New £20m synthetic diamond research facility for Oxford

Synthetic diamond supermaterials firm, Element Six, is to build the world’s largest synthetic diamond supermaterials research and development facility near Oxford in the UK.

The £20m facility will consolidate Element Six’s global innovation teams into one integrated centre, developing a pipeline of innovative products for customers in industries from oil and gas drilling to machining and electronics.

Once complete in Spring 2013, the new Global Innovation Centre employ more than 100 engineers, scientists and technicians. A total of 50 new material science jobs will be created, with the vast majority of new positions available for highly qualified graduate scientists, engineers and physicists.

Cyrus Jilla, Element Six CEO, commented: ”I am positive it will deliver higher performance products for our customers, disruptive technologies for new applications and markets, inspire and spur new related businesses in theUK, and provide an extremely rewarding environment for our scientists who are at the forefront of their field.”

Aligned with the Government’s desire to foster investment in R&D and advanced manufacturing, Element Six, with support from UK Trade & Investment, identified Harwell Oxford in the UK as the site for its Global Innovation Centre. The location was chosen for its world-renowned reputation, high-tech talent pool and excellent global connectivity.

UK Trade & Investment supported Element Six by proposing and advising on potential locations, organising site visits, facilitating meetings with site owners and developers, preparing bespoke research and bringing in the expertise of the councils, Local Enterprise Partnerships, academic institutions and research partners.

Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills described the development as a “real boost” for the Oxford area. “The investment by Element Six, that will bring a world class research and development facility to Harwell, shows that the UK is a great place for innovative and cutting edge industries to invest,” he said.

Element Six was recently awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award forEnterprise in Innovation in the UK for its work with Bowers & Wilkins on the 800 Diamond Series loudspeakers.