The SCI Materials Translation Accelerator (MTA) is a curated, outcomes-focused innovation forum bringing together industry R&D leaders, early career academics, and UK national research facilities to solve pre-competitive technical bottlenecks in battery materials — and to build the collaborations and funding pathways that carry solutions towards commercialisation. The SCI Materials Translation Accelerator is an annual programme designed to catalyse high-impact collaborations between industry, early career academics, and UK national research facilities.
The 2026 Accelerator focuses on battery materials innovation, specifically targeting pre-competitive technical bottlenecks at around TRL 2–4 that limit material validation, performance understanding, and scale-up readiness.
Participating companies submit concise, non-confidential challenge statements in advance of the event. These pre-released technical briefs are circulated to registered attendees, enabling informed preparation and structured discussion. The Accelerator day itself centres on facilitated solution workshops, focused industry briefings, and direct engagement with national research capability hosted at the Research Complex at Harwell.
The programme operates under the Chatham House Rule, and all challenges are framed at a pre-competitive level. No proprietary data is required, and no intellectual property is created or assigned during the event. Any subsequent collaboration is governed independently between participating partners.
One collaboration arising from the forum will be selected for a competitive Translation Catalyst Award, providing supported access to UK national research facilities to deliver feasibility data and strengthen the foundation for follow-on funding (e.g. Innovate UK feasibility or collaborative R&D routes).
The Accelerator is deliberately curated and capped in size to ensure meaningful interaction, serious technical engagement, and tangible translational outcomes.
For more information and to apply visit https://www.harwellxps.uk/mta-event-challenge-input
