Engineering and Physical Sciences

Our diverse community of over 400 researchers alongside businesses and partnerships staff work together across disciplines to create tangible impact.

The fast-paced world of modern industry presents increasingly complex challenges, demanding increasingly sophisticated science and technology-driven solutions. Our approach draws upon technical expertise and world class facilities in Engineering and Physical Sciences to bring together creative, multidisciplinary collaborations that cut across traditional boundaries keeping our partners and us at the forefront of technological innovation.

What's your challenge?

Whether you want to develop a new product, compete in a new market or access world-leading facilities, the Engineering and Physical Sciences team at Lancaster University has the expertise and resources you need.

If you have a clearly defined project, an idea or challenge you want to talk through, or want to find out more about our other funded activities, you can register your interest and one of our team will contact you.

Connect with us

Our science

From applied fundamental research to cutting-edge technological innovations, we work with all types of external organisations to further knowledge and exploit that knowledge to create impact. The breadth of expertise and ability to bring together researchers and partnerships staff from a diverse pool of talent allows for novel approaches and creative solutions.

£25M

Over £25M facilities

100

Over 100 business partnerships

Lab space for 30 businesses

Facilities

Our extensive, fully-equipped R&D workshops and laboratories worth over £25M enable businesses to work alongside our researchers and dedicated technicians in a unique collaborative environment, developing and testing new products and processes for global markets.

Dedicated Experimental Officers and Technology Access Consultants maintain and operate the equipment and provide a hugely valuable resource for our R&D intensive industry collaborators. We also offer co-location space, meaning businesses can work side-by-side with our specialists on joint projects.

Specialist facilities for business include:

Ways of working

There are a wide range of mechanisms for external partners to engage with researchers across Engineering and Physical Sciences. These include student placements, contract research, facilities access, professional development and multi-partner collaborative research projects. Lancaster has an established track record in working in collaboration with a variety of external organisations and we are keen to develop new and existing partnerships.

Examples include Small to Medium-sized Enterprises, voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises, public sector institutes and large multinationals. Our Business Development Managers have a good understanding of funding and can advise on the best ways of working with us given your specific circumstances and requirements.

Institutes and Centres

A major strength of Lancaster University is its thriving ecosystem of interdisciplinary research. This collaborative approach is fostered by our mixture of formal and informal structures – bringing together experts from different disciplines to address challenges on all scales.

Engineering and Physical Sciences is home to a number of outward facing centres and institutes that help make Lancaster University a leading regional, national and international centre of excellence for innovation.

Research themes

Each academic department has a number of research groups:

Benefits of collaboration

Access specialist knowledge and emerging technologies
Access to events, conferences, technology demonstrations and specialist technical workshops
Gain extra resources through student engagement activities
Tap into our global network
Work with us to develop new products and processes