Human activity in space has surged dramatically since 2020, in what some are calling the dawn of a new space age. But experts from Imperial and the wider space community say urgent action is required to ensure this is good for humanity.
🔋 AI will boost advanced materials as Polaron wins major prize
AI is not just about data on a screen – it will also transform the material world, and Polaron, a spinout using AI to create advanced materials for climate-critical technologies such as batteries and wind turbines, has won the UK Government’s inaugural £1m Manchester Prize. Its technology will help manufacturers create stronger, lighter and more efficient components.
🦿Wearable tech promises more comfortable prosthetics
A wearable technology could help people who use prosthetic limbs to achieve a more personalised and comfortable fit, addressing a centuries old problem. Roliner, the patented material under development by startup Unhindr, has demonstrated improved comfort in preclinical studies, as revealed in Nature Communications.
đź’§Lithium can be sieved from lakes using a new material
To power the battery revolution, we’re going to need more lithium – but the hunt for it is causing major pollution and geopolitical tension. As a cleaner alternative to energy-intensive mining, lithium could soon be filtered from saltwater using a patent-pending microporous material described in Nature Water.
🚇 Experts to help Cubic create AI-powered public transport
AI is everywhere, but could it soon power your daily commute? Cubic, a global leader in public transport innovation, aims to use AI to spot mechanical problems before they occur and to reduce fare evasion, among other uses. It’s starting an innovation centre at its Surrey HQ with support from experts working independently through Imperial Consultants. Imperial experts work with Cubic to explore AI-powered public transport
However powerful AI gets, you wouldn’t trust it with your safety or cash unless you’re sure it will do the job right every time – and this confidence is a bottleneck to use cases such as automated financial decision-making and autonomous airplanes. Safe Intelligence has raised £4m for a platform that thoroughly tests how AI systems will perform in a range of situations.
🍽 Science could transform Mars’s food and packaging
We hear every day how advanced science is opening up new frontiers in fields such as energy and next-generation medicine – but could it also disrupt your lunchtime snack? Imperial has welcomed Mars inc. as a member of its corporate membership network to explore scientific innovations in food and packaging that could improve human and environmental health. Mars joins Imperial Business Partners to explore innovation applications
The Rio Centre for Future Materials, created with an investment of $150 million from Rio Tinto over the next ten years, will connect some of the world’s best researchers with the capability and commitment of industry to help transform the way materials are sourced, processed, used and recycled to make them more sustainable.
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Investors and other supporters of climate innovation can hear from the ventures on accelerator programme The Greenhouse.
To explore how Imperial Enterprise could help your business benefit from Imperial’s world-leading expertise, technologies, resources and talented innovators, view our website or drop us a line today.
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