Projects

The Leverhulme Centre for Humanity and Space (LCHS) has received a record £10m investment. The LCHS will start in February 2026 and will work to ensure that the quest for knowledge is not just a scientific endeavour but a profound human experience, enriching cultural narratives and societal values. The main focus is on four core themes: Living and working in space; Peace, security and governance; Development, sustainability and fairness; Communication, representation and experience.

CSO member Professor Ana Cristina Costa will lead/co-lead the theme Living and Working in Space - Exploring how our lives will adapt to life in space and how this dependence will reshape our existence here on Earth.

The Indigenous Green-steel for Net-zero Innovation, Technology and Enterprise (IGNITE) Hub has received £11m in funding from the EPSRC. IGNITE will launch in September-October 2025 and will support the UK steel industry to develop smarter ways to manage, track and recycle the UK’s abundant supply of high-quality scrap while reshaping steel design and use to maintain quality and extend product life. The aim of IGNITE is to unify the steel supply chain and promote steel circularity through a holistic sustainability approach. The three grand challenges of IGNITE are Sustainable Demand: Novel Green Steel; Resilient Supply: Closing the Steel Cycle, Policy & Practice; and Steel as a Service: Making Circularity Pay.

CSO Director Dr Hana Trollman will lead the Energy theme and investigate servitisation and circularity in the steel industry.