Aston University: Driving Innovation in the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter
For more than 130 years, Aston University has played its part in the growth of the West Midlands.
Today, it remains a leading hub for building futures through cutting-edge scientific research.
A specialist institution in enterprise, technology and life sciences; research excellence stands at the very forefront of Aston’s mission – a mission aimed at inspiring students to deliver not just global impact, but local impact too.
In the West Midlands Investment Zone (WMIZ) and the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter (B-KQ), the translation of academic research into commercial outcomes is already happening at scale, with Aston University at the very centre of this activity. Galvanising investor confidence through globally significant R&D from the University’s cross-disciplinary institutes.
This dissemination of knowledge in key sectors such as life sciences and low carbon is why investors are turning their attention to the West Midlands in a bid to capitalise on emerging opportunities and position themselves at the forefront of the UK’s next wave of industrial growth.
The Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI)
For innovative firms locating in the B-KQ, proximity to the EBRI offers access to applied low-carbon innovation and specialist facilities. Providing sustainably minded leaders with a proven route to commercial deployment.
With a goal to accelerate the development of emerging renewable energy, bioenergy, bioproducts and supporting technologies, EBRI stands as a core proof point of how B-KQ’s ecosystem translates green R&D into investable, cost-effective solutions.
Knowledge Transfer
Recognised as a major science and technical asset to the city of Birmingham, EBRI boasts a successful track record in supporting regional organisations to understand and achieve their sustainability goals.
- EBRI’s impact is showcased in its support for Warwickshire‑based FuturEnergy in the development of an advanced pyrolysis system. This technology converts industrial waste into biochar through thermal degradation, producing solid, liquid and gaseous outputs without combustion – illustrating how proximity to EBRI enables faster progression from concept to market.
- Between 2015 and 2019, EBRI supported more than 380 SMEs across the West Midlands. Of those businesses, 76% reported increased awareness of bioenergy, while 28% went on to increase their investment in innovative R&D – demonstrating measurable commercial uplift driven by engagement with the institute1,2.
- EBRI has also partnered with Birmingham‑based law firm Mills & Reeve to furnish its city‑centre headquarters using sustainably produced office furniture and accessories manufactured from biochar, showcasing how innovations developed within the B‑KQ ecosystem are already being adopted by organisations operating locally.
At the 2025 West Midlands Innovation Awards, EBRI received award-winning acclaim for its Innovation Accelerator Project, an initiative aimed at supporting industry in commercialising biochar and bioproducts to market. Boosted by additional funding through to 2026, EBRI’s West Midlands Innovation Accelerator is augmenting the region’s capacity to power growth and investment through the application of low-carbon products.
EBRI’s research is at the forefront of the area that we have chosen to be in. The unparalleled support that they have given us with the evaluation of projects has been excellent.
- Aston University, ‘Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute‘
- EBRI, ‘Supporting SME opportunities in Bioenergy, Bioproducts and Energy Systems‘
Aston Institute of Membrane Excellence (AIME)
Within the B-KQ, membrane science functions as a critical platform capability – underpinning innovation across life sciences, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing.
AIME is Aston University’s newest research institute, established through a £10 million award from the Expanding Excellence in England initiative.
By bringing together a diverse team spanning biology, physics and chemistry, AIME stands at the forefront of global membrane science. No other institute has the platform, potential or promise for major breakthroughs in this area. Setting the stage for AIME to become a ‘one-stop shop’ for interdisciplinary, translational membrane research through access to its facilities and expertise. Which, in turn, establishes Birmingham as the epicentre for defining membrane research in the UK.
AIME positions the West Midlands at the heart of the UK’s growing engineering biology economy. By building world-class capability in membrane science and sustainable polymers, we’re creating a powerful platform for advances in next-generation membrane technologies and drug discovery.
AIME is unique in bringing polymer scientists, engineers and biologists together in one centre of excellence, enabling truly interdisciplinary innovation.
Knowledge Transfer
In early 2025, AIME was awarded £6.1 million by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), with an additional £7.1 million in co-funding from investors, including Bruntwood SciTech, to support the groundbreaking MEMetic project. This flagship project is pioneering a revolutionary approach to water management, combining nature’s biological innovations with cutting-edge polymer chemistry.
Over the next several years, the MEMetic project, led by Professor Alan Goddard and Dr Matthew Derry, will aim to develop innovative biomimetic membranes that address today’s most pressing water challenges. Offering regional and national solutions for:
- Low-energy desalination to provide clean drinking water from seawater
- Resource recovery, such as reclaiming phosphorus for agricultural use
- Removal of toxic contaminants, including arsenic, to protect public health
AIME is focused on training the next generation of research leaders in membrane science, with funds allocated to support nine world-leading research fellows. One of whom, Dr Sam Parkinson, is developing the next generation of self-driving laboratories that combine chemistry, engineering, robotics, and artificial intelligence to dramatically accelerate the discovery and development of new materials such as sustainable polymers.
This pipeline of talent – from PhDs to Research Fellows – directly strengthens the West Midlands’ proposition. For scaling businesses based nearby, access to a highly skilled workforce and state-of-the-art facilities removes barriers to hiring, collaboration, and infrastructure use, accelerating innovation and growth.
Supporting this momentum inside the B-KQ is the AIME Lab, a £6 million cutting-edge environment set to open in March 2026. Designed as a unique, collaborative, and trans-disciplinary space fostering a vibrant community of more than 60 staff ranging from cell biologists to synthetic polymer chemists.
Aston Institute of Photonics Technologies (AiPT)
At its core, B-KQ demonstrates how fostering a world-leading research ecosystem can equip investors and startups with the technologies and knowledge to address next-gen challenges.
AiPT is one of the world’s leading photonics research centres, garnering an impressive track record of research, spin-out companies, industrial partnerships and international collaborations. Currently, the institute coordinates and participates in more than 50 national and international projects, including:
- Horizon Europe £8.7 million project BeTTER: A real-world health-data distributed analytics research platform with tailor-made AI tools to compare, integrate, and analyse in a secure, cost-effective fashion medical data across national borders, fully complying with privacy guidelines.
- Horizon Europe £2.8 million project GlioLight: Development of light technology to revolutionise the treatment of brain cancer.
- EPSRC £6.1 million TRANSNET: Working with University College London and University of Cambridge to transform networks and build intelligent, high-speed optical networks and infrastructure to support the next generation of technology.
For West Midlands businesses, AiPT’s extensive network of industrial partners – including IBM, Thales, Corning, Microsoft Research, BT, Nokia Bell Labs, and many SMEs – ensures that research outcomes are rapidly transferred into real-world applications.
Knowledge Transfer
AiPT is not only internationally recognised for its scientific excellence but is already a major driver of innovation-led growth in the West Midlands.
By disseminating its research capabilities to businesses located in and around B-KQ, AiPT takes a leading role in strengthening local industries and supporting high-value job creation in photonics, data engineering and computer science.
In past years, joint projects with AiPT’s global industry partners have supported 348 regional SMEs within the framework of four ERDF projects. These projects assisted regional SMEs with tailored innovation and technology consultancy as well as targeted technology training, demonstrating strong early impact and clear demand for further investment in the West Midlands’ innovation ecosystem.
More recently, a new AiPT-led project backed by the West Midlands Combined Authority, Cross-Sector AI-Assisted Innovation for SMEs in West Midlands, brings together leading AI experts, industry partners and regional cluster organisations to help SMEs understand and use AI in ways that improve productivity, build early prototypes, reduce costs, and unlock new opportunities. A unique feature of the project is blending light-based technology with AI-based innovation for the benefit of local industry.
Why the B-KQ
For investors, the WMIZ is the gateway to competitive advantages that facilitate commercial growth at every stage of your journey. From tax incentives, capital funding, and business rates retention, the WMIZ is ensuring that ambitious firms land in a dynamic ecosystem that fosters both skills development and innovation through academic endeavour and commercial power.
That union is what makes the B-KQ a world-leading co-functional innovation system. A hub where researchers across multiple sectors and disciplines operate side by side with industry pioneers to develop, test and scale next-generation technologies.
Anchored by the work of Aston University’s groundbreaking institutes, B-KQ stands as a compelling investment proposition, where breakthroughs are not only imagined but actively developed and scaled.
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