Multi-Material Microfabrication Process Development Centre for UK Industry

A new centre will give UK companies access to specialised tools for making tiny components—microfabrication—in materials like gallium nitride, diamond, silicon, glass, and polymers. This matters because many UK firms, from global leaders to venture-backed startups, lack the in-house capability to develop and qualify novel micro-manufacturing processes. Without such a centre, they must either invest heavily themselves or go abroad. The project, led by INEX Microtechnology Ltd, will create and certify these processes, then make them available to UK industry. If successful, the centre could accelerate product development across multiple sectors. Microfabricated components are essential for DNA-based disease diagnostics, detection of concealed weapons and explosives, and defence and aerospace electronics. The technologies also underpin electro-mechanical and fluidic devices used in healthcare and security. By providing a shared resource, the centre aims to strengthen the UK’s competitive edge in industries collectively valued at billions of pounds. The project is applied and commercially focused—it is designed to deliver usable manufacturing processes, not fundamental science.