Metamaterials UK Conference & Forum 2026

Published on 31st July 2025

Acoustic Metamaterials Active Metamaterials Events Health Manufacturing and Scale Up Mechanical Metamaterials Microwave and THz Metamaterials Photonic Metamaterials Space and Aviation Sustainability Theory, Modelling and AI

Event details

Date: 16 Jun - 18 Jun 2026
Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location: Tortworth Court, Gloucestershire
Format: Conference, In person
Registration Deadline: March 15, 2026

The 5th Metamaterials UK Conference & Forum

Tomorrow’s Metamaterials: Shaping the Future.

Commitment Fee (payable via University of Exeter link on confirmation of place):

International delegate (non-UK institution): £1000

Standard Delegate (UK institution): £600

Early Career Research (UK Institution) £300

If you wish to inquire as to sponsorship opportunities, please email: info@metamaterials.network

The fee includes accommodation on the 16th and 17th June (checking in on the 16th and checking out on the 18th), meals (including the Gala Dinner, 17th June) and access to Tortworth Court’s facilities for the duration of your stay.

Speakers

Key Note Speaker

Professor Andrea Alu (CUNY, City College of New York)

Andrea Alù is a Distinguished Professor, founding director of the Photonics Initiative at the CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, Einstein Professor of Physics at the CUNY Graduate Center, and Professor of Electrical Engineering at The City College of New York. He is affiliated with the Wireless Networking and Communications Group and the Applied Research Laboratories, both based at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is a Senior Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor.

Speakers

Who?

Academics, early career researchers, representatives from industry & non-academic research organisations, and government. This is particularly suited to those seeking to advance their career in academia, build research networks, collaborations and programme grants.

Why?

The fifth Metamaterials UK Conference & Forum brings a unique opportunity to network with delegates from all domains of the metamaterials community to collaborate on cutting-edge developments in metamaterials science. This is a critical opportunity to engage in metamaterials developments; meet with potential collaborators; and shape the future of the metamaterials community in the UK.

Where?

The Conference & Forum 2025 will take place at Tortworth Court (Tortworth, Wotton Under Edge, GL12 8HH). Situated on the southernmost edge of the beautiful Cotswolds in the heart of 30 acres of rolling countryside, Tortworth Mansion House is a majestic country house hotel. Home to English aristocracy since the 14th-century, the “Gothic revival” mansion house you see today was built between 1849 and 1853.

The Grade II* listed hotel is close to Junction 14 of the M5, 40 minutes from Bristol airport and just 20 minutes from Bristol Parkway station.

Regional Map

The Metamaterials UK Conference & Forum 2026

The Metamaterials UK Conference & Forum 2026 marks the fifth annual gathering of the UK’s metamaterials community – uniting academia, industry and government for three days of collaboration, insight and strategic discussion. Our theme this year is ‘Tomorrow’s Metamaterials: Shaping the Future’.

This unique networking forum aims to strengthen the national ecosystem and capture the emerging opportunities that will define the metamaterials of tomorrow. Delegates will also hear first-hand from leading researchers and innovators as they present the latest breakthroughs and the most exciting emerging science and technologies shaping the future of metamaterials.

Spanning Tuesday 16th to Thursday 18th June 2026, the programme features expert talks, roundtable sessions and panel discussions aligned with the UK Metamaterials Network’s four challenge areas – manufacturing, health, space & aviation, and sustainability – as well as wider priorities such as the evolving UK metamaterials landscape and the fundamental science driving future metamaterials technology.

Day One (Tuesday 16th June)

The conference opens with a welcome from UK Metamaterials Network co-leads, Professor Alastair Hibbins (University of Exeter) and Dr Claire Dancer (University of Birmingham).
This plenary talk will review the year and the upcoming priorities, alongside the evolving UK metamaterials landscape. These include the funding calls from the Henry Royce Institute and Innovate UK, the inclusion of metamaterials within the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, the Network’s activities and publications, and its role in the broader advanced materials ecosystem.

This will set the scene for Metamaterials Landscape session the following afternoon, and focus minds for a pivotal year ahead – capturing the momentum and promising trajectory of the UK community.

The morning continues with short feature presentations from the UK Metamaterials Network Pump Prime awardees (Rounds 1 and 2). These projects showcase the breadth, creativity and potential of metamaterials research across the UK, serving as exemplars for early stage innovation.

The afternoon will be led by the Manufacturing Challenge Area, focusing on advancing metamaterials technologies with manufacturing considerations embedded from the outset. This session will explore how metamaterials researchers can best identify and collaborate with others currently outside or on the fringes of the metamaterials community who possess foundational knowledge relevant to the metamaterials manufacturing value chain. Invited presentations will be followed by a panel discussion and round-table work on identifying and recording key facilities and expertise for metamaterials manufacturing in the UK.

The day concludes with the annual JustaMinute poster session, where poster presenters have one minute to introduce their work to the community, to fuel the appetite for discussions into the evening.

Day Two (Wednesday 17th June)

Day Two opens with a session on fundamental science, featuring the conference keynote delivered by Professor Andrea Alù. A connected morning programme of academic talks and a scientific panel discussion will further explore emerging metamaterials research and looking towards its real world translation.

The afternoon turns to the national metamaterials landscape, featuring:

Presentations on major UK metamaterials programmes

Insights into emerging funding and policy priorities

Discussion on shaping the future of the UK metamaterials ecosystem, including the future of the Network.

The closing session brings together short updates from the UKMMN’s six Special Interest Groups, highlighting their achievements and activities over the past year.

The evening closes with the conference gala dinner—an opportunity to connect with colleagues across disciplines and institutions, and a dinner-speech from our plenary speaker, Prof Andrea Alu.

Day Three (Thursday 18th June)

Applications, Challenges & the Road Ahead

The final day focuses on the Health, Space & Aviation, and Sustainability challenge areas. This co-led session will feature keynote presentations followed by a panel discussion, then a roundtable to identify ‘killer applications’ and priority opportunities that can drive the metamaterials agenda into 2026/27 and beyond.

The conference will close early afternoon with a final expert panel reflecting on the discussions and priorities identified across the past three days, focusing on the challenges ahead, the opportunities for impact and innovation, and the key wins within reach for researchers and industry.

Access Fund

Travel and accommodation costs cannot be covered except in exceptional circumstances. If the cost of travel would prevent you attending, please contact info@metamaterials.network for information on how to apply to our access fund. All applications to the Access Fund must be made prior to the event.