The Duke of Edinburgh visited the headquarters of the Institute of Physics (IOP) in central London on 5 February to learn about the role that physics plays in supporting the green economy.

The event was attended by about 100 business leaders, policy chiefs, senior physicists, and IOP and IOP Publishing staff. It highlighted how physics research is helping to deliver clean energy solutions and support economic growth.

A total of 12 companies took part in an exhibition that was visited by the duke. They included two carbon-capture firms – Nellie Technologies and Promethean Particles – as well as the fusion firm Tokamak Energy and Sunamp, which makes non-flammable “thermal batteries”.

The other firms were Intelligent Energy, Matoha Instrumentation, NESO, Oxford Instruments, Inductive Power Projection, QBA, Reclinker and Treeconomy.

The event included a panel debate chaired by Tara Shears, the IOP’s vice-president for science and innovation.

It featured ex-BP boss John Browne, who now works in green energy, along with Sizewell C energy-strategy director David Cole, Nellie Technologies founder Stephen Millburn, solar-cell physicist Jenny Nelson from Imperial College, and Emily Nurse from the UK’s Climate Change Committee.

After the debate, the duke said the event had showcased “some of the brilliant ideas that are trying to solve some really challenging issues through creativity and imagination”. He expressed particular delight that people are central to that mission.

“Our ability to evolve the right skills for the future has been well demonstrated here,” he said. “It comes down to creating the right climate to allow these ideas to flourish and come to market. We simply cannot drop this issue.”

Tom Grinyer, group chief executive of the IOP, reminded delegates that physics is fundamental to the UK economy. “We’re seeing how research is translating into real-world solutions that matter today, from clean power and climate intelligence, to advanced materials and future technologies,” he said.

But he warned that long-term investment in young people will be vital to create the physicists and business leaders who can tackle those challenges.

• For more about physics and the green economy, check out the environment and energy channel on Physics World and IOP Publishing’s Environmental Research Letters series of journals.

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