The science campus at Durham is compact and operates as an interdisciplinary research centre with the potential to be an early stage incubator of high tech, high growth businesses. Once hatched within the science campus, these fledgling businesses are able to move to the adjacent University of Durham Science Park for consolidation and establishment. Subsequently, the intention is for them to locate on technology business parks in the region, especially NetPark.

The Durham NanomaterialsUIC Programme has been drawn together from expertise within three Departments; Chemistry, Engineering and Physics.

The NanomaterialsUIC Programme at Durham is founded upon established nanotechnology research areas such as the Centre for Molecular and Nanoscale Electronics, Microsystems Technology Group and The Durham Nanomagnetism Group to name but a few.

The University has an excellent reputation for not only inter-departmental collaborations, but for collaborations with other Universities at Local, National and International levels such as the Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Polymer Science and technology(IRC) at National level and the interdisciplinary photonics group (which has led to the Photonics Institute).