A SOUTHAMPTON university has been handed a multi-million pound cash boost to improve land, sea and air safety technology.

The Lloyd’s Register Foundation has given the University of Southampton £3m to develop new technology by bringing together some of the leading minds across the globe.

They will set up the foundation’s International COnsortium in Nanotechnologies (ICON), focusing on advances on a super-small atomic level.

Nanotechnologies are used in a variety of devices such from phones and cameras to cars, boats and planes.

Dr Themis Prodromakis, from the Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnologies Group at Southampton, who is leading the £3m programme, said: “Researchers are always looking for funding for high risk, high reward ideas. They want to collaborate with the best scientists and engineers in the world and gain access to state-of-art facilities.

“The Lloyd’s Register Foundation International COnsortium in Nanotechnologies (ICON) will assemble the world’s leading universities, research institutions and innovative companies to help them tackle many of today’s most challenging issues by recruiting talented PhD students from every continent.”

Professor Richard Clegg, managing director of the foundation, added: “We are pleased to support the University of Southampton in developing this global cohort of scientists.

"Their research will develop applications to further the Foundation’s safety goals whilst also providing training and building technical capacity in support of our educational mission.

“The doctoral students joining this consortium will gain an understanding of how their research can benefit society whilst developing international research networks at an early stage in their careers.”

ICON will support more than 50 PhD students to undertake research at leading global universities, aided by matched funding.

They will work together with industry partners on interdisciplinary projects and access world-leading facilities, such as the £120m Southampton Nanofabrication Centre.

The doctoral researchers will meet every year to present their findings and share ideas and concepts, becoming part of a global doctoral cohort addressing the foundation’s safety mission.

Examples of nanotechnology include tiny implants that allow doctors to monitor patients, deep ocean and space sensors and textiles that can become rigid and shockproof to protect the wearer when necessary.