Science of 4th industrial revolution

London’s science attachés joined senior academics at Imperial College London to learn more about ground-breaking research into the materials science, which is driving the so-called ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’.

Addressing diplomats, Imperial’s President Alice Gast said this area of science “builds upon the three preceding revolutions and brings us to a new world of physical, digital and biological integration.

“What is exciting about this revolution is the way it takes us from the internet to the internet of things, from mass communication to disruptive ways of producing and designing medicines, materials, and devices.”

From the perspective of Science Diplomacy, much of the research into material sciences has been a global collaborative effort.

Gast told LDSC members that in the past year, over 75% of Imperial’s research papers resulted from collaborations with co-authors from more than 140 countries and 6,000 different universities, businesses and research organisations around the globe.

“As a result, we have become a trusted interface for government and industry, both informing policy makers and, crucially, translating our research into viable solutions.”

Four experts in material sciences showed science attachés their breakthrough research and its applications, which included solving the problem of electronic noise in a data-rich and data-polluted world; new materials that use waste heat to create electricity; materials that manipulate light with extreme precision; and the role of computer simulations to predict and create tomorrow’s materials.

Photo: President Alice Gast welcomes the LDSC back to Imperial College after 20 years