Dr Stephen Hodge has been named winner of the Royal Society of Chemistry's Rising Star in Industry Award in recognition of brilliance in research and innovation.

Based at Versarien plc, Dr Hodge won the prize for strategic leadership in developing greener solutions and advocating for global regulations related to the physical and toxicological testing of graphene.

He joins a prestigious list of past winners in the RSC's prize portfolio, 60 of whom have gone on to win Nobel Prizes for their work, including 2016 Nobel laureates Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Fraser Stoddart and Ben Feringa and 2019 Nobel laureate John B Goodenough.

After receiving the prize, Dr Hodge said: "It is an absolute privilege to be acknowledged with this award. I currently collaborate with some of the previous recipients of the Rising Star in Industry award so I know that I'm in good company.

"Credit should also go to all the staff at Versarien and our subsidiaries globally who have been a great support to me and the business."

Dr Stephen Hodge is chief technology officer at Versarien plc, an advanced engineering materials group. The company creates innovative engineering solutions for its clients in a diverse range of industries.

Stephen leads the advanced materials businesses, which are predominantly focused on the manufacturing and commercialisation of graphene across multiple sectors. Their current focus is designing and developing products and solutions for the construction and textiles sectors that reduce carbon emissions and support sustainable circular economy.

With the scaling up of novel nanomaterials comes standardisation and significant regulation challenges.

Stephen has a key role in ensuring that their graphene materials are registered appropriately and ensure that they, and other graphene manufacturers, are responsible in doing everything they can to ensure the safe manufacture, incorporation and use of these novel materials. He does this through his involvement with various working groups looking at nanomaterials characterisation and human and environmental toxicological testing.

Dr Helen Pain, chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: "Great science changes the way we think about things - either through the techniques used, the findings themselves, the products that emerge or even in how we interact with the world and those around us. Importantly, it also allows us to reflect on the incredible people involved in this work and how they have achieved their results.

"Although we are in the midst of negotiating a particularly turbulent and challenging era, it is important to celebrate successes and advances in understanding as genuine opportunities to improve our lives. The work of Dr Hodge is a fantastic example of why we celebrate great science, and we're very proud to recognise their contribution today."

The Royal Society of Chemistry's prizes have recognised excellence in the chemical sciences for more than 150 years. In 2019, the organisation announced the biggest overhaul of this portfolio in its history, designed to better reflect modern scientific work and culture.

The Research and Innovation Prizes celebrate brilliant individuals across industry and academia. They include prizes for those at different career stages in general chemistry and for those working in specific fields, as well as interdisciplinary prizes and prizes for those in specific roles.