London Centre for Nanotechnology Marks 20 Years of Scientific Innovation and Partnership
We speak with Co-Director Professor Sandrine Heutz about the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN), its evolution over the past 20 years, and how it continues to shape world-leading research.
Sandrine Heutz is Co-Director of LCN and Head of the Department of Materials at Imperial College London, and the conversation quickly revealed both the scale of the Centre’s ambition and the collaborative ethos that underpins it.
LCN brings together Imperial, UCL, and King’s College London to drive forward research in nanotechnology and nanomaterials. As Sandrine explained, the Centre was founded 20 years ago with a clear vision: to explore how nanotechnology could address three major global challenges: healthcare, planet care, and information technology.
A Collaborative Model Across London’s Leading Universities
Originally established as a partnership between Imperial and UCL, with King’s joining later in 2018, LCN has grown into a deeply integrated, multi-institutional research community. At its core, it combines complementary strengths across the partner universities, from energy materials and nanoscale engineering at Imperial, to photonics and bio-nanomaterials at King’s, to advanced quantum and magnetism research at UCL.
Alongside its academic reach, LCN also has a strong physical and infrastructural presence, including dedicated facilities at UCL housing high-end equipment such as scanning tunnelling microscopes and atomic force microscopy systems. Across Imperial, meanwhile, LCN operates as a distributed centre, bringing together around 100 academics spanning materials, physics, chemistry, and multiple engineering disciplines.
“The strategic vision is how do we make a difference? How do we enable big science to happen at the London level that has an international impact?” – Professor Sandrine Heutz, Co-Director, London Centre for Nanotechnology
Cross-Disciplinary Science at Scale
A key theme throughout the conversation was collaboration, between institutions and across disciplines. LCN’s structure is designed to lower barriers between research groups, enabling shared access to equipment, fostering cross-departmental dialogue, and supporting large-scale collaborative initiatives. This approach has underpinned successful bids and programmes over the years, including doctoral training centres and major consortia in sensing and characterisation.
Sandrine said, “It’s not just that we’re bringing the community together, but also that we’re shaping the research.”
More recently, LCN has played an active role in advancing quantum technologies across London. Sandrine highlighted the development of the London Quantum Cluster as an example of how research excellence within LCN is now connecting more directly with industry engagement and wider innovation ecosystems.
20 Years of Impact and a Forward-Looking Vision
Looking ahead, LCN continues to focus its work around its three founding themes: healthcare, planet care, and IT, while expanding its role as a convening hub for London’s scientific community. This includes workshops, highlight talks, and major outreach initiatives such as Nano Day, a UK-wide celebration of nanoscience held annually on 10 September. The 2026 edition is set to form part of a broader programme of activity marking LCN’s 20th anniversary.
2026 marks a focal point for reflection and ambition. Plans are underway for a series of events across the coming months, including engagement with public festivals, museums, and flagship science events such as New Scientist Live and the Great Exhibition Road Festival. A major anniversary event is also in development for later in the year, bringing together academics, partners, and alumni.
As Sandrine noted, this milestone offers an opportunity to look back at two decades of scientific progress, but also to look forward to the next phase of collaboration and the continued role of LCN in shaping research across London and beyond.
20th Anniversary – Programme of Events
To celebrate LCN’s milestone, the LCN is participating in and organising a series of events throughout the year. Details, events, and projects will be added throughout the year. Please visit london-nano.com for updates.
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