HRH The Duke of Kent visited Southampton last week to witness the University’s research excellence in engineering and electronics.

Accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, The Duke was welcomed to Southampton by the Vice-Chancellor before taking a tour of our Boldrewood and Highfield campuses.

At Boldrewood Innovation Campus, The Duke met academics and students engaged in performance sports engineering, maritime robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles.

He then met Professor Sir David Payne (Director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre) at Highfield’s Zepler Institute. Here he saw the UK’s best set of nanoelectronics and photonics fabrication capabilities.

The Duke of Kent also met with staff engaged in Future Worlds, which helps the University’s aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into businesses by tapping into a network of experienced mentors.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Christopher Snowden was keen to demonstrate the quality of work and collaborations that the University is engaged in. He said:

It was a great pleasure to welcome His Royal Highness to the University. He took a great deal of interest in our world-class engineering, electronic and photonics activities, and particularly enjoyed hearing about the projects from students and staff.

You can view pictures from the royal visit in the gallery below.