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THE UK’S INNOVATION NETWORK

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER NETWORK

"What functionality and what challenges”

Steve MorrisKnowledge Transfer Network

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Introducing the KTN

The KTN is the UK’s innovation network. We bring together businesses, entrepreneurs, academics and funders to develop new products and services.

We help business to grow the economy and improve people’s lives by capturing maximum value from innovative ideas, scientific research and creativity

What we do

The UK’s Innovation Network

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3The Knowledge Transfer NetworkEnabling Collaboration

Connecting people who wouldn’t usually meet to solve innovation challenges

Bringing together businesses and researchers from different sectors

Linking people with new ideas and technologies to partners and customers

Introducing innovators to public and private funders and investors

Strategic Interdisciplinary Entrepreneurial Commercial

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The Knowledge Transfer Network

Core thematic networks covering key application areas and underpinning technologies

17 Industry Communities

Stimulating dialogue/accelerating innovation

Renew

Chris WarkupCEO

David LockwoodChair

We are eliminating silos to make it easier to

assemble multi-disciplinary teams so that we can do more,

and do it well.

The “half-life of knowledge” is

shortening, so we must connect business with

research faster than ever before.

Interdisciplinary programmes building communities around priority challenges

17 Cross-sector Groups

An engaged online community of innovators served by a single platform

60,000+ Members

Hundreds of events bringing people together ‘to make magic happen’

6,000+ Delegates per year

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What are smart materialsA defintion for all in a world where everything seems to be labelled as “smart”

A smart material is one that reacts, usually reversibly, to a stimulus in its environment, invariably as a part of a system!

Energy HarvestingStructural Health MonitoringHealthcare

PiezoelectricsAntimicrobialsAuxeticsElectroactive PolymersThermoelectric

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Smart Materials Design Guide

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Smart Materials Group – Work Packages

Modeling and simulation of smart material systems

Metamaterials – Adding functionality to an emerging technology

Additive Manufacturing of smart and functional materials

Smart Materials Landscape

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Multifunctional Composites - Challenges

What functionality?

Materials availability

Modeling systems

Manufacturing Process

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Challenges – What functionality?

Reducing the cost of maintenance in aerospace• Self-sensing• Self indicating• Self healing

Delivering better systems• Self ameliorating• Lightweighting• Insulating/conducting • Fire protection

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Challenges – Materials availability

Modified existing materials• Scope

New materials• Base polymers• Functional Additives• Coatings?

New Systems• Implications for materials• Current research

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Challenges – Modelling systems

What is needed?

What is current?

Who is active?

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Multifunctional Composites - Funding

Smart hybrid and multiple materials competition:

• £5 million

• Q1 15

• HVM Strategy

• Smart products and systems

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Multifunctional Composites - Funding

• Smart (functional) materials respond to a stimuli in the environment, usually reversibly

• Hybrid materials are nano or micro structured such as alloys, composites or gels

• Multiple materials are micro-fabricated such as multilayer and multifunctional films at the macro scale

• Looking for ‘smart’ products that may combine smart, hybrid and/or multiple materials to create a “smart” system

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Smart Materials Group

Steve Morris – Knowledge Transfer Manager

steve.morris@ktn-uk.org

07964 561848