Large-Area Electronics is a branch of electronics in which functionality is distributed over large-areas, much bigger than the dimensions of a typical circuit board. Recently, it has become possible to manufacture electronic devices and circuits using a solution-based approach in which a "palette" of functional "inks" is printed on flexible webs to create the multi-layered patterns required to build up devices. This approach is very different from the fabrication and assembly of conventional silicon-based electronics and offers the benefits of lower-cost manufacturing plants that can operate with reduced waste and power consumption, producing electronic systems in high volume with new form factors and features. Examples of "printed devices" include new kinds of photovoltaics, lighting, displays, sensing systems and intelligent objects. We use the term "large-area electronics" (LAE) rather than "printable electronics" because many electronic systems require both conventional and printed electronics, benefitting from the high performance of the conventional and the ability of the printable to create functionality over large-areas cost-effectively. Great progress has been made over the last 20 years in producing new printable functional materials with suitable performance and stability in operation but despite this promise, the emerging industry has been slow to take-off, due in part to (i) manufacturing scale-up being significantly more challenging than expected and (ii) the current inability to produce complete multifunctional electronic systems as required in several early markets, such as brand enhancement and intelligent packaging. Our proposed Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Large-Area Electronics will tackle these challenges to support the emergence of a vibrant UK manufacturing industry in the sector. Our vision has four key elements: - to address the technical challenges of low-cost manufacturing of multi-functional LAE systems - to develop a long-term research programme in advanced manufacturing processes aimed at ongoing reduction in manufacturing cost and improvement in system performance. - to support the scale-up of technologies and processes developed in and with the Centre by UK manufacturing industry - to promote the adoption of LAE technologies by the wider UK electronics manufacturing industry Our Centre for Innovative Manufacturing brings together 4 UK academic Centres of Excellence in LAE at the University of Cambridge (Cambridge Integrated Knowledge Centre, CIKC), Imperial College London (Centre for Plastic Electronics, CPE), Swansea University (Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating, WCPC) and the University of Manchester (Organic Materials Innovation Centre, OMIC) to create a truly representative national centre with world-class expertise in design, development, fabrication and characterisation of a wide range of devices, materials and processes.

Catalysis is a core area of science that lies at the heart of the chemicals industry - an immensely successful and important part of the overall UK economy, where in recent years the UK output has totalled over £50B annually and is ranked 7th in the world. This position is being maintained in the face of immense competition worldwide. For the UK to sustain its leading position it is essential that innovation in research is maintained, to achieve which the UK Catalysis Hub was established in 2013; and has succeeded over the last four years in bringing together over 40 university groups for innovative and collaborative research programmes in this key area of contemporary science. The success of the Hub can be attributed to its inclusive and open ethos which has resulted in many groups joining its network since its foundation in 2013; to its strong emphasis on collaboration; and to its physical hub on the Harwell campus in close proximity to the Diamond synchrotron, ISIS neutron source and Central Laser Facility, whose successful exploitation for catalytic science has been a major feature of the recent science of the Hub. The next phase of the Catalysis Hub will build on this success and while retaining the key features and structure of the current hub will extend its programmes both nationally and internationally. The core activities to which the present proposal relates include our coordinating activities, comprising our influential and well attended conference, workshop and training programmes, our growing outreach and dissemination work as well as the core management functions. The core catalysis laboratory facilities within the research complex will also be maintained and developed and two key generic scientific and technical developments will be undertaken concerning first sample environment and high throughput capabilities especially relating to facilities experimentation; and secondly to data management and analysis. The core programme will coordinate the scientific themes of the Hub, which in the initial stages of the next phase will comprise: - Optimising, predicting and designing new catalysts - Water - energy nexus - Catalysis for the Circular Economy and Sustainable Manufacturing - Biocatalysis and biotransformations The Hub structure is intrinsically multidisciplinary including extensive input from engineering as well as science disciplines and with strong interaction and cross-fertilisation between the different themes. The thematic structure will allow the Hub to cover the major areas of current catalytic science

The aim is to exploit a recent discovery concerning the production of a new high activity catalyst for use in the production of hydrogen peroxide from the direct reaction between hydrogen and oxygen using novel gold palladium heteropolyacid catalysts. These new catalysts have been protected by a patent filing. The key feature of these catalysts is that they can be used in water as solvent at ambient temperature whereas all previous catalysts require low temperatures and organic solvents. Initial results show the new catalyst is over fifteen times as active as the current equivalent commercial catalyst. Funding is requested to complete patent exemplification and to ensure commercial exploitation can be achieved.

Plastic Electronics embodies an approach to future electronics in their broadest sense (including electronic, optoelectronic and photonic structures, devices and systems) that combines the low temperature, versatile manufacturing attributes of plastics with the functional properties of semiconductors and metals. At its heart is the development, processing and application of advanced materials encompassing molecular electronic materials, low temperature processed metals, metal oxides and novel hybrids. As such it constitutes a challenging and far-ranging training ground in tune with the needs of a wide spectrum of industry and academia alike. The general area is widely recognised as a rapidly developing platform technology with the potential to impact on multiple application sectors, including displays, signage and lighting, large area electronics, energy generation and storage, logistics, advertising and brand security, distributed sensing and medical devices. The field is a growth area, nationally and globally and the booming organic (AMOLED) display and printed electronics industries have been leading the way, with the emerging opportunities in the photonics area - i.e. innovative solid-state lighting, solar (photovoltaics), energy storage and management now following. The world-leading, agenda-setting UK academic PE research, much of it sponsored by EPSRC, offers enormous potential that is critical for the development and growth of this UK technology sector. PE scientists are greatly in demand: both upstream for materials, process and equipment development; and downstream for device fabrication and wide-ranging applications innovation. Although this potential is recognised by UK government and industry, PE makes a major contribution to the Advanced Materials theme identified in Science Minister David Willet's 'eight great technologies', growth is severely limited by the shortage of trained scientists and engineers capable of carrying ideas forward to application. This is confirmed by industry experts who argue that a comprehensive training programme is essential to deliver the workforce of scientists and engineers needed to create a sustainable UK PE Industry. The aim of the PE-CDT is to provide necessary training to develop highly skilled scientists and engineers, capable both of leading development and of contributing growth in a variety of aspects; materials-focused innovation, translation and manufacturing. The CDT brings together three leading academic teams in the PE area: the Imperial groups, with expertise in the synthesis, materials processing, characterisation, photonics and device physics, the Oxford team with expertise in ultrafast spectroscopes probes, meso and nano-structured composites, vacuum processing and up scaling as well as the material scientists and polymer technologists at QMUL. This compact consortium encompasses all the disciplines relevant to PE, including materials physics, optoelectronics, physical chemistry, device engineering and modelling, design, synthesis and processing as well as relevant industrial experience. The programme captures the essentially multidisciplinary nature of PE combining the low temperature, versatile manufacturing attributes of plastics with the functional properties of semiconductors and metals. Yet, to meet the needs of the PE industry, it also puts in place a deep understanding of basic science along with a strong emphasis on professional skills and promoting interdisciplinary learning of high quality, ranging across all areas of plastic electronics.

A long term goal of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been to create machines that can understand spoken and written human language. This capability would enable, for example, spoken language interaction between people and computers, translation between all human languages and tools to analyse and answer questions about vast archives of text and speech. Spectacular advances in computer hardware and software over the last two decades mean this vision is no longer science fiction but is turning into reality. Speech and Language Technologies (SLTs) are now established as core scientific/engineering disciplines within AI and have grown into a world-wide multi-billion dollar industry, with SLT global revenues predicted to rise from $33bn in 2015 to $127bn by 2024. The UK has long played a leading role in SLT and the government has recently identified AI, including SLT, as of national importance. Many international corporations such as Google, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft now have research labs in the UK, in part to leverage local SLT expertise, and a new and extensive eco-system of SLT SMEs has sprung up. There is huge demand for scientists with advanced training in SLT from these organisations, most of whom hire only at PhD level, evident in the support for this CDT by more than 30 partners. The result is fierce, international competition to attract talent and supply is falling far short of demand. It is critically important, therefore, to improve the UK's capacity to address this industrial need for high quality, high value postdoctoral SLT talent, to enhance the UK's position as a leader in the field and, in turn, attract investment in AI-related technologies and support UK economic growth. To address the shortfall in PhD-trained scientists we propose a CDT in "Speech and Language Technologies and Their Applications". Our vision is to create a CDT that will be a world-leading centre for training SLT scientists and engineers, giving students the best possible advanced training in the theory and application of computational speech and language processing, in a setting that fosters interdisciplinary approaches, innovation and engagement with real world users and awareness of the social and ethical consequences of our work. A cohort-based approach is necessary in SLT because: (1) the software infrastructure, tools and methods for SLT are highly complex and creating them is nearly always a collaborative endeavour -- a cohort offers an ideal setting to gain experience of such collaborative working (2) PhD topics tend to be narrow and focused on specifics and do not include the broad overview needed in students' later careers -- through cohort training we can expose students to a range of different SLT topics (3) peer learning within and across cohorts is a highly effective way to hand over tools and to teach methodology (4) a multi-year cohort programme allows significant and sustained progression in larger (i.e. multi-student) SLT projects, resulting in better research outcomes and more impact in partnering companies (5) cohort teaching is very attractive to students (6) an extended cohort-based training programme with strong group work and peer tutoring elements allows students with non-standard backgrounds be admitted, helping to promote diversity in SLT. To realise our vision we propose to build on Sheffield's unique strengths in SLT, which include (1) a large team of SLT academics with an outstanding, 30-year research track record in publication, research grant capture and PhD supervision, covering all the core areas of SLT (2) a large group of industrial partners who actively want to participate in the CDT (3) a track record of impact arising from our research, through creating new enterprises or enhancing the activities of existing organisations (4) an excellent research environment in terms of computing and data resources, study and work facilities, and commitment to and respect for diversity and equality.