Research

TACKLING GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Turning sunlight into greener aviation fuel

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Aviation continues to be one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonise. Its heavy reliance on energy-dense fossil fuels, paired with a shortage of viable alternatives, creates major barriers to achieving net-zero.

Led by the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with The University of Manchester and East China University of Science and Technology, an international team of engineers are developing a new approach to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) using solar energy.

Professor Meihong Wang, Process and Energy Systems Engineering Research Group Lead at the University, said:

“A major challenge in switching to SAF is ensuring that we have enough feedstock to produce the huge amount of fuel that the industry needs and also making the fuel in a way that doesn’t require fossil fuels. Our solar-powered process, however, addresses these challenges through capturing CO₂ from air and using renewable energy to create SAF cost-effectively.”

Powering UK steel strategy

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The University is set to play a pivotal role in the UK’s new steel strategy, announced in March 2026. The government initiative aims to ensure 50% of the nation’s steel is produced domestically, securing critical supply chains for defence, infrastructure, and clean energy.

Leveraging world-class expertise at the Henry Royce Institute and the IGNITE research hub, Sheffield researchers are developing advanced metals and low-carbon manufacturing models to decarbonise the industry. Central to this mission is the AMRC Training Centre, which is addressing the sector’s skills gap by offering high-level apprenticeships to the next generation of talented engineers.

“Steel plays a crucial role in every part of the UK’s economy, not least critical industries such as energy, infrastructure and defence, so we need to protect this sovereign capability.”
Professor Sue Hartley, Vice-President for Research and Innovation

We have a key role to play in this by using our research and innovation to help the industry overcome its key challenges, such as in skills and training, decarbonisation and advancing new materials. At Sheffield, we already have strong links with the industry and look forward to building on this in support of the steel strategy.”

Global climate research secured with generous gift

The University is set to accelerate its world-class climate research and train the next generation of sustainability leaders, following a generous £3.5 million gift from the Grantham Foundation.

Founded by Sheffield alumnus Jeremy Grantham (BA Economics 1961) and his wife, Hannelore, the Foundation’s latest investment ensures the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures will continue its vital work for the next decade.

Since its inception in 2014, the Centre has trained more than 260 PhD students and pioneered projects ranging from reducing single-use plastics to helping refugees grow food in desert environments.

“Humanity is currently on an unsustainable path. The work done at Sheffield has already been invaluable in this fight.”
Jeremy Grantham

The new funding will specifically focus on “de-fossilising” daily life and reducing global resource consumption. The Centre is also well known for its “Green Watch” team, which protects consumers by calling out corporate greenwashing.

Professor Tony Ryan, the Centre’s Co-Director, believes that the gift allows the University to remain at the forefront of the global transition toward a fairer, more sustainable future for all.

Protecting individuals at risk of human trafficking

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The use of adult service websites by criminal networks is a growing challenge in the fight against human trafficking. To address this, the Sexual Trafficking Identification Matrix (STIM) has been developed to assess online adverts for indicators that may suggest individuals are at risk of human trafficking or sexual exploitation.

Developed by Dr Xavier L’Hoiry at the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with international partners, the Matrix is already supporting organisations such as Thames Valley Police to identify and safeguard individuals who may be at the highest risk of exploitation.

Dr Xavier L’Hoiry said, “The STIM produces a risk rating for each advert, which practitioners can then use to classify it as high, medium or low priority. This helps guide decision-making and allows additional resources to be allocated where further investigation is required.

Improving lives everywhere

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Sheffield’s reputation for world-leading ingenuity is being celebrated in a new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) campaign. The initiative showcases how public investment in University of Sheffield research is driving global breakthroughs in health, technology, and social policy.

Among the pioneering projects is a radiation-free lung imaging technique developed at the Insigneo Institute. By using MRI with xenon gas, Professor Jim Wild’s team can now scan children’s lungs in unprecedented detail, allowing for safer, faster diagnosis of conditions like asthma and cystic fibrosis.

The University’s impact extends to sensory medicine through Rinri Therapeutics, a spin-out company working to restore natural hearing. By transforming stem cells into auditory neurons, researchers aim to repair the root causes of hearing loss rather than simply treating the symptoms.

Beyond clinical labs, the Centre for Care has been instrumental in securing the Carers Leave Act, granting millions of unpaid carers essential employment rights. From early literacy frameworks to life-changing medical devices.

UKRI Chief Executive Professor Sir Ian Chapman said, “Sheffield is a hotbed of innovation, from its great universities to its many spin-outs, startups and other businesses. That’s why we’ve chosen to highlight the amazing work shaped by the city and its people.”

New tech turns the tide against illegal logging in Peru

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Peru’s rainforests are one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet and have a crucial role to play in the fight against climate change.

Despite this, the region’s natural heritage is under increasing threat, with illegal logging driving the removal of some of the forest’s most valuable and ecologically significant trees.

At the University of Sheffield’s Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, researchers have developed a powerful new tool that uses satellite imagery to detect subtle changes in rainforest canopies, helping to strengthen efforts to combat deforestation.