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| SuperSTEM | |
|---|---|
| Name | SuperSTEM |
| Type | Research infrastructure consortium |
| Established | 2005 |
| Location | Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus |
SuperSTEM is a UK-based national facility for advanced electron microscopy and ion beam analysis hosted at a scientific campus in Daresbury Laboratory and linked to national research priorities such as those outlined by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UK Research and Innovation, and regional development programmes like Science and Technology Facilities Council initiatives. The facility provides high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and aberration-corrected instruments used by researchers from institutions including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of Manchester, and international partners such as Max Planck Society, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ETH Zurich, and University of Tokyo.
SuperSTEM operates as a centralized infrastructure platform connecting state-of-the-art instruments, technical expertise, and user access policies to support work across materials science, nanotechnology, catalysis, and semiconductor research. Users from University of Sheffield, University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, University of Liverpool, University of Leeds, University College London, University of Bristol, University of Warwick, University of Nottingham, Cranfield University, University of Southampton, Queen Mary University of London, Cardiff University, University of Exeter, King's College London, University of Birmingham, Newcastle University, University of St Andrews, Durham University, University of York, University of Strathclyde, University of Aberdeen, University of Leicester, University of Reading, University of Surrey, University of Bath, Aston University, Heriot-Watt University, Loughborough University, University of Portsmouth, University of Kent, University of Hull, University of Lincoln, Brunel University London, Goldsmiths, University of London, Royal Holloway, University of London, Swansea University, University of Ulster, University of Canterbury (New Zealand), University of Melbourne, Seoul National University, Tsinghua University and others access the facility for collaborative projects and instrument time.
The origins trace to collaborative planning between Science and Technology Facilities Council, regional stakeholders at Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus, and university consortia responding to roadmap recommendations by EPSRC and international benchmarking against facilities such as NanoSIMS facility, National Center for Electron Microscopy, and efforts at CERN-linked materials programmes. Milestones include procurement of aberration-corrected microscopes, partnership agreements with Diamond Light Source, joint projects with Cavendish Laboratory, and service expansions driven by strategic reviews involving Royal Society panels and advisory input from groups associated with Materials Research Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, and the European Research Council.
SuperSTEM offers peer-reviewed access, proprietary services, instrument training, and collaborative research programmes engaging stakeholders from Rolls-Royce, Jaguar Land Rover, GlaxoSmithKline, BP, Shell, Siemens, Intel, ARM Holdings, BAE Systems, AstraZeneca, Unilever, Samsung Electronics, Nissan Motor Company, Toyota Motor Corporation, General Electric, BASF, Dow Chemical Company, 3M, Corning Incorporated, Schlumberger, Boeing, Airbus, Thales Group, Philips, Hitachi, Toshiba, Sony, LG Corporation, and Panasonic. Activity areas include instrument development with vendors such as JEOL, Thermo Fisher Scientific, FEI Company and method development collaborations with research groups at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Research at the facility spans atomic-resolution imaging, in situ environmental microscopy, spectroscopy mapping, defect analysis, and three-dimensional tomography, producing work complementary to studies at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Diamond Light Source, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, MAX IV Laboratory, ALBA Synchrotron, PETRA III, and SOLEIL. Innovations include development of advanced detectors, real-time data pipelines, machine-learning-assisted image analysis in collaboration with groups at Google AI, DeepMind, Microsoft Research, IBM Research, Facebook AI Research, Amazon Web Services, NVIDIA Research, and algorithmic contributions connected to initiatives by Wellcome Trust-funded teams and European Commission projects.
SuperSTEM conducts training workshops, doctoral researcher programmes, summer schools, and public engagement activities in partnership with universities such as University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University of Manchester, and organizations including Institute of Physics, Royal Institution, Royal Society of Chemistry, British Science Association, and outreach festivals like British Science Festival and Cheltenham Science Festival. Educational collaborations extend to doctoral training centres affiliated with EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership, industry-academic placements with Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, and international exchange programmes involving Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fellows.
Governance combines oversight from university partners, national funders including UK Research and Innovation, operational links to Science and Technology Facilities Council, advisory boards with representatives from Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, national laboratories, and industry consortia. Funding sources include competitive grants from EPSRC, capital support tied to regional development agencies, collaborative R&D contracts with multinational firms such as Rolls-Royce and AstraZeneca, philanthropic support from trusts associated with Wellcome Trust and corporate partnerships with suppliers like Thermo Fisher Scientific and JEOL.
Work enabled by SuperSTEM has contributed to high-impact publications in journals such as Nature, Science, Physical Review Letters, Advanced Materials, Nature Materials, Nano Letters, ACS Nano, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Communications, and catalysed technology transfers leading to patents filed with offices including UK Intellectual Property Office, European Patent Office, and United States Patent and Trademark Office. Recognition includes use-cases cited in reports by Royal Society, awards to collaborating researchers from Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of Physics, Royal Academy of Engineering, and inclusion in national strategy documents by UK Research and Innovation and industry roadmaps by Advanced Materials Board.