The Sir Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials has appointed a leading materials scientist and engineer as Chief Executive.
Andrew Hosty joins the Institute having previously worked for Morgan Advanced Materials Plc, where he was Chief Operating Officer.
A Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Andrew has more than 25 years’ experience of the commercial sector with main board experience of FTSE 250, SmallCap and private businesses and has worked at all stages of business growth and economic cycles.
He was one of the key architects of the technology-led commercial strategy for Morgan Advanced Materials, and will be tasked with ensuring the Royce Institute becomes a world leading centre for advanced materials research and commercialisation.
The Institute will have its hub at The University of Manchester and spokes at the founding partners, comprising the universities of Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial College London, as well as the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) and the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL).
It will allow the UK to grow its world-leading research and innovation base in advanced materials, science and technology that underpins all industrial sectors.
Andrew’s broad expertise in advanced materials spans strategy, research and operations for ceramic, alloy and composites businesses across aerospace, medical, electronic and petrochemical sectors.
He has been responsible for manufacturing facilities and successful high value contract negotiations in Europe, China, India and Latin America and has led a number of acquisitions and divestments.
He said: “I am delighted to be joining the Sir Henry Royce Institute at such an exciting and crucial stage.
“The Institute will be a world-leading centre for advanced materials, not simply research into how materials can tackle some of greatest challenges facing the planet, but also how we work with industry to commercialise them.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to bring together the UK’s leading researchers in advanced materials, and could present a significant boost for economy of the North of England.”
Baroness Brown of Cambridge, the Chair of the Institute, added: “Andrew brings a wealth of experience in both materials science and commercialisation.
“His record of delivering outstanding results while in the commercial sector, combined with his infectious enthusiasm for this important and exciting project will be key to the success of the Institute.”
Andrew currently serves as a Non-Executive Director at Consort Medical Plc and at CEME SPa (an Investcorp business).