This month marks the start of works to create the Royce Discovery Centre for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield.

The state of the art new facility will be built on the University’s City Campus on Orange Street and will focus on early-stage research into engineering materials discovery and processing. The Discovery Centre will be a four-storey research building, including a mezzanine area which contains a double-height workshop and plant room. The building will also include a lobby, showcase/exhibition area, workshops and meeting rooms, six laboratories, a laser room and offices.

The purpose of the Royce Discovery Centre is to take materials and processing concepts and develop them from basic principles through analytical and experimental processes, with the aim of proving the concept is feasible and can be applicable for industrial use. The centre will form part of the Engineering Faculty and work alongside the Royce Translational Centre, once built at the Advanced Manufacturing Campus.

The Henry Royce Institute is a national centre for research and innovation, which is supported by the government to increase research and development of advanced materials. This makes the Royce Discovery Centre unique, as discoveries have the potential to have a significant impact on the industry and the world.