[en] The UKAEA Materials Research Facility (MRF) is designed to test irradiated materials for both Fission and Fusion materials development programs, and will be used by UKAEA for fusion research, but mainly by industry and academia. The new facility bridges the gap between activity levels that can be handled at university or industrial laboratories and activity levels that require large facilities at nuclear licensed sites. With the MRF, the UKAEA is working on nuclear readiness for the coming decades. It aims to achieve the following goals: Serve both Fission and Fusion research with input to future reactor types as well as existing reactor types. Invest in the development of test methods for micro- and macro-sized specimens as well as in international acceptance of those methods. Work actively to create a change in nuclear materials research by focusing on size reduction. The MRF has the capability to receive and process activated materials with a maximum activity of 3.75 TBq Co60 (or equivalent). The MRF hot-cell line (a receiving cell and three interconnected hot-cells), provides downsizing, mounting and polishing of samples. Samples can either be transferred to one of the research rooms for on-site experiments or be transferred to an external partner or customer. Two MRF research room lines have been developed to shield samples with a maximum activity of 3.75 GBq Co60 (or equivalent). Each research room line contains 5 research rooms, all operated and controlled remotely. In the research rooms, microscope techniques (Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Focused Ion Beam (FIB), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Precision Ion-beam Polishing System (PIPS)), mechanical testing (static testing, high frequency fatigue and SEM in-situ testing) and thermo-physical techniques (Laserflash, Dilatometry and Simultaneous Thermo-gravimetric Analysis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (TGA/DSC)) are available. Furthermore, gloveboxes lines are installed to use for research on lower activity samples, e.g. for Sample preparation (cutting, polishing, electrolytical polishing), Tritium and Beryllium based research. A setup for Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy (TDS) and rigs for corrosion of tritium loaded materials and plasma behavior at tritium and deuterium are being installed in the MRF. In 2018-2021 the MRF is expected to increase its capabilities as follows: Increasing the sample preparation capabilities in the hot-cell line (EDM cutting, in-cell welding, dimple grinding, electrolytic polishing, etcetera). The addition of two more hot-cells which, for increased flexibility including in-hot-cell experiments, use interchangeable inner containments. Realization of an additional research room line with installation of additional equipment for microstructural, mechanical and physical characterization. (author)