Coventry University
Professor Stephen Hagen and Professor Catherine Hobbs
Coventry University has announced an ‘innovative’ digital laboratory is to be created at the institution to further help students learn in-demand skills within the healthcare and engineering sectors.
The ‘Precision Digital Manufacturing and Healthcare Technology Lab’ has been awarded 5 million GBP from the Office for Students (OFS) and will be equipped with industry standard digital technologies such as metal 3D printing and high-end radiography equipment, according to the university.
Students from Coventry University’s Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing, as well as students from the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, will both benefit from the facility, and will learn how to use specialist equipment employed in both health and engineering sectors.
According to the university, it is hoped that the lab will also foster a collaborative approach and potentially lead to developments in areas such as prosthetics and wearable technologies, which require both areas of expertise.
“Digitisation of healthcare is the future and in order to develop this area we need to have access to this high-cost equipment, enabling us to train the specialists that our hospitals are calling out for,” said Professor Stephen Hagen, Interim Academic Dean at Coventry University’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. “We already have equipment to train our students in diagnostic radiography, but this new laboratory will make it possible to teach therapeutic radiography, which is the use of radiation to treat cancer.”
Professor Catherine Hobbs, Academic Dean at Coventry University’s Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing, said: “The precision 3D printing technology available will mean we can create useable components for healthcare applications, while digital twinning will allow us to simulate how objects work in a virtual environment.”
The team at Coventry University expressed excitement at this new project, saying that being able to invest in these types of technologies is an opportunity that does not come around very often.
Susan Lapworth, Chief Executive of the Office for Students said: “Investing in modern buildings and modern equipment will help universities and colleges in England prepare students for their future careers. Modern laboratories and state-of-the-art technology mean students learn with the best facilities. Our investment will also increase the provision of short courses that offer flexibility to boost the skills of the workforce.”
