Major investment into chemistry facilities officially opened at Lancaster University

A major investment of more than £26m into Chemistry facilities and equipment has been officially opened at Lancaster University.

Lancaster’s Chemistry department is further complemented by an £11.3m Collaborative Technology Access Programme (cTAP) annex (part-funded with a £9m grant from the European Regional Development Fund), which has been purpose-built to facilitate research and development partnerships with North West industry.

Professor Grey said: “I am honoured to be invited to open the new chemistry building at Lancaster and to give a lecture to the thriving and dynamic chemistry community. The building and its new equipment and facilities clearly demonstrates the department and university’s clear commitment to make a significant impact in cutting edge areas of chemistry that have far reaching potential in areas of particular relevance to our rapidly changing world – from the use of modern spectroscopy to solve problems in energy and sustainability to the use of new synthetic methods to, for example, make smart materials for biological and optical applications.”

“In addition, the department, and its superb new facilities, enable us to significantly support, and work alongside, the region’s chemistry-related industry – one of the largest concentrations in the UK.”

“Our students benefit from excellent staff-to-student ratios, research-led teaching, and from an impressive suite of modern, dedicated instrumentation and equipment. Our cTAP facility will also bolster Lancaster’s role as a regional economic anchor by working closely with businesses to support research and development of commercial products.” Dr Robert Parker, chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry said: “It’s fantastic to see Lancaster University making such a big investment in training the chemists of the future. Chemistry is vital for solving many of the biggest problems we face, from climate change to antimicrobial resistance, and to support a flourishing knowledge-based economy in the UK. The evidence shows that students do best at institutions that combine first-class teaching with cutting-edge research, and I’m particularly pleased that chemistry students at Lancaster will benefit from state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities, as well as close links with the thriving chemical industry in the North-West.”