Breakthroughs in the development of new materials have historically been achieved largely by trial and error. My vision is that there is a new generation of advanced hierarchical materials that has never been addressed and can be achieved by design. This new generation draws inspiration both from recent experimental observations in existing materials and from biomimetics, and is made possible by recent advances in modelling and manufacturing. The main challenges faced by today's composites industry include (i) damage tolerance, (ii) manufacturability and (iii) sustainability. I argue that (i) hierarchical micro-structural designs for composites will be more damage tolerant and achieve over 100% increase in fracture toughness, (ii) that hierarchical discrete carbon-fibre systems will simultaneously address manufacturing and performance needs of the automotive industry, and (iii) that recycled carbon fibres will find a high-value market as semi-structural parts by also exploiting hierarchical architectures. My proposal is to define these hierarchical micro-structures by design and to then develop suitable manufacturing methods to realise them in practice.

Autonomous Systems (AS) are cyberphysical complex systems that combine artificial intelligence with multi-layer operations. Security for dynamic and networked ASs has to develop new methods to address an uncertain and shifting operational environment and usage space. As such, we have developed an ambitious program to develop fundamental secure AS research covering both the technical and social aspects of security. Our research program is coupled with internationally leading test facilities for AS and security, providing a research platform for not only this TAS node, but the whole TAS ecosystem. To enhance impact, we have built a partnership with leading AS operators in the UK and across the world, ranging from industrial designers to frontline end-users. Our long-term goal is to translate the internationally leading research into real-world AS impact via a number of impact pathways. The research will accelerate UK's position as a leader in secure AS research and promote a safer society.

The UK Government recently set targets for "net zero emissions" and "zero waste" as well as a 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. Even so, the UK currently sources, processes and deploys advanced materials based on unsustainable practices, including the use of fossil fuels and scarce, geologically hindered raw materials. This contributes to over 30% of the UK CO2 emissions, especially considering the import of raw precursors and materials. Our vision is to build our most important functional materials from bio-based resources which are locally available. These materials will lower CO2 emissions, helping the UK to reach the targeted zero emissions by 2050 while boosting high-performance, locally available technologies and creating new industries. They will form the cornerstone for a modern technology-dependent economy. This programme grant brings together the best UK academics and key industrial partners involved in the development of a new supply chain for sustainable materials and applications. We will accelerate novel pathways to manufacture advanced materials out of available UK bioresources while boosting their performance working with stakeholders in key industrial sectors (chemical industry, advanced materials, energy, waste, agriculture, forestry, etc). The combined food, forestry and agricultural waste in the UK amounts to approx.26.5m tonnes each year. There is no valuable economic chain in the UK to allow waste valorisation towards high value-added materials. Yet, by mass, functional materials provide the most viable route for waste utilisation, preferable over waste-to-energy. This Programme Grant will thus enhance the UK's capability in the critical area of affordable and sustainable advanced materials for a zero carbon UK economy, providing multidisciplinary training for the next generation of researchers, and support for a nascent next generation of an advanced materials industry