The Functional Flexible Glass Group develops planar, microstructured glass forms and the manufacturing techniques required to produce them at scale. The group’s aim is to enable precise, engineered control of the mechanical, electrical, and optical properties of glass, creating new capabilities beyond conventional fibre and bulk glass technologies.
The group’s research integrates advanced glass manufacturing, microstructural design, electrochemistry and photonics. Work spans fundamental process development through to device and system level integration, with a strong emphasis on translating laboratory advances into robust, metre scale glass formats suitable for real world deployment. A defining feature of the group’s approach is the combination of micrometre scale internal structure and thickness control, with scalable manufacturing routes.
Notable achievements include the development of speciality flat and microstructured glass sensors integrated within composite materials, demonstrated for real time monitoring in aerospace relevant environments, and the advancement of compact optical interrogation approaches that support deployment beyond laboratory conditions.
The group maintains active industrial collaborations with Parker Meggitt, GE Aerospace, Insensys and BAE Systems, alongside academic partners at the University of Southampton. These partnerships underpin knowledge exchange, technology validation, and clear pathways to economic and societal impact.