cause long lasting and highly destructive damage to the environment and the lives of those who live and work near these pipelines. From 2010-14 in the EU, an oil spill incident saw spillages of 289m3 on average of crude oil, with multiple spillages exceeding 1000 m3 (Concawe 2016), with the estimated cost of oil clean up alone (exclusive of fines etc) was €14 per gallon, making the average cost per incident in the EU €0.86 million. (http://bit.ly/2nEHX4c). These numbers are increasing annually and represent a significant threat to the public, environment and critical infrastructure security. Utilities are losing over 20% of their water supply through leakages. Water companies are not only losing a precious resource in clean water, but leakages are also affecting consumers with higher prices for water. Companies also have reduced profits due to lost revenue. Moreover, significant fines imposed by Ofwat for missing leak targets further negatively affect their bottom-line. This project seeks to thoroughly test Limpet, an effective pipeline monitoring solution that is accurate, stable and reliable across a complete technology stack. The system will result in a step change in pipeline leak monitoring as it will facilitate the identification of all sized leaks on O&G pipelines near real-time, enhancing asset management. Limpet combines innovative hardware and software, capitalising on the power of transformational data collection, communication, analysis and visualisation. The Limpet solution is a high value proposition for O&G and water companies and society as a whole with the following benefits: (1) Continuous pipeline monitoring and visualisation with real time alerts ensuring uninterrupted supply of O&G. (2) Greatly improved detection rates of 99+%. (3) An estimated 20% reduction in operation and maintenance costs due to reduced call outs for leaks. (4) A retrofittable hardware device with an estimated lifecycle of 10+ years. (5) Reduced environmental impacts due to reduced hydrocarbon leaks. (6) Reduced wastage of an important resource in desalinated water. We expect the project to result in the timely commercialisation of the Limpet solution. In the long-term, the project will result in job creation within the UK and globally (however Dashboard will always remain headquartered in the UK). We envisage hiring cumulatively over 85 FTEs in the 5 years after Limpet's market launch."

"Silicon Fuel is nano-material which is manufactured and pressed into pellets by Silicon Fuel Ltd. These pellets react with water to generate hydrogen, which can be used to supply a fuel cell to generate electricity. This new material has the potential to facilitate the developing hydrogen economy, by allowing the use of cheaper hydrogen generation equipment, making hydrogen gas cheaper and easier to access. For example, it could allow the installation of cheaper hydrogen refuelling stations for delivering hydrogen to fuel cell electric vehicles. If the hydrogen generated from Silicon Fuel can be certified to international standards, then it has a demonstrably high purity which allows it to be used in a range of applications (such as refuelling fuel cell electric vehicles). The current method of manufacturing Silicon Fuel results in low levels of impurities in the pellets, which can be transferred to the hydrogen gas when it is generated. Although the impurities do not prevent the running of fuel cells, they can prevent certification of the hydrogen gas to international standards, likely limiting the market acceptance of Silicon Fuel technology. This project aims to accurately measure the levels of key impurities in the raw Silicon Fuel material, and in the hydrogen it generates, and to develop an improved method for manufacturing Silicon Fuel so that the amount of impurities present are reduced to the minimum possible levels. We hope this will facilitate the certification of Silicon Fuel, leading to market acceptance and uptake."

"We have invented a new advanced material of copolymers to meet the market requirement for the potential application including the development of fouling resistance materials. The materials we have developed include functionalised graphene oxide (FGO). Graphene is currently one of the most exciting advanced materials. It is a disruptive technology, which is expected to replace many existing technologies and revolutionise future ones due to its remarkable physicochemical properties. It is the world's first 2D material, UK scientist has been awarded Nobel prize in 2010 for its isolation. It is hundreds of times stronger than steel, but it is lighter than a feather and incredibly flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive, yet transparent. If you functionalised GO, its usage becomes even wider. FGO can be used in marine, agriculture, transport, mining, electronics, energy, desalination and many other industries. We have taken the advantage of these unique properties in the copolymer we invented. Hence it has cost and performance impact on our product. FGO sells at 350-1000+ times more expensive than GO. The leading producers are non-UK and they are creating FGO either inconsistently and/or very expensively, which makes its use difficult for us and for others. Current pricing makes it even prohibitive for many fields. We identified new and cheaper way how to make FGO, and how to make it more efficient, but we need co-operation from National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to help us to measure the functionalisation of GO, to characterise it and to establish Quality Assurance of its production. To become the FGO producer fits well into our processes as we are already advanced material maker and supplier. We have a new method for the functionalisation for creating cheaper and higher performing FGO. But we have no way of measuring its efficiency and quality and for its characterisation. NPL has the analytical tools and expertise for bridging this gap. The objective of this project is to create a new method of making FGO, which will make our material more reliable, consistent, better performing and dramatically cheaper. This will open its uses for more fields to other market participants. This will increase our revenue, create more jobs and will make FGO more viable for use by other industries and research scientists. It will establish UK as lead producer in this fast evolving and increasing market of FGO and move forward graphene's demand and applications."

"Oxley Developments is a leading designer and manufacturer of LED lighting systems and high specification electronic components. Oxley designs and manufactures EMI filters, these filters are used in a range of specialist applications to meet stringent defence and aerospace requirements.As part of the EMI production process Oxley manufactures specialist multilayer co-fired ceramic planar arrays. Recent changes in ceramic materials have led to a warpage and shrinkage issue with the new material during its firing process resulting in a drop in yield. Oxley are undertaking a wider project to optimise the production process to reduce warpage to an industry standard level. This project seeks to identify an improved measurement technique that will deliver greater accuracy to help measure and allow the correct analysis of the effects of changes in firing profiles."

"Exceptional electronic properties, surface sensitivity and selectivity, makes graphene an ideal candidate for a wide number of potential applications. However, in order to exploit these properties and enable such applications, substantial industrial research is necessary to overcome considerable material and process challenges that prevent graphene technology to move from the laboratory to large-scale manufacturing. Our Industrial Research project will explore novel graphene surface chemical modification processes, transfer methods and integration processes to be transferred and tested at the industrial level, enabling entirely new applications for in-line monitoring of allergens in food manufacturing, and Point-of-Care (POC) critical health diagnostics. The extraordinary surface sensitivity of graphene, coupled with the correct technology to modify its surface, makes it an ideal material for sensing applications. Performance evaluation of our optimised processes will be conducted through metrology on advanced sensing test structure, for the detection of i) milk allergens in food products and ii) Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) and the rapid detection of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD\*) biomarkers. The needs for tackling these two exemplary applications stems from: - the prevalence of food allergies (increasing globally and prompting food producers to pay increased attention to monitoring of the food processing plant): where there is a possibility of cross-contamination, food producers are obliged to label products and recall incorrectly-labelled products and ""faulty"" batches-- costing industry millions and producing negative publicity; - The incidence (and mortality) associated with heart attack and the global increase in the burden of National Health Services and global population caused by CVD\* - a rapid response in ruling out a potential heart attack and, if detected, understanding the disease progression in quasi real-time, will provide a powerful POC tool to clinicians, hospitals, and emergency units, help saving lives and lower costs. The development of our graphene-based technology will allow to ultimately enable fabrication of real-time sensing devices, developed for _in-situ_ monitoring of food & food processing units and POC critical health diagnostics, would enable instant and low-cost monitoring. The availability of quality control measures to be integrated with Aixtron's growth equipment will enable a pathway to rapid transition of graphene technology from research lab to factory. The availability of integrated graphene-based sensors for in-situ monitoring would offer end-user Unilever a real breakthrough in monitoring for milk allergen contaminants and explore new medical technology applications."

"Fieldwork Robotics, a spin-out from the University of Plymouth, aims to develop a prototype robot able to pick raspberries quicker,cheaper and to more consistent and higher standards than human labour. The Soft Selective Raspberry Harvester, or SoSeRaH, project will help growers overcome the problems in finding labour, with shortfalls of up to 20 per cent experienced this year, cut picking costs and reduce wastage. It means they will be more competitive, ensuring sustainable UK production and reducing the need for imports. Fieldwork's patent-pending technology covers a variable-stiffness robot arm able to replicate the movements of a human arm, and controls to move the arm and its grippers rapidly to a delicate object and handle it sensitively. The company has so far demonstrated proof-of-concept robot arms able to autonomously and robustly pick soft fruit and vegetables, including raspberries and tomatoes, indoors. A cauliflower project is underway. The company is now seeking funding to develop a mobile system incorporating several arms able to operate in the ever-changing light, climatic and other conditions found in polytunnels, greenhouses and open fields. The initial focus is on raspberries because they are more delicate than other soft fruit and vegetables, and easily damaged by rough handling. Raspberries are an important part of the UK's overall soft fruit market, and this country is the seventh largest producer globally. The plan is to create a system easily reconfigurable to other fruit, vegetables and delicate objects by simply changing the grippers. Variable stiffness is important. The arms relax to soften impacts with plants, poles and people, yet stiffen to ensure swift and accurate picking. It is safe to work alongside humans. Advanced sensor technology will help to ensure the raspberries picked will meet the standards of buyers, such as supermarkets. Fieldwork is collaborating with a leading UK raspberry producer, Hunter Hall Partnership, to develop the system. Its consortium includes the National Physical Laboratory, internationally recognised for its expertise on sensors able to accurately specify maturity and other crop properties. The University of Plymouth (UoP) provides expertise in industrial-grade actuation, robotics and control, and on-site testing facilities for raspberries. Our goal is to become the first providers of a currently non-existent robust and autonomous robotic service for next-generation soft fruit farming that can measurably improve productivity, crop quality, and operational flexibility."

This project will develop a pre-production prototype of a miniature atomic clock for providing precise timing to a variety of critical infrastructure services, such as reliable energy supply, safe transport links, mobile communications, data networks and electronic financial transactions. The precise measurement of time is fundamental to the effective functioning of these services, which currently rely on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) for a timing signal. However, GNSS signals are easily disrupted either accidentally or maliciously, and in prolonged GNSS unavailability, these critical services stop functioning. The reliance on GNSS for precision timing, and the consequent vulnerability of our essential services prompted InnovateUK to commission a report published by London Economics in June 2017\. It estimated the impact on the UK economy of a five day GNSS outage at £5.2B. That message is becoming widely understood and is creating a demand for timing solutions that are not GNSS dependent. The next generation miniature atomic clock arising from this project fulfills this need and will find widespread application in precision timing for mobile base stations, network servers for financial services, data centres, national power distribution networks and air traffic control systems. Further applications arise in areas where an independent timing reference is needed on mobile platforms and especially in areas where no GNSS signal is available. A high performance compact clock would benefit a range of useful capabilities, addressing civil and military applications, bringing both technical and economic gains for the UK.

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a well understood application of quantum technology and there are several metropolitan fibre networks already established for QKD services. However, key distribution is limited by absorption inside optical fibres which mean that transmissions over distances greater than about 150 km are impractical. Free space communications, though, does not suffer the same degree of attenuation and single photon communication with satellites orbiting the Earth at several hundred kilometres has been demonstrated. Satellites then, provide an ideal vehicle for distributing quantum key information across very large distances between end users spread across countries or continents. However, in order to benefit from the advances in satellite technology, a network of Optical Ground Receivers (OGRs) are required to receive and detect the photons carrying the key information. The UK, as a major player in the development of advanced optical & photonic technologies, is well positioned to address this future market for OGR. This project works with users to specify OGR requirements and prototypes and tests a QKD receiver, whilst designing and making plans for scaled manufacture in the UK.

Much of the cryptography we rely on everyday is based on the difficulty of certain mathematical operations, such as finding the prime factors of a very large integer. However, recent advances in quantum computing means that these difficult math problems might soon be solved efficiently, with a potentially serious impact upon our security and digital economy. This project will develop technologies for "quantum-safe" communications, which are not threatened by a quantum computer. It will combine efficient implementations of new quantum-resistant algorithms and techniques from quantum cryptography, which are immune to all advances in computing, including quantum computing. The project will build prototypes, test their security and demonstrate their benefits to end users.

CoolBlue2 is a highly innovative project with a goal to develop next generation laser technology for use in the emerging field of quantum sensing. CoolBlue2's disruptive technology has the potential to transform conventional quantum sensing systems making them cheaper and more compact. We will make use of compound semiconductors, advanced materials that can be made to emit light over a wide range of wavelengths, and process them into laser chips using specialised manufacturing techniques. Our chips will emit high quality blue light, displacing current commercially available solutions due to superior performance and lower cost. The devices produced during the project will be packaged and used to verify their efficacy in existing laser cooled systems. The project will be led by CSTG Ltd in partnership with Helia Photonics, National Physical Laboratories, the University of Glasgow and Aston University.

"Every electronic product needs a clock to keep it working and synchronised within the system and nowadays, across the world. Atomic clocks allow the highest possible precision in defining time, which is critical in determining position in navigation and defence systems, and in next generation telecommunications systems that power the internet age. Atomic clocks are presently bulky and expensive, and the world is demanding ever more timing accuracy. A main cost and size factor comes from the laser and optical systems used inside these next generation of clocks based on a lattice of strontium atoms. The miniaturisation of these systems and their cost reduction is now required to enable entry to a wider commercial market. This project develops special semiconductor laser light sources optimised to enable this miniaturisation and cost reduction. State of the art materials growth at CST Global and chip fabrication at the University of Glasgow is brought together alongside the UKs national measurement institute, NPL to solve these challenges."

This project will reduce vehicle emissions by developing (i) a novel ferrite motor technology for a passenger vehicle application, and (ii) electro-mechanical analysis tools enabling high levels of system integration. Permanent magnet (PM) machines are most common for EV/HEV due to superior efficiency and power density. Rare-earth types are prevalent but suffer from supply chain issues, which can be removed by using ferrite PMs. Initial studies show that significant increase in efficiency and power density is possible, achieving values similar to rare-earth machines. The project will develop analysis tools to optimise system performance - efficiency, NVH, durability, thermal performance, cost, and lightweighting. The structural design of a ferrite motor is challenging, hence this topology will form the basis for the analysis tool development, with results transferable to other topologies. Co-simulation of state of the art electromagnetic, thermal and structural physics will be used to derive novel, faster, yet accurate, reduced order models which capture electro-mechanical interactions as early as possible to improve process efficiency and achieve true system optimisation. Testing of material properties (laminations and magnets) will improve the structural and electromagnetic models. The prototype drivetrain will be tested to demonstrate system interactions and vehicle-level efficiency improvements.

"Project VALUABLE's key objectives are to develop commercially viable metrology and test processes as well as new supply chain concepts for recycling, reuse and remanufacturing of automotive lithium-ion batteries to create a complete End-of-Life (EoL) supply chain network within the UK. The consortium's vision is to 1) increase the value-add of the battery supply chain in the UK, 2) decrease the environmental impact, and 3) optimise future battery design for EoL. By bringing together many disparate parts of many sectors, the project will provide an efficient and effective route to providing second life battery applications, whilst reducing the packs / cells being fed into the waste streams. The project will investigate key areas that are providing difficulties in dealing with automotive batteries at their EoL: 1) the lack of reliable and cost-effective test methods, 2) the lack of remanufacturing/recycling and reuse processes, 3) the lack of effective value chains, and 4) lack of design considerations for EoL in battery design. To implement efficient processes, the project will investigate and develop advanced 'machine vision' capabilities, to determine which packs have second life potential and at what level and which are for recycling. This development of advanced testing capability in the EoL processing line, will enable the consortium to explore significant value chain applications for end-of-life batteries, ranging from remanufacturing to go back into the same vehicle model, to use in lower demand mobility applications, through to use as energy storage mediums for the energy market. The test results will also aid future first life battery pack design, providing OEMs and battery producers with routes to both realise additional value from future applications for used batteries and to move towards 95% recyclability. In conjunction with the development of new designs and processes, the project team will also explore the growing legal and regulatory issues surrounding the battery producer responsibility / waste classifications in the UK and Europe. In addition, not only will the battery cells be assessed, but the charge controllers, outer jackets, and other components. Reuse of these products contributes to the recycling targets, but also supports improved material recovery routes through better material separation. The project brings together partners across the supply chain, developing new EoL testing techniques, and in creating a UK-based EoL supply chain. The project is not only supported by the supply chain but also an industry-wide OEM support represented in a guiding advisory group."

This feasibility study will assess the use of recent innovations in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to measure key properties of ultra-thin coatings of precious metals. These coatings provide critical improvements to the performance of fuel cells for cars and their development requires new measurement methods to ensure their chemistry, thickness and lack of defects. This development offers a new capability for the measurement of coatings which may be only a few atoms thick and will be useful for many different types of coatings. The project brings together Teer Coatings Ltd, an advanced coatings company, Kratos Analytical Ltd, a leading photoelectron spectrometer manufacturer, and the National Physical Laboratory, the UK national measurement institute.

Precise measurement of time is fundamental to the effective functioning of services we take for granted in modern society. This project is a major step in developing a reliable, widely available timing standard that is one hundred times more stable and accurate than those commercial systems in use today. It will enhance resilience and reliability of energy supply, safety of transport links, data networks and electronic financial transactions. The enhanced performance will enable advances in mobile telecommunications such as transition to a 5G network. The use of GPS for timing signal in these essential systems is widespread but vulnerability to accidental or malicious disruption is an emerging concern. The impact of the loss of power, transportation and communications could easily become catastrophic in the very short term and disrupt our highly interdependent society in the long term. The Royal Academy of Engineering highlighted these issues in their report of 2011 and that message is creating a demand for timing solutions that are not GPS dependent. The precision clock in this project is based on transferring the UK’s National Physical Laboratory know-how into British industry and creating a technical and economic success for the UK.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has the potential to revolutionise the way aerospace components are manufactured and re-invent supply chains. This technology can assist the aerospace sector to produce lightweight parts, which will lead to a reduction in emissions and fuel consumption. The AM process will also maximise the buy-to-fly ratio, with significantly less waste than using traditional subtractive methods. To enable the UK’s established aerospace OEMs and the supporting supply chain to take a leading position in the exploitation of AM, a mechanism for production system development is required to effectively deliver new and enhanced end-use components, ensuring cost and quality targets are achieved. The UK currently has a strong R&D base in AM and a number of businesses developing its commercial industrialisation. The UK has a powerful aerospace manufacturing sector - second in the global rankings with over 4,000 companies employing about 230,000 people. The UK aerospace sector has the largest number of small and medium sized enterprise (SME) companies in Europe. The economic forecast indicates that by 2025 AM could deliver £410m GVA to the UK economy. Currently there are high costs and risks associated with setting up AM processes, buying equipment and developing AM process chains for UK aerospace supply chain companies. Aims of the DRAMA project DRAMA (Digital Reconfigurable Additive Manufacturing facilities for Aerospace) is a three year, £14.3m collaborative research project and part of the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute’s (ATIs) programme, which started in November 2017. The consortium is led by the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) – home to the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing and includes ATS, Autodesk, Granta Material Intelligence, Midlands Aerospace Alliance, NPL, Renishaw and the University of Birmingham. The project will help build a stronger AM supply chain for UK aerospace by developing a digital learning factory. The entire AM process chain will be digitally twinned, enabling the cost of process development to be de-risked by carrying it out in virtual environment. The facility will be reconfigurable, so that it can be tailored to fit the requirements of different users and to allow different hardware and software options to be trialled. During the three years of the project an additive manufacturing Knowledge Base will also be created, to allow faster adoption and implementation of this transformative technology by UK businesses. Reduce the cost and risk of set-up • De-risk deployment of AM processes and equipment for the UK aerospace sector, by building reconfigurable pre-production facilities, where supply chain companies and OEMs can come to learn, model and validate end-to-end AM process chains. Reduce the time and cost of planning and validation • Digital twin of the facilities, manufacturing processes and plant • Digital toolsets for process and plant simulation • Data analytics and optimisation • A knowledge base Develop capability across the UK aerospace supply chain • This world-first, digitally twinned reconfigurable AM facility, will be at the forefront of AM technology and can be used by UK companies across the aerospace supply chain. MTC to lead £14m additive manufacturing aerospace project The Manufacturing Technology Centre will lead on major aerospace R&D project to grow innovation in the sector. Following the launch of the Industrial Strategy white paper on Monday November 27, Business Secretary Greg Clark announced £53.7 million of funding for seven R&D projects. This funding is part of government’s work with industry through the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP) to tackle barriers to growth, boost exports and grow high value jobs. Unveiled at the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Conference 2017, one of those seven projects is The DRAMA (Digital Reconfigurable Additive Manufacturing facilities for Aerospace) led by the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) with partners ATS Global, Autodesk, Granta Design, Midlands Aerospace Alliance, National Physics Laboratory, Renishaw and the University of Birmingham. DRAMA will establish leading additive manufacturing ‘test bed’ facilities for the aerospace industry and its supply chain at the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing (based at the MTC in Coventry) and the Renishaw AM Solution Centre in Stone. The project will showcase the use of digital technologies to drive productivity and reliability in AM, leading to increased adoption of AM technologies by the aerospace sector and, in the long term, other industrial sectors. It will also deliver the world’s first digitally-twinned reconfigurable AM facility and establish the UK as a global leader in additive manufacturing technology. The project, part of the ATI programme, has received a grant of £11.2 million through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “In November, we launched our ambitious Industrial Strategy which builds on our significant economic strengths, while looking at innovative ways to improve our productivity and will ensure government continues to work closely with industries including our UK aerospace sector. “The UK aerospace sector is one of the most successful in the world, which is why we are today announcing £53.7 million of investment in seven aerospace research and development (R&D) projects across the UK. “This investment, part of the £3.9 billion government and industry committed to this sector by 2026. The Aerospace Technology Institute plays a crucial role in helping to direct this investment and maintain UK excellence in the sector.”

To satisfy demands to transport the ever increasing amounts of data generated in future 5G mobile networks, greater spectrum is needed in the backhaul network. Since the already crowded lower part of the spectrum is also under consideration for re-allocation for 5G applications, backhaul transmission at much higher frequencies must be considered. Channels in D-band (110-175GHz) are therefore being proposed to satisfy this need and this will require new technologies to handle the signals. Components which operate at these frequencies have been demonstrated in research labs but little has been considered about how they can be integrated into a transmit-receive module. In particular, it is critical to develop a robust method of making low loss connections between the active circuits and to the customer interface, which is usually a waveguide port connected to an external antenna. This proposal will address this issue by exploring designs and assembly techniques to provide low loss D-band transitions between compound semiconductor components and their connection to external antennas and devices made in other technologies.

The quantum theory elaborated in the 20th century revolutionised the way we describe the world at the atomic scale. It told us that phenomena and measurements made on single particles can be completely unpredictable. Recently it has been realised that these effects could be very useful for generating the random numbers and secret keys that are needed in the cryptographic applications that protect IT systems and networks. This project is developing chip-based technologies for generating random numbers and keys and integrating them into demonstrator systems for secure communications. As these devices can be manufactured cheaply in large numbers, it will allow us to take these innovative new quantum technologies out of the lab and into everyday life.

This project aims to develop a fundamentally different type of thermometer (based on the measurement of Johnson noise) that will not drift. Conventional thermometers are "secondary thermometers" in which a property is measured that is affected by temperature, for example most digital thermometers measure either the resistance of or the voltage produced by the sensor. However, the property measured can be affected by other things so these thermometers drift as they age. This new thermometer is a "primary thermometer" in which the parameters measured are linked directly to temperature by a fundamental physical law, which does not change with time. The phenomenon has been known for a long time, but the signals involved are so small that it has not, so far, been possible to make these measurements reliably in a typical industrial environment. A new approach to measuring Johnson noise will be employed that overcomes the problems that have so far prevented this technique from being used to measure temperature in industrial applications. A successful, commercial Johnson noise thermometer is expected to capture a significant share of the high-performance segment of the industrial temperature measurement market.

Tata Steel (TS) UK's hollow section business manufactures square and rectangular tubes for theconstruction, lifting and excavating markets. A key ‘high-value’ differentiating product line behind Tata’s strategy to secure UK steel operations, tubes are often used for applications where the cosmetic appearance of the tube is as critical as tube strength. This project will investigate a system which is capable of measuring, quantifying and categorising surface finish for square and rectangular hollow sections and which is capable of operating on-line in a hostile mill environment. An online measurement system will require novel and innovative approaches to achieve high measurement resolution and throughput within TS UK’s hostile manufacturing environment, and to compensate for pit occlusion by residual mill scale. TS UK and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) propose a feasibility study and technology demonstration for surface inspection of square-section tubes, a significant first step towards in-process quality control for tube production. Project success is expected to unlock further collaborative investment for this critical product line, and translation to other applications. This project would expand NPL’s dimensional surface metrology expertise and problem-solving into an important and high profile UK industry.

Travelling wave tubes (TWTs) are vacuum electronics devices used as microwave-band amplifiers in defence, medical and space applications. While solid state amplifier technologies continuously improve, demand for higher frequency and power handling means the most demanding applications always require TWTs. At higher frequencies, TWT components must be smaller, and higher powers require TWTs to be made more precisely. At present, the capability to accurately measure positioning and alignment of components has become a limiting factor in TMD's build processes. This project aims to to develop an accurate and repeatable method of measuring the position and alignment of the control grid - a key component of the electron gun. This grid determines the initial trajectory and focus of the high-intensity electron beam which allows TWTs to achieve their unparalleled amplification effect. Micron-level variation in grid positioning can adversely affect TWT performance, potentially resulting in failure. Development of a successful technique will reduce costs, build time and scrap value, but will also unlock further capability allowing TWTs of more ambitious design to be built.

Our project uses the expertise of the World-famous National Physical Laboratory to transform our life saving personal inertial navigation products, helping them to protect the emergency services and people operating in hazardous subsea environments. The same technology forms the basis of a range of 'pro-sumer' diving products for leisure and commercial use.

Electronic components are added to printed circuit boards using a process called Surface Mount Technology (SMT). Key components are a stencil, squeegee blade and solder paste which are housed in an automated printer for high volume production. Squeegee blade action forces solder paste from the top side of the stencil through the apertures to create a pattern on the circuit board which matches where the components are to be placed. As electronic devices get smaller and more powerful there is a need to install smaller components in a higher density - to do this the stencil apertures become smaller and closer together making it more difficult to deposit and control the small volumes of paste required. To date all innovation has been focused on the materials used and coatings for the board side of the stencil and the apertures themselves. Datum has developed an approach to modifying the characteristics of the squeegee side of the stencil as well as the apertures and independent tests have indicated a significant improvement in transfer of paste. The purpose of the grant is to understand the impact of changing the material characteristics of the stencil on the squeegee side and use this information to optimise the process. A positive outcome will improve the capability of electronics manufacturing and result in Datum selling materials to create the optimum surface finish on the squeegee side of the stencil.

Perfusion represents the amount of arterial blood delivered to an organ, and is of clinical importance for dementia, stroke, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer. It can be measured by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) using a technique known as Arterial Spin Labelling (ASL). ASL provides images in which every pixel has a given value; however, due to the lack of an existing device allowing to simulate what happens in the body, ASL has not yet seen a major clinical uptake, despite its advantages over other techniques. We have developed a product which can be used to calibrate ASL images, in which every pixel is guaranteed to have the proper value. Such a product would allow radiologists to use ASL as a clinical tool for diagnosis; however, in order for this to happen, we need to understand the uncertainties that apply to our own organ model, and how precisely MRI can measure perfusion. This project will be in partnership with NPL and NEL, using NPL’s expertise in mathematical modelling, in particular in evaluating the uncertainty in both our model and the MRI measurements, and NEL’s expertise in simulation of fluid velocities. Through this collaboration, we hope to further develop our device and allow our product to have positive impact on radiology worldwide.

Wind turbine blade leading edge erosion is an important issue for the wind energy industry. Energy Technology Centre and the National Physical Laboratory are undertaking a feasibility study to investigate the use of state of the art measurement techniques to measure the real-time erosion of test samples in a rain erosion test rig. A candidate technique will be selected and trialled on an operational rain erosion test rig at Energy Technology Centre for evaluation and demonstration. If successful, the measurement technique will be used in testing, research and development, supporting the accelerated technology development of blade leading edge erosion protection systems, leading to improved efficiency, reliability and maintainability of wind turbines..

An analysis of the performance of the transducer used in our sound speed sensor, particularly under conditions when deployed subsea and investigation into any physical changes that may occur.

Bacteriocins are proteinaceous toxins produced by bacteria in order to kill other, closely-related strains. Bacteriocins from bacteria which normally colonize the human body hold considerable promise to replace/augment conventional antibiotics; however, despite their potency, these compounds have not evolved to function as therapeutics. As a result, the drug development community urgently needs a generic method able to convert these promising molecules into clinically applicable agents. In this project we will take a model bacteriocin and through iterative structure-function analysis significantly enhance its performance in terms of specificity, stability and potency. This will be achieved through the development of an empirical structure-activity relationship algorithm to generate a range of derivatives exhibiting drug-like properties without compromising the potent bactericidal activity of the original compound. We will then scale-up the manufacture of selected derivatives, demonstrating our capabilities not just in discovery but also in supply. No such combined capability currently exists and this innovation will allow the project partners to gain a unique and pre-eminent position in the market for bacteriocin-derived antibiotics. Keywords: antimicrobial resistance; drug development; bacteriocins.

W3S has developed a patented technology for measuring fluid levels in oil and gas wells. The sensor system uses the reflection of microwave radar signals to measure both single and multiple fluid interfaces to a high degree of accuracy in both static and dynamic conditions. The outstanding feature of this technology is that it is wholly non-intrusive; the system can be permanently fitted to the wellhead and provide continuous, near real time feedback negating the need for a well intervention. The current project aims to extend the capabilities of the system to detect (and, where possible, quantify) the presence of different types of defects in the tubing wall. Types of defects to be considered within the programme include erosion, corrosion and scaling. The success of the project will deliver a sensor capable of providing both fluid level information and condition monitoring of the production conduits. Since the sensor may be installed permanently on the wellhead, the rate of defect formation may be recorded.