Scientists, engineers and materials researchers across the UK are contributing to a sector worth £49bn annually to the economy and supporting more than 635,000 jobs, according to new analysis from the Henry Royce Institute.

The research, released alongside the institute's new Materials Map resource, highlights the economic contribution of advanced materials innovation and identifies regional clusters of research, development and manufacturing activity across the UK.

According to the analysis, the materials sector accounts for around 2% of UK gross value added (GVA), with innovation activity present in every parliamentary constituency. The findings also reinforce the importance of materials science to sectors including clean energy, defence, nuclear technologies, manufacturing and life sciences.

For laboratory and R&D organisations, the report underlines the role of materials research in enabling emerging technologies ranging from hydrogen systems and fusion power to low-energy electronics and bioelectronic devices.

The Materials Map has been developed to showcase regional strengths across the UK's materials ecosystem, identifying sector-specific clusters and organisations involved in materials innovation. The resource is intended to support discussions around future investment, industrial capability and regional growth.

While the South East generates the highest regional GVA from materials-related activity at £8.7bn, the North West leads the UK in the number of advanced materials innovation businesses.

The analysis found that 85% of productive capability and 70% of businesses in the sector are located outside London and the South East, highlighting the distributed nature of UK materials innovation.

Among the regional clusters identified, the North West is home to 951 materials innovation businesses employing around 74,500 people and generating an estimated £7.2bn in annual GVA. Yorkshire and the Humber hosts 806 materials innovation businesses, supporting more than 49,000 jobs and contributing £4.3bn annually.

In Scotland, the sector comprises 478 materials innovation businesses employing approximately 49,400 people and generating an estimated £4bn in GVA, with activity spanning engineering, construction, aerospace, defence and life sciences.

David Knowles, chief executive of the Henry Royce Institute, said materials innovation should be viewed as a strategic capability underpinning future industrial growth.

"Materials innovation is not a supporting capability, it is foundational to the UK's industrial future," he said.

"From clean energy and defence to healthcare and infrastructure, new and improved materials are the underpinning solution to the most pressing challenges we face."

Knowles added that the Materials Map is intended to highlight existing regional strengths while helping to inform future discussions around capability development and investment priorities.

The work builds on the launch of the National Materials Innovation Strategy and the establishment of the Materials Innovation Leadership Group, both of which contribute to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology's National Materials Innovation Programme.

The programme is investing £80m to support commercialisation, strengthen supply chains and expand UK industrial capability through materials innovation.

Allan Cook CBE, chair of the Materials Innovation Leadership Group, said the UK's strength lies in regional clusters where companies, universities and innovation infrastructure are concentrated around specialist sectors.

"The UK's materials strength lies in its clusters, where SMEs and mid-sized companies co-locate around sector-specific specialisms like aerospace, defence, automotive and life sciences, turning regional industrial strengths and identities into national competitive advantage," he said.

According to the institute, future versions of the Materials Map will continue to build a more detailed picture of how materials research, innovation infrastructure and industrial capability contribute to economic growth across the UK. To view the Materials Map and analysis, click here.