Industrial Collaboration Programme

The Henry Royce Institute’s Industrial Collaboration Programme (ICP) provides grant funding for research, development, and innovation sprint projects that support technology translation. This competition is Royce’s flagship funding initiative and is designed to catalyse impactful partnerships between industry, academia, and Research Technology Organisations (RTOs).

Through the Industrial Collaboration Programme, Royce funds projects that respond to major national challenges and accelerate the progression of advanced materials from breakthrough discovery to real-world application. ICP supports innovation across the entire economic value chain, from agile start-ups to global corporations and from early-stage research to fully manufactured products.

Since its launch, ICP has awarded more than £18.8 million in funding to over 300 partner organisations. This investment has delivered significant economic value for the UK. Project stakeholders who took part in a 2025 survey reported a five-to-one return on investment and more than £60 million in follow-on funding. One fifth of surveyed businesses reported creating new jobs as a result of ICP support, and a growing pipeline of new products and intellectual property has emerged from funded projects.

By enabling collaboration between leading UK universities and industry, ICP is harnessing the UK’s world-class expertise in materials science to address critical challenges in areas such as sustainability, energy efficiency, and healthcare. The Industrial Collaboration Programme is accelerating the journey from research to commercialisation and is helping to advance the objectives of the National Materials Innovation Strategy, including increased productivity, enhanced national resilience, and the creation of highly skilled employment opportunities.