New £1.4m network to help UK energy technologies make the leap from research lab to market
Helping promising UK energy materials move out of university laboratories and towards commercial use is the focus of a new £1.4 million national initiative led by the University of Surrey.
The Electrochemical Entrepreneurship Network Plus (EENet+) is a Coordination Network under the National Materials Innovation Programme, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The initiative aims to close the “missing middle” between promising academic research and technologies that are ready to attract commercial investment.
Although the UK is home to world-leading electrochemical and energy materials research, some early-stage technologies can struggle to progress because researchers lack access to facilities for testing, validation and scale-up, commercial expertise and connections with industry and investors.
Bringing together six UK universities and a wide range of industrial advisers over the next three-and-a-half years, EENet+ will support innovation across a broad range of electrochemical technologies, from fuel cells that provide low-carbon energy or backup power for buildings, to systems that use renewable electricity to turn captured carbon dioxide into useful products.
A £460,000 flexible funding pot, managed by Surrey, will support small-scale projects across the UK, including proof-of-concept studies, mobility placements and community-led initiatives. The first funding call is expected to open in early 2027.
Unlocking the full potential of UK clean energy innovation requires more than great science; it demands a dedicated ecosystem. This new electrochemical network creates a direct bridge between academic discovery and commercial translation. Working alongside strategic venture builders such as Redox Foundry, we can deliver the exact funding, guidance, and connections researchers need precisely when it matters most.Professor David Hodgson, Executive Chairman at Oxford nanoSystems Ltd and industrial advisor for the project
Alongside developing technologies, EENet+ will help early-career researchers develop entrepreneurship skills through commercialisation training, access to experienced entrepreneurs and investors and opportunities to work with specialists at other universities.
By 2030, EENet+ aims to build a stronger pipeline of UK electrochemical technologies and energy material innovations moving towards commercial use, alongside greater collaboration among researchers, industry and investors. In the longer term, the network hopes to help more low-carbon technologies developed in the UK reach the market and contribute to the UK's Net Zero goals.
###
Notes to editors
- Professor Jin Xuan and Dr Hui Luo are available for interview; please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk to arrange.
Find out more about the wider National Materials Innovation Programme (NMIP), funded by the UK government and delivered by Innovate UK and EPSRC here
Related sustainable development goals
Featured Academics
Media Contacts
External Communications and PR team
Phone: +44 (0)1483 684380 / 688914 / 684378
Email: mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk
Out of hours: +44 (0)7773 479911