Two world-leading research centers, one shared goal – a leadership visit to Manchester

The delegation spent an intensive day in Manchester, exploring cutting-edge practices in scientific research, research management, and innovation at both institutions.

Data from half a million participants

The first stop was UK Biobank, custodian of the world's largest biomedical database. The repository holds detailed data from 500,000 volunteers, including genetic information, imaging diagnostics, clinical records, and lifestyle and environmental data. This unparalleled resource has made the institution a cornerstone of global precision medicine.

What makes this data asset particularly significant is its global accessibility: via cloud infrastructure, it is available to any bona fide academic, charitable, governmental, or industrial researcher who meets stringent ethical and data protection requirements.

UK Biobank's operational model is widely regarded as exemplary. Its regulated access framework allows institutions with limited resources—as well as early-career researchers—to work with one of the most comprehensive medical datasets in existence, while the underlying high-performance computing infrastructure removes the need for substantial local computing capacity. Researchers are required to submit annual progress reports and register all resulting publications with the Biobank. Thanks to this model, the Biobank has played a pivotal role in advancing research on the genetic basis of Alzheimer's disease and in cutting-edge metabolomics.

UK Biobank illustrates how large-scale scientific infrastructure can accelerate research and foster international collaboration, and how data-driven approaches are transforming our understanding of disease mechanisms and the development of novel therapeutics. The visit offered valuable insights into the potential use of biomedical data in Hungary, particularly in the field of drug discovery.

The "wonder material" of the future — already a reality

In the afternoon, the delegation was welcomed by Professor Vladimir Falko, Research Director of the National Graphene Institute (NGI). The NGI is one of the world's most prominent centres in materials science, with a heritage closely tied to the discovery of graphene — the achievement for which Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010.

Alongside its scientific excellence, the NGI is distinguished by a strong commitment to real-world application. Graphene is an exceptionally versatile material, and its industrial potential is actively explored both at the institute and at the adjacent Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC).

Through its industrial ecosystem, the NGI works with more than 100 corporate partners, effectively bridging the gap between frontier basic research and market-driven product development — translating laboratory results into scalable industrial technologies. Outcomes to date include graphene-enhanced high-strength concrete ("concretene"), lightweight composite materials for the automotive sector, next-generation batteries, and advanced water filtration systems.

The delegation also learned about the GEIC's multi-tiered partnership model, which accommodates collaborators ranging from global corporations such as Airbus to small and medium-sized enterprises. Across all partnerships, a common thread is access to world-class engineering expertise, laboratory infrastructure, and relevant intellectual property.

Materials science is a key research priority in Hungary as well. Deepening ties between Hungarian institutions and leading knowledge centres such as the NGI could significantly broaden opportunities for Hungarian researchers and enhance the international visibility of Hungarian science.