The Future Chemistry Hub at University of Southampton

About

Join us at the Future Chemistry Hub during the British Science Festival 2026 for a day of free hands-on chemistry, inspiring talks, behind-the-scenes tours and a unique art exhibition. With activities for all ages, there's something for the whole family to enjoy.

Get hands-on with science through our interactive experiments and demonstrations, including:

Searching for hidden microplastics in a coral reef model
Making glowing slime and discovering the chemistry behind it
Using spectroscopy to identify unknown samples
Exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) and data are transforming scientific research
Watching radiation tracks appear in a cloud chamber
Discovering how light, molecules and advanced materials are helping to shape the future

Meet the people behind the science

Hear from chemists, chemical engineers and researchers as they share their career journeys, explain what they work on today and discuss the exciting opportunities a career in chemistry can offer. Speakers include representatives from industry, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), the University of Southampton, IChemE President and children's author Freya McGhee, and many more.

Go behind the scenes

Take a self-guided tour of our laboratories and see how cutting-edge research becomes real-world innovation. Meet researchers working across chemistry, chemical engineering, data science, photonics, materials science and sustainability.

Book a guided tour

For an even deeper look inside the Future Chemistry Hub, join one of our guided tours and discover the facilities, technologies and research that are helping to tackle some of society's biggest challenges.