During the last three hundred years chemical synthesis has come a long way, from the time of Alchemy to the complete synthesis of complex natural products like Taxol, to the assembly of complex nanomolecular particles and devices for dye sensitised solar cells. Today, the availability of fast computers, ubiquitous sensors, imaging techniques, and algorithms are transforming science from electrical engineering to synthetic biology but chemists are yet to embrace the revolution due to the difficulties of integrating chemistry, sensors, software, and material handling. Very recently we have started to explore the development of configurable chemical-robotic platforms for the discovery, optimisation, scale-up and control of syntheses using a range of approaches including flow systems, 3D printing and hybrid robotic platforms. While a number of leading groups internationally and in the UK are aiming to develop new approaches to the optimisation of chemical synthesis, we wish to take the idea a stage further and develop an integrated platform for the discovery of molecular entities (initially focussing on inorganics) and then assess their 'fitness' according to user needs to construct a new library of programmable chemical building blocks leading to new systems that can be rapidly manufactured and tested in a range of application areas. The development of a platform for molecular discovery is unprecedented; this step-change will place the UK as the world leader allowing us to link fundamental discovery with faster, smarter and cleaner manufacturing of new chemical entities with user-driven properties and functions. Therefore we aim to develop a new synthetic chemistry and engineering platform for the discovery of molecules, clusters and nanomaterials using an integrated hybrid chemo-robotic system integrating wetware (chemical reagents), hardware (reactors and sensors) and software (intelligent algorithms). By 'digital' programming it will be possible to optimise / change the course of the wetware as a function of the properties measured using algorithms controlled using a software system utilising the expertise of a team of chemists, electrical engineers and physicists, who share the vision of integration and advanced software control of matter. The chemical inputs will be based upon the assembly of molecular metal oxides (polyoxometalates) with well-defined physical properties using a computer controlled reaction system enabling closed loop chemical synthesis and discovery for the first time. The overall system will target new types of catalytically and electronically active materials with radically new properties via the chemical platform choosing from a Universal Building Block Library (UBBL) approach that links properties of the building blocks with emergent properties of the resulting clusters and materials. The hardware will be built from affordable customisable liquid handling robots, 3D printed reactionware, programmable milli-fluidics as well as linear, networked, and arrayed flow systems with a range of bespoke (CMOS based redox camera / ion sensitive arrays) and off the shelf sensor systems (pH, UV, Raman, mass spectrometry). Targeted properties include photochemical, electrochemical, and catalytically active molecules and materials defined by end-users that will allow us to develop algorithms for the discovery and scale-up of new clusters etc. This programme is supported by a number of partners with support of around £1.9 M in cash, £0.9 M in kind with support from GSK, Unilever, FTDICHIP, ACAL Energy, CMAC, and also with support from the University of Glasgow who will invest ca. £0.5 M equipment funds and 4 PhD students demonstrating a very strong commitment adding value to the EPSRC investment.

The last fifty years have seen spectacular progress in the ability to assemble materials with a precision of nanometers (a few atoms across). This nanofabrication ability is built upon the twin pillars of lithography and pattern transfer. A whole range of tools are used for pattern transfer. Lithography is a photographic process for the production of small structures in which structures are "drawn" in a thin radiation sensitive film. Then comes the pattern transfer step in which the shapes are transferred into a useful material, such as that of an active semiconductor device or a metal wire. Lithography is the key process used to make silicon integrated circuits, such as a microprocessor with eight billion working transistors, or a camera chip which is over two inches across. The manufacture of microprocessors is accomplished in large, dedicated factories which are limited to making one type of device. Also, normal lithography tools require the production of large, perfect and extremely expensive "negatives" so that it is only economical to use this technology to make huge numbers of identical devices. The applications of lithography are far broader than just making silicon chips, however. For example, large areas of small dots of material can be used to make cells grow in particular directions or to become certain cell types for use in regenerative medicine; The definition of an exquisitely precise diffraction grating on a laser allows it to produce the perfectly controlled wavelengths of light needed to make portable atomic clocks or to measure the tiny magnetic fields associated with the functioning of the brain; Lithography enables the direct manipulation of quantum states needed to refine the international standards of time and electrical current and may one day revolutionise computation; By controlling the size and shape of a material we can give it new properties, enabling the replacement of scarce strategic materials such as tellurium in the harvesting of waste thermal energy. This grant will enable the installation of an "electron-beam lithography" system in an advanced general-purpose fabrication laboratory. Electron beam lithography uses an electron beam rather than light to expose the resist and has the same advantages of resolution that an electron microscope has over a light microscope. This system will allow the production of the tiniest structures over large samples but does not need an expensive "negative" to be made. Instead, like a laser printer, the pattern to be written is defined in software, so that there is no cost associated with changing the shape if only one object of a particular shape is to be made. The electron beam lithography system is therefore perfect for making small things for scientific research or for making small numbers of a specialized device for a small company. The tool will be housed in a laboratory which allows the processing of the widest possible range of materials, from precious gem diamonds a few millimetres across to disks of exotic semiconductor the size of dinner plates. The tool will be used by about 200 people from all over the UK and the world. By running continuously the tool will be very inexpensive to use, allowing the power of leading-edge lithography to be used by anyone, from students to small businesses. The tool will be supported and operated by a large dedicated team of extremely experienced staff, so that the learning curve to applying the most advanced incarnation of the most powerful technology of the age will be reduced to a matter of a few weeks.

The overall aim is to ensure that Scottish SMEs with international innovation and growth ambitions are empowered by unlocking their full growth potential through better internal innovation management capability. The underpinning objective of this proposal is therefore to deliver a quality service in Scotland that supports SMEs to increase their innovation management capacity and to innovate successfully and profitably. This requires not only a focused SME targeting strategy, but also qualified staff trained on appropriate tools and methodologies, delivering the right support to the right SMEs, coordinated with other delivery teams with the Enterprise Europe Network Scotland (EES) host organisations.

The action will set up a joint programming initiative to develop Smart, Integrated, Regional Energy Systems that enable regions and local communities to realize their high ambitions of moving towards decarbonised energy systems and at the same time link them to a secure and resilient European energy system. This shall include solutions that allow for a high proportion of renewables up to and beyond 100% in the local or regional supply. The initiative will coordinate relevant RDD programs in the involved European, associated countries and regions represented in the consortium connecting them with other funding and financing partners. It will accelerate the deployment of latest resource-efficient and decarbonising energy system solutions, thus strengthening the competitiveness in relevant markets and lerveraging sustainable structures already established by ERA-Net Smart Grids Plus . The latter is focussing on the broad involvement of a large number of countries and regions in order to implement European smart electricity grids research agendas, while the ERA-Net SG+ RegSys will build on this with a new approach, developing integrated, regional energy systems, including the full spectrum of energy carriers and infrastructures. A highly ambitious consortium will pilot new formats of collaboration with regional and local stakeholders as well as supply and demand side oriented technology policy.