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Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre
Reclaiming advanced engineering and manufacturing techniques is central to the UK's long-term economic strategy and a new visiting fellowship scheme aims to complement this initiative perfectly.
The programme announced today (September 17th) is set to fortify the relationship between academia and the manufacturing sector, accelerating the transition of research from the experts in the laboratory to adoption by the industry on the production floor.
The initiative is being launched today at the second annual Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Manufacturing the Future conference hosted by Cranfield University, Bedford.
Announcing the fellowship, Chair of the EPSRC Paul Golby commented: "EPSRC and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) are working together to forge better links between the research base and industry. These fellowships will allow academics to immerse themselves in an industry-focused environment where they can increase their understanding and knowledge of the timescales, constraints and priorities required to bring research from the lab to the market."
Funded by EPSRC, the first group of fellows will spend time conducting research at one or more of the seven Centres of Excellence that collectively form the TSB's High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult.
These seven centres are: The Advanced Forming Research Centre, Renfrew; The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, Rotherham; The Centre for Process Innovation, Redcar; The Manufacturing Technology Centre, Coventry; The National Composites Centre, Bristol; The Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, Rotherham; and the Warwick Manufacturing Group, Coventry.
Chief Executive of the HVM Catapult Dick Elsy said: "We have some of the best technology research in the world here in the UK and the job of the HVM Catapult is to help to bring that to commercial fruition. This Fellowship programme extends the links of the HVM Catapult with a much greater pool of research capability to deliver more of this technology to market. This is absolutely the right thing to be doing to support innovation in the UK."
The University of Sheffield has received an initial grant of £1 million through the academic institution's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. The fellowships will allow academic staff to spend six-month research visits in one or more of the HVM Catapult centres, with these research periods being spread between one and four years. The projects must be aligned to work that is already funded by EPSRC.
Professor Richard Jones, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Sheffield, said: "The University of Sheffield AMRC with Boeing is a world-class centre for advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. We're delighted to be working with EPSRC and the HVM Catapult to shorten the time taken for great new British academic research to be translated into new products and processes."
