Alastair Hibbins on shaping the UK’s metamaterials landscape

Over the past decade, metamaterials research at the University of Exeter has grown from a small, emerging area into a nationally recognised centre of activity, with strong industry partnerships and an increasingly visible role in UK strategy. We spoke to Professor Alastair Hibbins, Director of the Centre for Metamaterials Research and Innovation, to understand how that progress has unfolded and what has helped sustain it.

This work began to take shape in 2013, when Exeter secured EPSRC funding for a Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Metamaterials. The CDT brought together researchers working across physics, engineering and related disciplines who had previously been distributed across the University. Funding collaborative PhD projects helped create a shared identity and momentum around metamaterials research, laying the foundations for what would later become a formal University research centre.

One of the most significant outcomes of the CDT has been its impact beyond academia. As Alastair explains, “What we see today is that 50% of the PhD students from our CDT have gone into industry or non-academic posts… and are still looking to maintain their link with the University of Exeter.” That sustained connectivity has helped reinforce Exeter’s reputation as a long-term research partner, rather than a one-off collaborator.

Industry engagement has been central from the outset, particularly with defence and security organisations. Metamaterials offer clear advantages for communication in complex electromagnetic environments, including enhancing antennas used on people, vehicles and platforms. Over the past thirteen years, the Ministry of Defence and Dstl have invested millions of pounds into Exeter-led projects, providing not only funding but consistent strategic support.

However, defence companies alone cannot support the scale of infrastructure needed for widespread adoption. This has driven a deliberate push towards dual-use technologies and civilian markets. One example is collaboration with PepsiCo, where metamaterials are being explored to improve microwave cooking efficiency and to create colour through nanoscale structure.

As Alastair explains, “There’s a big push, particularly in the US, for the removal of artificial colours in food, and companies are actively looking for alternatives to using dyes at all. What metamaterials can do is provide that colour through structure rather than any kind of chemical.”

Alongside research and partnerships, Alastair has also led national coordination through the UK Metamaterials Network. The Network now represents more than 1000 academic and industry members and has been instrumental in building dialogue with funders and policymakers. This sustained engagement has helped ensure that metamaterials are now explicitly referenced in the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy – a significant milestone for a field that, until recently, sat largely outside formal policy frameworks.

Years of capability-building have now resulted in significant new funding. In May 2025, the UK government and industry partners committed nearly £20 million to MetaHUB at Exeter – a hub developing transformative 3D nanoscale materials with the potential to underpin future technologies across health, energy and computing sectors.

Looking ahead, this work is now feeding into the development of a national roadmap, with the ambition of positioning metamaterials for large-scale UK investment by the end of the decade.

Reflecting on what has made this possible, Alastair consistently returns to relationships. Building trust with industry, being clear about what academia can and cannot deliver, and being able to signpost companies to additional resource have all been central. Support from the University, including targeted help from Exeter Innovation on strategy and bid development, has also been critical in turning research strength into lasting impact.