A University of Manchester undergraduate has won second place in the Cambridge Edge AI Innovation for Sustainability Challenge 2026 with a concept designed to improve early wildfire detection whilst reducing reliance on energy-intensive data centres.

PyroWatch, developed by Computer Science student Marwan Barakat Abdelfattah, proposes a network of affordable devices that can analyse local weather and environmental conditions to help predict wildfire risk and support faster response.

The project was named runner-up in the national competition, which challenged UK university students to design AI systems that can learn from each other without exchanging raw data between edge nodes or uploading raw data to the cloud.

Marwan received a £2,000 prize for his second-place finish.

How PyroWatch works

Wildfires are becoming an increasingly urgent sustainability challenge, with devastating consequences for communities, livelihoods, food production, public health and carbon emissions. PyroWatch was inspired by the growing visibility of wildfires in places such as California, as well as the need for more accessible tools that could help governments, fire services, local authorities and businesses prepare for and respond to fires earlier.

The concept uses solar-powered devices with batteries to run small AI models close to where data is generated. By processing information locally rather than relying on constant data transmission to central servers, the system is designed to reduce communications, energy use and dependence on data centres.

Unlike some existing wildfire monitoring approaches, which can depend on expensive thermal cameras and fixed infrastructure, PyroWatch is intended to be low-cost, scalable and deployable across high-risk landscapes, industrial sites and remote locations. Marwan said the system could also learn from local coordinates and previous fire conditions to estimate where risks may emerge or continue.

Marwan Barakat Abdelfattah said: “Being selected as a finalist and winning second place means a lot. It was the first time I had produced an independent research document of this kind, and I learned so much through the process. It showed me how much work researchers put into producing credible ideas that could make a real-world difference.”

The Cambridge Edge AI Innovation for Sustainability Challenge 2026 is hosted by MICROP Inc. and its sister company Arculus System in partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). The competition invited students to explore AI approaches that keep data local, operate within limited computing and energy resources, and exchange knowledge to create collective intelligence across distributed systems.

James Yang, CEO and Co-founder of MICROIP Inc. and Arculus System, said: "Well done to the talented creator behind Pyro Watch on a brilliant individual submission. The creativity shown in tackling real-world environmental monitoring and thermal management through intelligent, localized AI design is highly commendable. It is inspiring to see such fresh thinking from a solo innovator, and this unique perspective holds great promise for shaping a safer, more sustainable future."

Viola Jardon, Head of Innovation Programmes at CISL, said: “The future of AI cannot simply be about using more data, more computing power and more energy to become smarter. The real innovation challenge is how we create greater intelligence within real-world constraints. This challenge was all about giving the next generation of UK talent the opportunity to explore AI that can collaborate while keeping data local, use resources more intelligently, and ultimately deliver more sustainable outcomes.”

Further information is available at: Cambridge Edge AI Innovation for Sustainability Challenge 2026 [cisl.cam.ac.uk].

In a study published in Nature Chemistry, an international team of researchers from Germany and the UK, including chemists from The University of Manchester, have synthesised and characterised what they describe as the first isolable uranium Fischer-type carbyne, a compound where carbon forms an unusual triple-bond interaction with uranium.

The findings give researchers a clearer example of how uranium can form multiple bonds with carbon, providing a new reference point for comparing the chemistry of actinides with more familiar transition metals. The discovery also demonstrates a new way of building previously inaccessible uranium compounds, expanding the toolkit for studying heavy-element chemistry.

Showing that uranium can form a rare carbon bond

Metal-carbon triple bonds are well established in transition-metal chemistry, but creating an equivalent uranium compound stable enough to isolate and study has proved much more challenging. Until now, related uranium examples had only been observed under highly specialised conditions, such as at extremely low temperatures or when trapped inside hollow carbon molecules known as fullerene cages.

The team, including Professor Stephen Liddle, John Seed, Ashley Wooles, Floriana Tuna and Adam Brookfield, used a new synthetic strategy combining a uranium precursor with a recently developed carbon-atom transfer reagent, enabling them to create the compound and study it in detail.

To confirm the discovery, the researchers used single-crystal X-ray diffraction, spectroscopy, magnetometry and advanced computational analysis. Together, these methods showed that the new compound has the key features expected for a Fischer-type carbyne.

The team’s measurements showed that the uranium and carbon atoms sit 2.379(15) Å apart from each other. In chemical structures, shorter distances are usually needed to have multiple bonding, but in this case quantum crystallography was used to visualise and confirm the uranium–carbon triple-bond interaction. Further analysis showed that this bond is formed through two-way electron sharing: carbon donates two electrons to uranium, while uranium also donates electrons back to carbon, in this case with two orthogonal one electron bonds which is rare.

The compound was also found to be relatively unreactive, which is what chemists would expect for this type of Fischer carbyne. Additional experiments showed that the bonding could be changed through chemical reduction, giving the team further evidence for how the compound’s electrons are arranged.

Why the discovery matters

The findings are primarily important for fundamental chemistry. They provide researchers with a clearer picture of how uranium forms bonds with carbon and help place actinide chemistry within a broader understanding of how elements behave across the periodic table.

The work also highlights the potential of modern carbon-atom transfer reagents to create compounds that were previously difficult or impossible to access, potentially enabling future studies of uranium-carbon bonding and related actinide systems.

Dr John Seed, Research Fellow, at The University of Manchester, said: “This study provides a platform for exploring new uranium-carbon bonding chemistry. Understanding how these interactions work will help us place actinide chemistry in a broader context and could guide future efforts to design related compounds.”

Running from 17 October to 7 November, the Festival features a programme of free public events addressing some of the most pressing questions facing society today. Led by researchers from a range of disciplines and perspectives, the events take ideas and expertise beyond the University and into communities, exploring the impact of the cost of living crisis through activities designed for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

This year’s focus on money, finance and the cost of living examines how financial pressures affect individuals, families and communities, while highlighting how social science can help us understand these challenges and their wider effects.

The Festival’s impact is clear. Last year, 93% of participants said they learned something new, while 58% said the events changed their opinion about something.

Putting money and the cost of living under the spotlight

Through discussions and workshops, participants will learn how financial decisions affect our everyday lives and challenge common assumptions about money.

This year’s theme was praised for its poignancy by Professor Miriam Ronzoni:

The activities will explore topics such as how children understand money and fairness, whether generosity can survive rising costs of living, the hidden costs of bereavement, the impact of the cost of living crisis on reading and education, and learning how research is helping communities navigate economic uncertainty.

These events offer a chance to engage with big issues in accessible, thought-provoking ways, showing exactly how the social sciences can help us make sense of the world around us.

This year's programme

This year's events are inclusive for everyone. Whether you’re a family looking for child-friendly activities over half-term, a professional looking for development opportunities, or simply interested in learning more about the topics, there’s something for you!

Below is an overview of some of the events taking place so far:

• Very Local Maths, 17 October 2026, 10.00 to 15.00

Discover the hidden mathematics behind every day cultural practices, interests, and communities, and learn how numbers influence our daily lives in ways we often don't notice.

• Is Generosity Incompatible with a Rising Cost of Living? 28 October 2026, 10.00 to 15.30

Can people still afford to be generous when money is tight? This interactive event explores giving, fairness and community in an age of economic uncertainty.

• Poetry in the Making: Education in a Cost-of-Living Crisis, 28 October 2026, 10.00 to 15.30

Through poetry and creative expression, explore how financial pressures are shaping educational experiences and share your perspective in an evolving exhibition.

• Your Money Story: How Generations Build (and Lose) Confidence with Money, 28 October 2026, 10.00 to 15.00

A series of activities demonstrating how different generations think about money, where financial confidence comes from, and why attitudes towards spending and saving can vary so widely.

• Everyday Money Mistakes, And How to Avoid Them, 29 October 2026, 18.30 to 19.30

Challenge common assumptions about money and gain practical insights into the financial decisions we make every day.

• Art as Testimony of Prison Experience, 3 November to 5 November 2026, 10.00 to 17.00

Discover how art can communicate experiences of imprisonment, provide powerful personal testimony and encourage new conversations about justice and rehabilitation.

• The Cost of Connection: Chemsex, Money and Gay Male Sexual Sub-Cultures, 3 November 2026, 14.00 to 17.00

A thought-provoking discussion examining the relationship between money, social connection and community experiences within contemporary gay male cultures.

• The Hidden Costs of Dying, 3 November 2026, 10.00 to 12.00

Bereavement can bring significant emotional and financial challenges. This event explores the often-overlooked costs associated with death and the impact they have on families.

• Seeing Yourself in Stories, 4 November 2026, 10.00 to 13.30

When access to reading is already unequal, ensuring the books available are representative is more important than ever. Join this workshop and learn how to create inclusive reading environments.

• Data Stories Manchester, 6 November 2026, 13.00 to 16.00

Discover how data can reveal hidden patterns in everyday life and how researchers use information to better understand communities and social change.

Browse the full Festival programme and book your place at events: https://uom.link/FestivalOfSocialSciences

The Fellowship recognises Professor Agénor's outstanding contributions to the fields of international macroeconomics and development economics, as well as the impact of his work with international organisations including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

Reflecting on the award

A prestigious recognition

Professor Agénor is internationally recognised for his research on macroeconomic policy, economic development, financial systems and growth, and has advised governments and international institutions throughout his distinguished career.

Earlier this year, Professor Agénor delivered The School of Social Science's annual Arthur Lewis Lecture, where he explored the relationship between gender equality, economic growth and public policy. The lecture highlighted how investments in education, infrastructure and social policy can help address gender disparities while supporting sustainable economic development.

Read about Professor Agénor’s recent lecture: Pierre-Richard Agénor delivers joint Arthur Lewis and Vital Topics lecture on gender equality and economic growth.

The School of Social Sciences congratulates Professor Agénor on this prestigious recognition and celebrates his continued contributions to economic research and policy.

Most sensors can only measure one thing at a time: like a thermometer for temperature, or a pressure gauge for pressure. Measuring two properties accurately from the same surface, at the same moment, usually means using two separate instruments – adding cost and complexity to the process.

Measuring air pressure and temperature simultaneously

Now, chemists and aerospace engineers at The University of Manchester, working with colleagues at the University of Eastern Finland, have designed a molecule that can help us to do both simultaneously. It emits two distinct colours of light at once: one that responds to both air pressure and temperature, and one that only responds to temperature. By comparing these two signals it’s possible to take a corrected pressure reading from the molecule itself, rather than having to use a separate temperature sensor alongside a pressure sensor.

The molecule has been designed to be an active ingredient in the specialist paints that measure pressure on aircraft models in wind tunnels, solving a major challenge in the aerospace industry. When engineers test a new aircraft design in a wind tunnel, they need to know exactly how air pressure is distributed across every surface. One of the best ways of doing this is by using a pressure-sensitive paint that glows in proportion to the air pressure pushing against it. The problem is that the light these paints currently emit is sensitive not only to pressure, but also to temperature. As a scale model heats and cools during a wind tunnel test, the glowing shifts in ways that have nothing to do with pressure, introducing errors that engineers then have to correct.

Improving pressure-sensitive paint for aerospace applications

The team’s work, published in the journal Advanced Optical Materials, explains how the molecule is built around a gold atom bonded to a ring-shaped compound called acridine. The position of that bond within the structure determines which type of light the molecule produces. Gold was chosen because even subtle changes to where it sits within the molecule produce reliably different light-emitting behaviours, giving chemists precise control over the sensing properties. When the gold atom bonds to one position on the molecule, it triggers the pressure-sensitive red emission, whereas a bond at a different position triggers the temperature-only blue emission.

Calculations carried out by their colleagues in Finland, helped the team to understand and predict these differences before the molecule was built in the laboratory. Then in use, the molecule is embedded in a paint applied to test models in the standard way. A camera captures both emission colours simultaneously, and the ratio between the two signals automatically corrects for temperature, without any separate temperature sensor.

Dr Mark Quinn, Reader in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at The University of Manchester, said: “In wind tunnel testing, temperature correction is currently one of the main challenges to making pressure-sensitive paints reliable. Having both pressure and temperature measurements come from the same molecule simultaneously is a more elegant solution, and potentially a more practical one for real test conditions, where adding extra instruments creates its own complications.”

The team’s work sits within a broader programme of research at Manchester into improving pressure-sensitive paint for aerospace applications. A related study, recently published in ACS Applied Engineering Materials, addresses the temperature problem from a different direction, by designing a platinum-based paint with inherently low temperature sensitivity. Together, the two studies represent complementary approaches to one of the industry’s most persistent challenges.

A national survey of Ukrainian residents has provided one of the clearest estimates to date of the psychological impact of the ongoing war.

Published today in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, the peer-reviewed study analysed data from a nationally representative survey of civilians living in government-controlled regions of Ukraine.

It provides new estimates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD), finding that 31.2% of respondents met the criteria for one of these mental health conditions.

People living in conflict zones face a heightened risk of traumatic experiences such as physical violence, forced displacement and the loss of loved ones. PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing trauma, causing persistent symptoms including intrusive memories, anxiety, irritability and sleep problems. CPTSD is a related but more severe condition that typically follows prolonged or repeated trauma, such as chronic abuse or captivity.

The findings indicate that PTSD and CPTSD are common among Ukrainian civilians living through an active and ongoing war.

'This study is the result of two teams bridging disciplinary boundaries and adapting their research approaches in a wartime context,' said Professor Olga Onuch from The University of Manchester. 'With two of us being Ukrainian, it was not only urgent but personal. Studying trauma experiences and PTSD and CPTSD in a nationally representative sample allows us to give back to our professional and personal communities and facilitate better policy and response mechanisms. We do this work out of a shared sense of the social responsibility of science to society.

“Understanding PTSD and CPTSD - and war exposures more broadly - in a nationally representative sample during an ongoing war is vital for political, economic and societal life in Ukraine. Knowing these patterns can help communities, governments and international actors prepare immediate support and plan for longer-term needs.

Co-author Professor Volodymyr Kulyk, from the Department of Social Sciences at Kyiv School of Economics, adds: “It is important to keep in mind that PTSD and CPTSD are not limited to veterans or people close to combat zone but also are widespread among other categories of people heavily affected by the war, such as Internally Displaced Persons, people who suffered from missiles and drones attacking their cities and towns far from frontline, and those taking care of wounded or traumatized people.”

Involved in the study was – what the authors themselves describe as – “an unusual collaboration” of mental health researchers and social scientists. All had a specific interest in the impact of psychological trauma in Ukraine, on both mental health and sociopolitical outcomes.

The study grew out of research at The University of Manchester examining identity, democracy and social resilience in wartime Ukraine. This work, led by Professor Onuch as part of the Identity and Borders in Flux (IBIF) project, highlighted the need for a stronger understanding of trauma and war experiences. It led to a wider international, interdisciplinary collaboration involving researchers from Manchester, King’s College London, Kyiv School of Economics, The George Washington University, the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) and Combat Stress. The research was then developed through the Conflict and Cooperation in Eastern Europe (KonKoop) network. 

Assembling a truly interdisciplinary team enabled rare access – in the current circumstances – to a robust, national representative sample, which (via a telephone survey) assessed lifetime exposure to traumatic events, war-related traumas, and symptoms of trauma-related mental health conditions.

From the total sample of 2,504 adults, the results showed:

• Most participants reported high levels of exposure to lifetime and war-related traumatic events, including fires or explosions, shelling, destruction caused by the war, and the injury, displacement, disappearance or death of family members or other loved ones.
• 31.2% of respondents met the criteria for PTSD (25.2%) or CPTSD (6%)

Factors associated with a greater likelihood of PTSD or CPTSD included being female, older age, lower educational attainment, previous military service, displacement due to the war, and a greater number of lifetime traumatic events and war-related stressors.

Being single was the only factor specifically associated with CPTSD rather than PTSD.

Because data were collected at a single point in time during an active conflict, the findings represent a snapshot of the population’s mental health rather than how symptoms change over time.

“One finding we found particularly interesting was that PTSD was much more common than Complex PTSD in this representative national sample,” says lead author, child and adult clinical psychologist, Dr Emma Facer-Irwin, who is a clinical lecturer at KCL. “This may suggest that psychological responses to ongoing war do not always fit neatly into models developed in post-conflict settings. When the threat remains active and unpredictable, the ways people experience and adapt to traumatic stress may be different, and this is an important area for future research.'

Professor Kulyk adds: “As pressure on Ukraine’s health system grows and uncertainty around future humanitarian support increases, understanding the prevalence of PTSD and complex PTSD is essential for planning both immediate and long-term mental health services. Further research will be essential to understand how the psychological impact of the war develops among the general population evolve as the conflict continues.”

As a limitation of their research, the authors note that the study relied on self-reported symptoms – which may be influenced by how participants interpreted the survey questions.

The next area of research they are looking to tackle is to improve understanding of the potential effects of trauma on political attitudes.

Publication details

This research was published in:
European Journal of Psychotraumatology

Title:
Prevalence of exposure to lifetime and war-related traumas, PTSD and complex PTSD in a sample from the Ukrainian general population

URL: 
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2026.2697563

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2026.2697563 

A sensor so precise it can find buried pipes and cavities from the surface, without digging a single hole. A communications system where an eavesdropper cannot hide. A computer that can simulate the behaviour of molecules in ways that enable accelerated drug discovery and materials design.

What do each of these have in common? They’re all possibilities that quantum technologies offer and have a common challenge: the ability to engineer materials with such precision, that individual atoms can be placed where they’re needed and retain their quantum behaviour in ways ordinary materials simply can’t.

That is the ambition behind a new £12.6 million research programme, launched this year with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The programme, Materials Engineering for Advanced Devices (MEAD), is led by Manchester’s Professor Richard Curry, in partnerships with colleagues at Manchester, Imperial College London and the University of Leeds.

The precision problem

Quantum technologies work by exploiting the unusual rules that govern matter at the scale of individual atoms – rules that make certain capabilities in computing, sensing and communication possible, in a way that conventional electronics can’t achieve. Yet when a single misplaced atom can prevent a quantum device from working, understanding and controlling atomic-level structure isn’t just useful, it’s the whole game.

Manchester’s leadership of the MEAD programme starts here. The University is home to the Platform for Nanoscale Advanced Materials Engineering (P-NAME), a suite of three internationally unique instruments that can implant individual atoms into a material with precisions exceeding 20 nanometres – about 3,000 times finer than a human hair.

It was this capability, combined with advanced isotopic engineering (the use of specific atomic forms of an element that fine-tunes its quantum properties), that recently produced the world’s purest form of silicon. This research, published in the journal Communications Materials (doi.org/10.1038/s43246-024-00498-0), opens a new route towards quantum devices that can operate reliably without having to constantly correct for interference caused by unwanted atomic impurities (misplaced atoms).

“We’re all united in addressing the same challenge of building new devices, but at Manchester we’ll specifically use our expertise in engineering materials on the nanoscale, so that we can create a new set of advanced materials - specially designed to deliver the required quantum properties at the heart of these.

"We won't just study these materials and their quantum properties in the lab. We'll build them into working prototype devices to prove they can be used in real-world quantum technologies, such as quantum computers, secure communications systems and advanced sensors. Our ambition is for this research to have a transformative impact on how quantum technologies are applied in society."

From atoms to devices

MEAD has three interconnected ambitions, and the first is to produce the building blocks that quantum technologies need.

Dr Jayadev Vijayan is developing a new class of quantum sensor aiming to use microscopic particles with quantum-engineered properties held in a vacuum. This approach could hugely increase the sensing performance of current technologies as existing trapped atoms devices are replaced by these macroscopic particles. Alongside this, Dr Huanqing Ye is working on single-photon sources: devices that emit individual particles of light (photons), which are essential for quantum-secured communications.

Meanwhile, Professor Richard Curry is leading work on using arrays of single atoms placed in isotopically pure silicon to demonstrate long-lived quantum properties for use in quantum computing. These materials will be tested in Manchester’s new Hi-CaLM facility, a system capable of cooling devices to temperatures just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero, where quantum behaviour can be observed and harnessed in realistic device conditions.

The second task is to develop tools that allow scientists to understand what is actually happening at the atomic scale.

Professor Sarah Haigh leads this work, aiming to extend materials imaging beyond the current limits. This should reveal not just where atoms sit, but which form (isotope) of each element they represent – something that determines how quantum devices behave.

Dr Jessica Boland is developing a technique that uses a form of light capable of passing through materials, to pinpoint the location of individual atoms within a working device without disturbing or damaging it.

Dr Katie Moore then uses a technique called nanoSIMS to verify, at the finest possible resolution, that the materials being engineered actually contain what they’re designed to. Being able to check materials at the atomic scale, and feed those findings back into the engineering process, is what will separate informed development from guesswork.

The third part of the programme focusses on masers – the microwave equivalent of lasers, capable of picking up and amplifying extremely faint signals while adding almost no interference of their own (perhaps think of a microphone that can amplify a whisper across a room without adding any noise to it).

This maser research is led by Professor Alford’s Imperial College London team, where the modern room-temperature maser was first developed.

Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Observatory will act as a testbed for applying this technology to ‘troposcatter communications’ – a method of bouncing signals to our upper atmosphere to carry communications over long distances without relying on satellites.

The Bragg Centre, housing the Leeds Nanotechnology Cleanroom, at the University of Leeds will make quantum devices from the materials that Manchester engineers, before returning them to Manchester’s Hi-CaLM facility for testing and analysis.

The programme draws on more than £150 million of existing infrastructure across the three institutions, often using facilities or equipment that have taken decades to build.

For the UK, which has committed billions to quantum technology investment, MEAD represents an investment on building the scientific foundations that we’ll need to achieve our goals.

Applications are now open for the second cohort of the Unit M deep tech accelerator: Greater Manchester’s programme for researchers, technical founders and early-stage ventures turning scientific and engineering breakthroughs into investment-ready ventures. 7–10 ventures will be selected, with applications open to eligible teams across Greater Manchester.

Delivered by Unit M, The University of Manchester's innovation unit, and backed by Greater Manchester Investment Zone funding, the programme runs from November 2026 to April 2027. Applications close 19 October 2026.

The deep tech accelerator is designed specifically for founders and researchers developing technologies rooted in significant scientific discoveries or engineering advances.

Unlike traditional startup programmes, it focuses on the unique challenges associated with commercialising deep tech innovations, helping participants navigate the journey from breakthrough research to investable business.

Many early-stage deep tech innovations need focused support to navigate the journey from research and development to commercial and societal impact.

Earlier in 2026, cohort 1 supported 10 deep tech ventures from across the University and the region working on next-generation health technologies, clean energy, advanced materials, agritech and space technologies.

Patrick Sarsfield, Founder and CEO of Graphene Thermal, and a member of the deep tech accelerator cohort #, said: “The Unit M deep tech accelerator is what we needed to prepare ourselves to be investment ready. All of the mentorship and guidance that we’ve had has come through the university support system. It’s really been at the centre of getting this business off the ground.”

Tim Bailey, Founder and CEO of WarmTronics, and a member of the deep tech accelerator cohort #1, said: “The accelerator helped us move forward in our commercialisation journey. Funding allowed us to do marketing and customer discovery that we initially wouldn't be able to afford. Off the back of that, we did an exhibition in London, we met with a major supermarket chain and we're now looking at trialling our products with them.”

Why apply?

Teams selected for cohort #2 of the programme will receive £25,000 in equity-free funding, alongside dedicated commercialisation support, access to specialist mentors and industry experts, customer discovery and market validation frameworks, and training on how to pitch effectively to investors.

Each venture will also benefit from support from experienced University of Manchester MBA students and the opportunity to present to investors and strategic partners at a dedicated demo day.

The programme is open to researchers, founders and spinouts from universities across Greater Manchester, as well as technical founders from the region's wider deep tech community. Building on the success of the inaugural cohort, cohort #2 will place an increased emphasis on engaging teams from across the city-region, reflecting a continued commitment to strengthening Greater Manchester's deep tech ecosystem.

What is deep tech?

Deep tech refers to technologies built on significant scientific discoveries or engineering advances that create new capabilities and solve real-world problems.

Areas of interest for the programme include:

· Advanced materials and manufacturing;

· Quantum technologies;

· Artificial intelligence and data infrastructure;

· Biotechnology and health technologies;

· Climate and energy technologies;

· Robotics and automation;

· And space and aerospace technologies.

Who is eligible?

We are looking for teams or individuals based in Greater Manchester who are ready to spend six months building towards investment. We are looking for:

• Researchers whose work has commercial potential you haven't yet acted on, or
• Technical founders with a working prototype or early validation.

Not sure if you’re eligible? Come along to our info sessions on 29 September and 12 October or ask us directly by emailing community@unit-m.co.uk. Or join us at the Powerhouse of Innovation Showcase on 7 October, during the Innovation Festival, where we will have a stand and can answer your questions.

Ready to apply?

Applications close 19 October 2026, with space for 7–10 teams in cohort #2.

Start your application

Further details on eligibility, information sessions and the application process are available via the deep tech accelerator page on Unit M’s website.

Key dates

• Applications close: 19 October 2026
• Information sessions: 29 September and 12 October 2026
• Programme delivery: November 2026 to April 2027

Why Greater Manchester, why now?

The deep tech accelerator is part of a wider ambition to make Greater Manchester a leading hub for deep tech innovation, supported through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) Investment Zone funding. It is designed to help strengthen the region’s growing deep tech ecosystem by connecting founders with expertise, networks and opportunities for growth.

Bridging the gap between research and commercialisation, the programme provides the expertise, connections and support needed to help turn deep tech innovation into investable businesses with the potential for significant societal and economic impact.

Four Manchester academics made Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering

The Royal Academy of Engineering has today announced that four academics from The University of Manchester, Professors Danielle George, Alan Partridge, and Rich Curry, and Visiting Professor Kirsty Armer will be part of the newest cohort of leading figures in the field of technology and engineering to be appointed Fellows.

They will be joining the Academy in its 50th year and are part of a cohort of 75 new Fellows, who are making an incredible impact across the engineering and technology sector with innovations in clean energy, AI, medicine and public health; joining leading figures who have influenced academia and business, worked to widen participation in engineering for people from underrepresented backgrounds, and provided expert policy advice to government.

Professors George, Armer, Partridge, and Curry will be formally admitted to the Academy at a special ceremony in London on 19 October, when each Fellow will sign the roll book. In joining the Fellowship, they will lend their unique capabilities to achieving the Academy’s aim to engineer better lives.

Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, said:

“This year’s cohort will be joining a community of over 1,700 top engineers and innovators in the UK and around the world. Together, we ensure that bright ideas are supported, scaled and shared, turning ambition into innovation and innovation into impact. We aim to strengthen education, skills and inclusion to inspire and equip the engineers of today and tomorrow.”

Manchester Academics awarded prestigious Colin Campbell Mitchell Award

The Academy has also awarded Professors Barry Lennox (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) and Michael Fisher (Computer Science) the prestigious Colin Campbell Mitchell Award, given to a team of engineers who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of any field of UK engineering across the past four years. Visiting Professor Kirsty Hewitson was also part of the team receiving the Academy honour.

This year, it is given in recognition of the pioneering approach that the University of Manchester has been taking in its approach to developing robotic systems for deployment in hazardous environments.

Their work has delivered significant engineering, safety and economic benefits, including robotic deployments that reduce human exposure to dangerous environments, estimated savings of around £20 million for Sellafield and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, and a projected future value of £500 million through wider adoption of the technologies developed. They have also pioneered the use of digital twins and simulation environments to improve safety, training and operational efficiency, while contributing to the development of robotics policy and responsible AI practices in the UK and internationally.

Chair of the Academy’s Awards Committee, Luke Logan (FREng), said of the research,

"By translating robotics and AI research into real-world industrial applications, this team has transformed how hazardous and complex engineering tasks can be carried out. Their work is reducing risks to people, improving productivity and delivering substantial economic benefits across multiple sectors. Through an outstanding collaboration spanning industry, academia and the public sector, they have demonstrated how engineering innovation can deliver real-world impact."

In her role as Visiting Professor, Dr Hewitson will help to embed key principles for translating and commercialising innovations, as well as provide mentoring to underrepresented students, building industry links to provide future career opportunities.

Dr Hewitson, a distinguished expert in the translation and commercialisation of technologies across energy, defence and life science sectors, is visiting from the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) – an end-user led collaboration between the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd, AWE Nuclear Security Technologies and The University of Manchester.

In her role at UKAEA and as Director of RAICo, Dr Hewitson oversees the development of robotics for nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering, working with industry, academic and international partners to help remove people from hazardous environments and achieve safer, faster and more cost-effective solutions.

Prior to RAICo, Dr Hewitson had previously held positions as Chief Executive Officer at Innovate UK KTN, Vice-President of Strategy and Innovation at the National Nuclear Laboratory and Vice-President of Life Sciences at Ploughshare Innovations.

Dr Hewitson said of the announcement, “I feel privileged to have been appointed as a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at the University of Manchester. I have seen first-hand how essential our relationship with academia is for connecting different ideas from different fields in ways that would not otherwise be apparent."

A new test to identify cells collected from urine and vaginal fluid could help rule out womb and other cancers in most women who experience bleeding after the menopause, find University of Manchester researchers.

Their study published in Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health on 22/09/26 say the test could potentially reduce the need for invasive hospital investigations, easing anxiety during what can be a distressing time for many women.

The research team, also based at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)Biomedical Research Centre (BRC): Manchester, showed that the new test can detect womb cancer, also known as endometrial cancer, with high accuracy.

Postmenopausal bleeding currently triggers urgent investigation for possible cancer, often involving a series of uncomfortable, invasive and costly tests, even though most women will not ultimately receive a cancer diagnosis.

Further work from the group, also published in the same journal today, showed that current tests are poorly calibrated for people from Black ethnic backgrounds, leading to health inequalities in diagnosis, treatment and patient outcomes.

However, the new test was particularly effective at detecting aggressive and advanced cancers, and performed exceptionally well in Black women, who are twice as likely to die from womb cancer as White women in the UK.

The researchers say the new test could therefore help to reduce health inequities and improve outcomes for previously disadvantaged groups, including those who are unable to tolerate routine procedures.

The test could eventually be used in primary care and other community settings, helping speed up diagnosis and provide reassurance for many women.

Womb cancer affects nearly 10,000 women in the UK each year, but only 5–10% of women investigated for bleeding after the menopause will have cancer.

Despite that, most undergo invasive hospital tests that can be uncomfortable, costly and sometimes need repeating.

Previous studies led by Manchester researchers have suggested cancer cells can be detected in urine and vaginal fluid samples.

The DETECT study - as it is known - was designed to assess whether these simple, non-invasive tests could accurately identify women at risk while safely reassuring others.

The study involved 1,864 women attending hospitals *with postmenopausal bleeding, making it one of the largest evaluations of this approach to date.

Before having their routine clinical investigations, participants provided a urine sample and a vaginal fluid sample, which were examined for abnormal cells by specialist cytopathologists who did not know the women’s diagnoses.

A total of 115 women were found to have cancer, including 99 cases of womb cancer and a smaller number of other pelvic cancers.

When urine and vaginal cytology (cell sample) results were combined, the test correctly identified more than 80% of cancers and achieved a negative predictive value of 98.8% for womb cancer, meaning women with a negative result were highly unlikely to have the disease.

The vaginal test performed slightly better than the urine test alone, although both showed promising diagnostic accuracy.

The test detected almost all aggressive cancers, identifying 95.8% of high-grade tumours and 96.4% of cancers that had already spread beyond the uterus.

It also picked up 100% of cancers in Black women with 96% specificity, meaning that the test showed near perfect performance in this small subgroup of women.

The findings suggest the approach could become a valuable triage tool, helping clinicians decide which women need urgent invasive investigations while providing reassurance for many others.

Lead researcher Professor Emma Davidson from The University of Manchester and Honorary Consultant in Gynaecological Oncology at MFT, said: “Bleeding after the menopause is understandably alarming for women because it can be a sign of cancer, but the vast majority of those investigated will not have the disease.

“At the moment, many women face invasive, uncomfortable tests that can be stressful as well as costly for health services before cancer can be ruled out.

“Our study shows that a simple test using urine and vaginal samples could help identify the women most likely to have cancer while safely reassuring many others much earlier in the diagnostic pathway.

“If further studies confirm these findings in routine practice, this approach has the potential to transform care for thousands of women every year.”

Prof Davidson, who is also Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Theme Co-Lead at the NIHR BRC: Manchester, added: “Further studies are now needed to assess how the test would perform in routine clinical practice and whether it can reduce the number of invasive procedures women undergo.

“If successfully introduced into healthcare settings, the test could offer a faster, less invasive and more patient-friendly route to diagnosing womb cancer.”

• The study was funded by The Jon Moulton Charity Trust and the women were recruited from gynaecology clinics at seven hospital sites across North West England: St Mary’s Hospital, Trafford General Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital and Tameside Hospital.
• The paper Urine and vaginal cytology for endometrial cancer detection in women with postmenopausal bleeding: the Developing Tests for Endometrial Cancer detection (DETECT) diagnostic accuracy study is available here:https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanogw/article/PIIS3050-5038(26)00222-0/fulltext DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/

Publication details

The study was published in xxx journal.

DOI: http://xxx.

Three new Future Leaders Fellowships are empowering Manchester researchers to tackle very different scientific challenges – from predicting extreme ocean waves to designing miniature biological factories to wearable health technology that transcends health inequalities – with potentially far-reaching consequences.

Backed by a combined £5.4 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Dr Samuel Draycott, Dr Lukas Hughes-Noehrer and Dr Richard Obexer are among the recipients of its 2026 Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) awards. The funding will support four years of ambitious research in fields spanning ocean engineering, biotechnology and digital enabled health.

The Future Leaders Fellowships: at a glance

• How well we understand the ocean matters increasingly for the infrastructure we build, the energy we generate and our response to climate change. Dr Samuel Draycott is investigating what happens when waves break in the complex conditions found in the ocean, with real implications for how we design offshore wind farms and other marine infrastructure, and for improving the accuracy of climate and ocean models that predict how the sea absorbs and releases carbon dioxide and other gases.
• Across Manchester's communities, Dr Lukas Hughes-Noehrer is taking research directly into patients’ homes – creating a real-world test environment to help make wearable health technologies a routine part of cancer care. He's working to discover whether continuous data from wearable devices can help NHS clinical teams support patients through cancer surgery, and how to make sure this new model of care reaches everyone, including those at risk of digital exclusion.

• Meanwhile, in another laboratory in Manchester, Dr Richard Obexer has been looking at the world on a different scale – exploring how nature packages enzymes inside tiny structures in living cells. He’s working to discover whether those same principles can be engineered to manufacture medicines, recycle carbon and produce valuable chemicals more efficiently.

Dr Samuel Draycott: Wavebreak

Offshore wind farms, ships and other marine structures all need to withstand the most powerful waves the ocean can produce, but many engineering models simplify the sea in ways that don’t fully reflect real-world conditions. This potentially affects how accurately we can predict the forces these structures will face. 

Recent work by Dr Draycott and collaborators, published in Nature, showed that realistic multi-directional waves can grow to around twice the height at which they were assumed to break. Through this fellowship, Dr Draycott and his colleagues will build on this research to recreate even more realistic ocean conditions in their laboratory, combining waves travelling in different directions with currents that change speed with depth, as they do in the real ocean. 

The team will study what happens when waves break and what happens in the seconds afterwards, including how they move particles such as microplastics and phytoplankton, draw air into the ocean and transfer gases such as CO2 between the sea and atmosphere. This could improve our understanding of everything from pollution and marine ecosystems to the ocean’s role in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. 

Dr Draycott, Senior Lecturer in Ocean Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering and Management, University of Manchester, said: 
“We’ve long relied on simplified models to understand how waves behave, but the real ocean is much more complex.

“This matters because engineers use estimates of extreme waves when designing offshore wind turbines, ships and platforms, so a better understanding of wave breaking could help us improve the safety and efficiency of this infrastructure. These are crucial industries, with the UK aiming to increase its offshore wind capacity to at least 43 gigawatts by 2030 and a sector already employing tens of thousands of people .” 

The research, funded with £1.67m from UKRI, will take place in the University’s new Hydrodynamics Laboratory, using high-performance computer simulations and laboratory experiments to measure how waves break, how much air they draw into the water, and how they move particles.

Dr Lukas Hughes-Noehrer: Manchester Digital Health Living Lab

Wearable devices can monitor vital signs such as heart rate, activity and sleep, providing clinicians with valuable data to inform on-going patient care. The NHS 10 Year Health Plan identifies them as one of its “5 Big Bets” for transforming healthcare, but their use across the health service remains patchy, with benefits not reaching all communities equally. Through his fellowship, Dr Lukas Hughes-Noehrer will establish the Manchester Digital Health Living Lab, a real-world testbed where patients, families, community organisations, clinicians, researchers, industry partners, and local government work together to design and evaluate wearable-enabled care.

The £2.4m-UKRI funded programme is built around three strands. The first will work with communities to understand what helps or hinders people in adopting wearables, with a focus on accessibility, trust, usability and digital inclusion. The second will develop secure systems that connect wearable data to electronic health records and explore how continuous streams of patient-generated data can be transformed into clinically meaningful real-time information to support care. The third will embed a wearable-enabled clinical trial, working with approximately 800 patients undergoing lung and hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery to trial adoption and evaluate their potential to improve health outcomes.

Findings will help shape the future use of wearable technologies across healthcare and inform the development of digitally enabled hospitals and care pathways in Greater Manchester and beyond.

Dr Hughes-Noehrer, Lecturer in Mobile and Wearable Health Technology in the Division of Informatics, Imaging, and Data Sciences, and Lead for Computational Medicine at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said:

“As someone who works at the intersection of healthcare and research, I see first-hand how health inequalities can affect who benefits from new models of care and emerging technologies. Wearables have huge potential to provide more personalised, proactive support, but only if everyone can access, use and trust them. By working directly with our communities in Manchester, I want to build a model for wearable-enabled care that is fair, safe and trusted, and that other places in the UK and beyond can follow.”

Dr Richard Obexer: De Novo Biomolecular Condensates for Programmable Assembly of Enzyme Cascades

Inside our cells are tiny droplets that act a little like miniature factories. Without being surrounded by a membrane, they can bring particular proteins and enzymes together, allowing chemical reactions to happen faster and more efficiently.

These structures known as ‘biomolecular condensates’, occur widely inside living cells, and Dr Richard Obexer is exploring whether we can recreate this natural trick, then engineer it to make useful products more efficiently.

His new fellowship, funded by £1.3m from UKRI, will enable him to combine AI-powered protein design with a laboratory process inspired by natural evolution, to rapidly test thousands of protein variations. The aim is to create molecules that can encourage these droplets to form around a much wider range of enzymes, while controlling what happens inside them. This could give researchers unprecedented control over the conditions inside each biological factory.

The team will initially test their approach by building a five-enzyme system to manufacture islatravir, an anti-HIV drug that’s currently made using conventional chemical synthesis. Next, they will explore whether a ten-enzyme system could turn CO2 and methanol into starch, potentially creating a route for converting captured carbon into useful materials. Finally, they’ll rebuild a biosynthetic pathway in bacteria to produce trunkamide, an anti-cancer compound that has proven difficult to manufacture at a useful scale.

Dr Obexer, BBSRC Discovery Fellow in Chemical Biology and Biological Chemistry, in the Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, said:

“Nature has already evolved incredibly efficient ways of organising chemistry inside cells, and we’re now asking whether we can recreate and engineer these to build tiny biological factories for ourselves. If we can combine that with AI-designed proteins, we could make entirely new manufacturing processes possible, from medicines to ways of turning captured carbon into useful products.”

The University of Manchester and the Jeremy Coller Foundation have announced the finalists for the Coller AI Competition with one early-stage venture set to receive a £100,000 equity investment to help turn it’s responsible AI innovation into a growing venture.

The competition attracted applicants from student, colleagues and alumni and brings together the University’s research strength, entrepreneurial talent and commitment to responsible innovation. It aims to identify and support founders developing AI solutions that are not only commercially promising but designed to benefit people and society.

The shortlisted Teams are:

Health Equity Chain

Health Equity Chain is building the Treatment Analyser System, an AI tool that helps doctors and patients make better prostate cancer treatment decisions. It shows a patient where they stand among people like them, making complex clinical information clear, understandable and equitable.

LanthaGen Bio Ltd

LanthaGen Bio has built an AI platform that simulates how biomolecules (proteins and peptides) bind metals, so new metal capturing proteins can be designed on a computer instead of found by trial and error. By drastically shortening the process it removes the energy, chemicals, plastic and solvent waste that repeated screening consumes.

SporeSense

SporeSense has built an AI-powered early-warning system that detects crop disease before any symptoms are visible. This lets farmers act early, cutting crop losses, reducing unnecessary pesticide use, and supporting more resilient, sustainable food production as climate change increases pressure on global agriculture.

SenseVale

SenseVale makes smart glasses that help blind and partially sighted people independently navigate their surroundings with minimal assistance. Sensors in the frame pick up what is around you, and the glasses tell you what they find through sound and vibration.

Forkprint Ltd

Forkprint is developing AI-enabled models that analyse any given food business’ data, such as recipes, menus and supplier information, to provide accurate greenhouse gas emissions GHGE information. This will enable food service businesses to assess and track the GHGE coming from their ingredients and food preparation processes, as well as rapidly develop lower-carbon recipes.

The initiative forms part of The University of Manchester’s Challenge Accepted campaign, which supports ideas with the potential to tackle major global challenges.

The Coller AI Competition is supported by the Jeremy Coller Foundation, the philanthropic vehicle of private equity entrepreneur Jeremy Coller. The Foundation supports initiatives focused on education, entrepreneurship, pensions innovation and the transition to a more sustainable food system. By supporting ambitious ideas, the Foundation helps drive lasting change and empowers the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.

The winner will be announced at The University of Manchester Innovation Festival on the 9^th of October 2026.

The University of Manchester Innovation Festival takes place Monday 5th October to Friday 9th October 2026

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/collaborate/innovation-festival/events/?utm_source=insider&utm_medium=digital_newsletter&utm_campaign=innovationfestival26

Background

The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has a very ambitious agenda for change but, very early in his tenure, the ability of the machinery of Government to move at the necessary pace was already being questioned. Earlier this month, the Chancellor, the First Secretary of State and the Attorney General wrote to all Ministers to say they ‘need to shoulder the responsibility for acting’ and explicitly looking to rebalance the use of consultation, to rethink tolerance of legal risk, and to redefine the role of judicial review. These changes are described as ‘initial steps in what will be a wider programme of work to pare back counterproductive administrative burdens’ allowing Ministers to act boldly, take responsibility, and instil greater agency within their Departments.

Both the messaging and the timing are opportune for the nuclear sector, which is still digesting the output of the 2025 ‘Nuclear Regulatory Task Force’ (NRTF), set up to address the ‘systemic regulatory failure’ which has made the UK ‘the most expensive place in the World to build nuclear…’. The NRTF reported in late 2025, making 47 recommendations, and the Dalton Nuclear Institute (DNI) developed opportunities to address these in a subsequent Position Paper. It now seems possible that a new Prime Minister with an ambitious change agenda, coupled with a shift to more proportionate regulation, can enable nuclear to fulfil its potential to meet our national and energy security requirements.

Risk and the Nuclear Sector

The idea of risk seems straightforward but, in a modern society, it comes in a wide range of flavours. Add complexity in governance where different stakeholders have different agendas and priorities, and management of risk can quickly impede progress while simultaneously obscuring serious hazards and distracting from resolution.

Risk was a particular area of focus in the DNI paper. The NRTF talked about ‘Portfolio Risk’ but didn’t really explore it in detail or suggest an approach to its management. However, DNI developed the idea and suggested the UK nuclear sector comprises three distinct portfolios:

• The NDA Estate - 18 Licensed Sites, tasked with delivering the NDA mission of decommissioning and cleaning up the legacy from the UK’s historic nuclear programmes.

• The Defence Nuclear Enterprise - 15 Licensed Sites owned and operated by multiple organisations, including AWE, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, and concerned with manufacturing and operating the UK’s military nuclear capability.

• Nuclear Generation - 9 Licensed Sites, all operated commercially by EDF Energy but legally owned by three different entities, either generating power or constructing new power reactors.

The critical point about Portfolio Risk is that, if we just focus on individual risks (e.g. commercial, legal, reputational….) in one part of a portfolio, we lose sight of a much bigger risk - that of the entire portfolio failing to deliver its mission, whether that is effective maintenance of the continuous at-sea deterrent, cleanup of the UK’s historical nuclear legacy, or generation of stable, low-carbon electricity.

HM Treasury’s ‘Orange Book’ strongly encourages exactly this reductionist approach to risk management, leading to consideration in turn of distinct classes of risk and sometimes multiple sub-classes within these, but not enabling an upwards view to appraise risks at the Portfolio or Sector level. Moreover, the Orange Book approach to risk can also lead to treatment of the different classes of risk as if they are independent, whereas they are in fact often strongly interdependent, leading to an inability to see the ‘wood for the trees’. Although risk classes may be analysed separately, interdependencies mean that the risk appetite associated with a specific piece of work will often actually be that of the most cautious element- in other words a project ‘goes at the pace of the slowest’.

The nuclear sector thus provides an excellent illustration of the difference between the Orange Book’s idealised view and the reality of a complex hierarchy of risks. At the site or operational level, accountabilities are already very clear, defined through the Nuclear Installations Act, Site Licensing and other tools, including the explicit identification of legally accountable duty holders. Above the individual duty holders, however, there is Portfolio Risk, as described above and, indeed, above that is what the DNI Paper terms ‘Sector Risk’; that is the potential for activities within one portfolio to adversely impact others. At first sight Sector Risk is not obvious, but the current mixture of risk aversion, over-complication, bureaucracy, inefficiency and poor delivery actually provides a perfect illustration. It has required drastic intervention from the highest level of Government, through the Regulatory Review and the accompanying Strategic Steer, to address this Sector Risk.

Managing a Hierarchy of Risks

We have developed a possible governance structure for the sector, illustrated in Figure 1, which integrates the management of the three levels of risk within a single coherent framework. Legal responsibility and Controlling Mind authority rest clearly with the duty holders. The responsibility of portfolio owners is to put in place management frameworks which allow coordinated risk management across their portfolio and, since they do not have Controlling Mind authority, they must do this by working collectively with the duty holders in their portfolio. Such arrangements could include an operational sub-group, modelled on the Sellafield G6 or NRS D8^[1]. There is a tension between duty holders’ ‘local’ ALARP^[2] approach and the wider portfolio ALARP thinking, which will need to be managed through judicious use of flexibility and judgement such that Site Licensees can use the shared understanding of risks across the portfolio to defend their local decisions and actions as ‘reasonable’. There is also a need for a consistent sector-wide approach to risk management, reflecting national priorities, which we suggest should be overseen by an independently-chaired Nuclear Sector Risk Forum.

This structure can address the weakness in the Orange Book approach to risk management by providing clearer accountabilities and relationships, and enabling decision making at the correct level in the Enterprise. Such a change of approach is both timely and necessary. The NRTF report and the DNI Paper together offer both a detailed diagnosis of the problem and a potential cure.

While this discussion is focussed on nuclear, the problems identified are not limited to that one sector - lack of accountability, inability to get things done, delay and spiralling costs are endemic across UK Government’s programmes. The changes portended by the Chancellor’s letter could, if implemented sustainably, be transformative. Here, we offer a solution, noting that the nuclear sector has already been thinking about transformative change for some time. The ingredients are there - let’s use nuclear as an exemplar for the wider changes we must implement across the UK’s complex cross sectoral infrastructure landscape.

^[1] G6 (Sellafield) and D8 (Nuclear Restoration Services) are fora in which all stakeholders (Government, regulators and duty holders) convene to develop an optimised, consensus approach to difficult safety and/or environmental issues

^[2] There is an overarching requirement on duty holders in the nuclear sector to reduce risks to the point they are As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP)

This piece draws on the Dalton Nuclear Institute’s recent policy position paper, ‘A radical reset: actionable opportunities from the UK nuclear regulatory review 2025’, authored by William Bodel, Adrian Bull, Gregg Butler, Francis Livens and Fiona Rayment.

Signed on Monday 14th September 2026 at the Mansion House, London, at the Global Fusion Policy Summit, the landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes a collaborative framework between the US-based University Fusion Association and a coalition of 16 UK universities, including The University of Manchester. The flexible structure of the agreement invites further institutional participation, allowing additional universities to join the initiative in the coming months.

Representatives from UK & US universities, the US DoE and UK DESNZ at the signing of the MoU (© UKAEA)

The agreement focuses on critical pillars required to realise commercial fusion energy:

• Research and Innovation: Collaborative scientific discovery, technology development, and engineering deployment.
• Workforce & Skills Development: Multilevel educational and training initiatives designed to build a robust, inclusive, and diverse talent pipeline for the fusion sector over the next decade and beyond.
• Economic Impact: Promoting entrepreneurship and commercialisation pathways to generate economic benefit.
• Policy & Society: Advancing science-informed policy and serving the interests of society at large.

Anchored in shared values, the signatory institutions have pledged to uphold high standards of ethics and research integrity while prioritising student and trainee welfare. The framework emphasises collegiality across institutions to support career development, individual wellbeing, and the global fusion research community.

By bringing together leading academic institutions across the Atlantic, this agreement establishes a unified foundation to train the next generation of scientists and engineers, accelerate technical breakthroughs, and strengthen the global fusion energy landscape.

Find out more about our fusion energy research at The University of Manchester:

https://www.dalton.manchester.ac.uk/research/fusion-energy/

The three-year appointment will support research, teaching and knowledge exchange at the intersection of artificial intelligence, creative practice, copyright and digital provenance. It builds on a collaboration initiated through Creative Manchester, beginning with Melchior’s two-day visit to the University in May 2026.

An artist, composer and creative technologist, Melchior has spent more than 25 years exploring how music, science and emerging technology can reshape creative experience. His projects range from pioneering an artist website with David Bowie and helping shape Björk Digital and the Vulnicura VR album, to Massive Attack’s Fantom app and Mezzanine DNA experiment. He is founder of Genotone and creator of The Logos, a cathedral-scale collaborative installation with MIT that transforms signals from deep space into spatial sound.

He also advises UK government technical working groups on AI and copyright convened by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. In this work, he represents organisations whose combined membership includes around 30,000 artists: the Music Managers Forum, Featured Artists Coalition and Association for Electronic Music.

Building on “Proof of Human”

Creative Manchester welcomed Melchior to the University in May 2026 for a programme of public engagement, student learning and interdisciplinary exchange around AI and creative authorship. Colleagues from Computer Science, Law and Humanities joined representatives from Greater Manchester’s creative sector to explore the challenges and opportunities generative AI presents for the creative and intellectual property sectors.

At the centre of the visit was “Proof of Human: AI, Copyright, and the Fight for Creative Authorship”, a public lecture held at SISTER in Manchester’s innovation district. Melchior examined how creative work can be attributed, protected and rewarded as generative AI becomes more widely used, making the case for reliable systems that verify authorship and trace the provenance of creative material.

He also led a masterclass for undergraduate and postgraduate music and composition students on moving music from studio to release while maintaining provenance and control of intellectual property. The visit created opportunities for collaboration across Computer Science, the School of Law and the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

Connecting expertise across disciplines and sectors

As Honorary Professor, Melchior will work with colleagues across the University over the next three years to develop research, teaching and knowledge exchange focused on AI, creativity and authorship. He will contribute to collaborative research into provenance technologies and their practical application within creative ecosystems, helping to translate emerging technical approaches into policy, industry and cultural contexts.

He will also support student learning through guest lectures, workshops and the co-supervision of PhD projects. The appointment will help shape interdisciplinary opportunities connecting computing, music, law, archives and public policy, while providing a foundation for future funding bids and longer-term partnerships in responsible and trustworthy AI.

September visit and podcast

Melchior will return to the University from 21-25 September 2026 for an engagement programme celebrating his new role. He will deliver a seminar for the Department of Computer Science and take part in research and knowledge exchange meetings with colleagues from across the University. The programme will explore potential collaborations connecting computing, the creative industries, policy and the cultural sector.

The visit will coincide with the release of a podcast episode on creative ownership, featuring Melchior in conversation with Parvathy Nair, a postgraduate researcher in AI and patent law. Part of a series on the ethics of AI in the cultural and creative industries, the episode considers how artists can retain ownership of their work within the current technological and regulatory landscape.

Supporting Manchester 2035

The collaboration aligns with From Manchester for the world, the University’s strategy to 2035. The strategy seeks to define what a great university looks like for the 21st century by creating knowledge for the public good, locally and globally. By connecting computer science with the creative industries, cultural organisations, law and policymaking, the appointment supports the University’s commitments to interdisciplinary research, partnership, responsible AI and translating research excellence into practical impact.

“Creative work is becoming fluid. It can be copied, transformed and recombined at machine speed, while authorship and ownership struggle to keep up,” said Andrew. “This appointment is an opportunity to bring computer scientists, artists, lawyers and policymakers together to build practical systems that keep identity and provenance attached to creative work.”

"I am delighted to welcome Andrew Melchior as Honorary Professor in Computer Science here in Manchester," said Professor Andrew Stewart, Head of the Department of Computer Science. “He has a unique perspective at the intersection of AI, provenance, and creativity drawn from deep technical knowledge. Andrew’s particular lens is critical in helping us navigate the AI challenges and opportunities we face with respect to creative authorship. I very much look forward to his research collaborations and teaching contributions, both within the Department of Computer Science and, more broadly, across our University.”

Andrew has a remarkable ability to bridge worlds that do not always naturally come together, from computer science and policy to music, the arts and the creative industries," said Professor Michelle Phillips, Director of Creative Manchester and Professor of Music. “At a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping how creative work is produced, shared and valued, his expertise offers an important perspective on how we can protect and support human creativity.”

“His visit to Manchester earlier this year sparked valuable conversations between researchers, students, policymakers and creative practitioners, demonstrating the potential for genuinely interdisciplinary collaboration. We are delighted to build on that momentum through this appointment and look forward to developing new research, learning and engagement opportunities together over the coming years.”

Around one million people are living with dementia in the UK, yet more than a third do not have a diagnosis. Dementia risk is shaped by a mix of health, lifestyle and environmental factors, but there are positive steps people can take to reduce their risk.

The Manchester Brain Health Centre (MBHC) has been spearheaded by Alzheimer’s Society in partnership with Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, The Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre at The University of Manchester and supported by NHS Greater Manchester.

MBHC is a unique joined-up, single service bringing together psychiatrists, vascular specialists, clinical academics, and a multidisciplinary team to identify and support people at the earliest stages of memory loss. People will benefit from advanced diagnostic techniques such as MRI scans, lumbar punctures, heart health checks, and behavioural assessments, delivering an earlier and accurate diagnosis. This approach will also help identify underlying risk factors and inform the most effective treatment and support plan for individuals.

People who meet the requirements for the MBHC will be identified through existing memory assessment services and referred directly. Those who take part in the two-year pilot in central Manchester will also be given the chance, if they are eligible, to take part in research and clinical trials.

Alzheimer’s Society Brain Health Advisers will work alongside NHS clinicians to offer personalised support, guidance and information to people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an early stage of memory and thinking changes, or dementia, as well as to anyone looking to improve their brain health through achievable lifestyle and health changes.

Michelle Dyson CB, Alzheimer’s Society Chief Executive Officer, said: “Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer, but it is not an inevitable part of ageing. Nearly half (45%) of dementia cases worldwide could be prevented or delayed by addressing health and lifestyle factors, throughout our lives, like high blood pressure.

“If we can identify people early enough, we can significantly improve their brain health and help put the brakes on dementia. The Manchester Brain Health Centre really is changing the game, and we are proud to be a partner. This model could be replicated in other regions, transforming the future for thousands of people at risk of dementia or in the early stages of memory loss.”

Professor Adam Greenstein, Consultant Geriatrician at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Clinical Scientist at University of Manchester and Alzheimer’s Society Ambassador, said: “The Manchester Brain Health Centre is a game-changing approach which brings together partners who believe that greater collaboration can help diagnose more people at an earlier stage and improve health outcomes. We are combining clinical and research expertise to identify people earlier, address risk factors such as high blood pressure, and support patients to live better for longer.

This is an innovative step towards a proactive approach to brain health, and we are creating a model which we believe could be adopted more widely. Through this pilot, we will be generating the evidence to support future service collaboration and development by clinical, research and academic teams across the country.”

Dr Ross Dunne, Consultant Later Life Psychiatrist and Dementia Research Lead at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Manchester Brain Health Centre is crucial to advancing our understanding and treatment of the diseases that cause dementia. Right now, the system is not set up for people when memory and thinking problems first appear. That is exactly when early diagnosis and treatment could have the greatest impact.

“We want the UK to be the best place in the world to get an early and accurate diagnosis. We can be a world leader in the research that will change the future of dementia. Together with our partners in Greater Manchester and Alzheimer's Society, our aim is to develop a model for brain health clinics nationwide.”

The Manchester Brain Health Centre’s pilot clinic is hosted at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Facility (CRF): Manchester at Manchester Royal Infirmary.

• The Manchester Brain Health Centre reflects The University of Manchester's commitment through its Challenge Accepted campaign to bring together research, healthcare and communities to address some of society's most pressing challenges, including improving health outcomes and healthy ageing.
• If you’re worried about yourself, or someone close to you, then Alzheimer’s Society’s symptom checklist can help you start a conversation with a GP. Visit alzheimers.org.uk/checklist or call their Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456.