Work has begun for the Maxwell Centre that will be the centrepiece for “blue skies” research and industrial partnership in the physical sciences. The groundbreaking celebration was held on 21st October, with the building on schedule to be completed in late 2015. The new facility will offer laboratory and meeting spaces for more than 230 people.
“This building will affect how we work together and promote the free-flow of ideas, providing the right sort of meeting places for people to generate innovative research,” said Professor Sir Richard Friend, Cavendish Professor of Physics, who will be the first Director of the Centre.
The centre will build on the research activity currently supported by the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability at Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory, where the focus has been on original, risk-taking science since its inception in March 2011; emphasising fundamental physics research relevant to areas such as renewable energy. Two of the first people to move into the Maxwell Centre will be Dr Suchitra Sebastian and Dr Siân Dutton who are exploring new materials that could harness superconductivity and improve battery performance respectively.
Further details can also be found on the University Research website