Fund looks to turn scientific advances into useable products

Dr Nathan Crilly’s five-year Early Career Fellowship will be used to develop design guidance for scientists, technologists and engineers working with emerging technologies.

In a statement Crilly said: ‘The projected markets for emerging technologies are enormous, and the UK is in a strong position to lead technology development and commercial exploitation.

‘However, realising these opportunities depends on the capacity to translate scientific advances and technological developments… Developing flexibly applicable design guidance is key to enhancing that capacity.’

The project will examine a variety of scientific developments, ranging from nanomaterials constructed at the atomic level through to smart infrastructures enabled by the internet and other complex systems.

Factors that contribute to the successful development and operation of such technical systems will be identified, structured and communicated.

Crilly added: ‘Developing actionable design guidance is challenging because there is uncertainty over which of the many rapidly emerging technologies will be commercialised, and which different types of system these technologies will be composed of.’