EPSRC Centres for

Innovative Manufacturing

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

3 EPSRC Centres for Innovative Manufacturing - Pathways to success

4-5 Movers and Makers - Dr Mark Claydon-Smith

6-7 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites

8-9 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability

10-11 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Emergent Macromolecular Therapies

12-13 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Medical Devices

14-15 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Photonics

16-17 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Large-Area Electronics

18-19 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Liquid Metal Engineering

20-21 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Intelligent Automation

22-23 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Additive Manufacturing

24-25 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Advanced Metrology

26-27 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Food

28-29 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallisation

30-31 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Laser-based Production Processes

32-33 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine

34-35 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Through-life Engineering Services

36-37 EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Ultra Precision

38-39 EPSRC Centres for Innovative Manufacturing - UK Map

CONTENTS

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK’s main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £800 million a year in research and postgraduate training to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone’s health, lifestyle and culture.

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EPSRC Centres for Innovative Manufacturing - Pathways to successWhat should the UK make, and which technologies should it

master to be the best at manufacturing these products? EPSRC’s

Centres for Innovative Manufacturing, in collaboration with

industry, are helping chart the way forward. Their job – to enable

the commercial development of the key discoveries in university

manufacturing research.

Britain has, quite rightly, given up

trying to make everything and has

focused on what it is good at. The

Engineering and Physical Sciences

Research Council (EPSRC) plays a

unique role in turning concepts into

reality, nurturing the engineering

intelligentsia from the UK’s leading

universities and linking them with the

manufacturing industries driving

the economy.

EPSRC is the UK’s main agency for

funding research in engineering

and the physical sciences, investing

around £800 million a year in

university-based research and

postgraduate training to help the

nation handle the next generation of

technological change.

EPSRC has committed to

investing £80 million every year to

manufacturing research in the UK

– mainly through its Manufacturing

the Future initiative. This programme

has a current portfolio of 230 projects

representing an investment of over

£350 million in cutting-edge work

at the UK’s leading universities,

and through collaboration with

over 600 companies, which have

contributed a further £136 million.

In total, EPSRC and the academics

it supports have around 2,000 active

partnerships with business and other

research users.

Together, the academic researchers

supported by EPSRC and the

business partners they work with

decide which products and production

methodologies the UK should focus

on, how to plot the best course to

get there, and how to link together

the UK’s network of people and

manufacturing processes.

There are now 16 EPSRC Centres

for Innovative Manufacturing (CIMs)

spread across the UK, tasked

with enabling the commercial

development of the key discoveries in

university manufacturing research.

Some CIMs are focused on future

products such as composites,

food and pharma that will be

especially important to the UK,

while others investigate production

technologies and how they scale

up, such as additive manufacturing

and automation.

EPSRC works closely with

Innovate UK, the new name for the

government’s Technology Strategy

Board. The CIMs and Innovate UK’s

Catapults – technology innovation

centres – have a close symbiosis,

often overlapping (see page 4-5).

Between them, the CIMs and

Catapults cover more than 20 core

fields of science, engineering and

business that cover the mega-

trends facing industry today: additive

manufacturing, automation, the

digital economy, future cities,

continuous pharmaceutical

manufacture, food, satellites,

industrial sustainability and

much more.

Manufacturing the future means

investing in future talent, and EPSRC

is committed to supporting 1,000

postgraduate manufacturing research

engineers, many of whom are

working on industry-related projects.

A crucial development is EPSRC’s

115 Centres for Doctoral Training

(CDTs), most of which involve

engineering or manufacturing. This

is a big deal for UK industry, teaching

the brightest people the skills,

sometimes softer skills, that industry

really needs.

The combination of the brightest

minds, cutting-edge facilities and

industry know-how is irresistible.

EPSRC Centres for Innovative

Manufacturing are helping to get the

best out of all three.

This brochure shows the range

and breadth of the CIM portfolio,

and outlines each Centre’s

unique combination of facilities

and capabilities for successful

partnership with industry.

www.epsrc.ac.uk

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Movers and makers

UK manufacturing has reached a

turning point. What has changed

over 20 years is the view today that

manufacturing is essential to the UK.

For a while we toyed with the idea

of walking away from it or letting it

dissipate. There is a realisation now

that we cannot let that happen.

It’s all about globalisation. There

are certain products, technologies

and applications that give the UK a

reasonable chance of staying in the

game. In several areas we are

world class and ahead of the

game. What we’re actually

looking at is whole business

model change, where

manuservices and whole

life engineering and their

consequences play a

crucial role.

EPSRC Centres for Innovative

Manufacturing (CIMs) have a

powerful part to play, addressing

the diversity of opportunities out

there. Each centre has different and

complementary communities of

interest, and each helps to draw in

the knowledge of the best people in

each community. Our role, essentially,

is to give the best people the best

environment and connect it up. We

are fortunate because, for some

centres, literally the best people in

that field in the world are running a

CIM in the UK.

EPSRC CIMs and Innovate UK’s

Catapult centres complement each

other. The Catapults tackle the

problems of today, the Centres for

Innovative Manufacturing research

the solutions of the future.

A network of experts, a pipeline of training, and total collaboration

– EPSRC’s Head of Manufacturing, Dr Mark Claydon-Smith

(pictured), explains how EPSRC’s Centres for Innovative

Manufacturing and its research programmes are keeping the UK

among the front runners in global manufacturing.

CIMs work at an earlier Technology

Readiness Level (TRL), from 1 to 4,

while Catapults take that research

work, develop and commercialise it

through TRLs 4 to 6 and eventually,

with industry, to TRL 9. That means

proven product in the market.

Core research can take place

in the universities, but the

commercialisation and developmental

activity can be carried out in the

Catapult centres. Often the same

companies are involved in both, but

working at different scales.

The company needs a pathway

through to commercialisation.

A good example of a CIM working

with a Catapult is the relationship

between EPSRC’s Centre for

Innovative Manufacturing in

Intelligent Automation, led by

Professor Mike Jackson at

Loughborough and Cranfield

Universities, and the High Value

Manufacturing Catapult. TRL

philosophies don’t always work for

CIMs but in this area they do. The

CIM is able to support exploratory

work and looks at two main areas.

The first is the ICT interface and

developments in IT, and the second is

the human factor – bringing the right

people together in the Centre. Mike

was brought in as the academic lead

for the Manufacturing Technology

Catapult to make the most of

these synergies.

Another example is the EPSRC

CIM in Composites, covering

Bristol, Cranfield, Nottingham and

Manchester universities, which is

managed alongside the National

Composites Centre (NCC), whose

CEO, Professor Peter Chivers, also

chairs the CIM steering

group. This partnership suits

the aerospace and automotive

companies involved. They

are comfortable at managing

their development through a

TRL cascade, so they can see

clearly the specific roles for

the NCC, such as production

scale-up, while benefitting

from the universities’ capacity to

explore ideas in depth.

We used to worry about the brain

drain. But a healthy churn is actually

good. We try to encourage this on

both sides, for people in industry to

think about an academic career or

academics developing deeper links

with companies.

This is where EPSRC’s doctoral

training programmes come in, and

we now have a very satisfactory

suite of options. Many of the EPSRC

Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs),

for example, are collaborative with

industry. These centres, which involve

over 7,000 students, with 1,000

specifically engaged in manufacturing

research, are so important because

often a field of engineering can be

Give the best people the best environment and connect it up

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short of people at that elite level of

understanding, which holds back

that field from being developed [for

manufacturing] to its potential.

Under the the CDT umbrella, EPSRC

also offers graduate students the

opportunity to study for

an Engineering Doctorate

(EngD). Launched in

1992, the Engineering

Doctorate is an alternative

to the traditional PhD for

students who want a career

in industry. A four-year

programme combines

PhD-level research projects

with taught courses; and

students spend about

75 per cent of their time

working on a specific

research problem – often

based within a company or a

Catapult environment.

In addition to the CDT model,

EPSRC offers several other PhD-

level training routes. These include

Doctoral Training Partnerships,

which offer a more flexible training

approach by passing the funds to

universities to allocate rather than

issuing them direct to students;

and Industrial CASE awards, which

provide funding for PhD studentships

where businesses take the lead in

arranging projects with an academic

partner of their choice. So there

are lots of ways for industry to

get involved.

To take dedicated sponsorship to the

next level, our Manufacturing Industry

Fellowships were conceived precisely

to help bright people in industry who

want to become future academic

leaders. Ideally, the best people

should work in both academia and

industry over their careers.

In terms of funding, most of the

academics we support have other

relationships with companies that

complement their work with the CIMs

– and many are already engaged in

commercial work.

The academics we support are

expected to disseminate their

research to their community through

academic papers. The CIMs are

no exception, and we expect

all researchers working with

CIMs to publish their research

findings in academic journals,

just as they would within

academia.

EPSRC takes performance

measurement very seriously.

We have just had an internal

review of most of our CIMs, and

we are comfortable that our

own portfolios are well

on track.

We’re now looking at what we do next,

which areas to focus on, and how

best to maximise opportunities for UK

manufacturing. What is clear is that

manufacturing research needs to be

connected into the wider economy if

we really wish to create a new future

for UK manufacturing.

To find out more about working with

EPSRC, and how we can help your

business grow, visit: www.epsrc.ac.uk.

EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training

Launched in 2002, EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) have evolved into a major initiative for

training the interdisciplinary researchers of tomorrow in strategically important areas. There are now

115 centres spanning EPSRC’s portfolio.

CDTs bring together diverse areas of expertise to train engineers and scientists with the skills,

knowledge and confidence to tackle today’s evolving issues. They also create new working cultures,

build relationships between teams in universities and forge lasting links with industry.

Combined governmental and partner funding for CDTs is now £962 million, including £31 million in

capital investment. It is the UK’s largest investment in postgraduate training, involving over 7,000

students in areas of key importance to the UK economy and society, representing perhaps the biggest

industry-educational trans-sector training investment in Europe.

EPSRC Manufacturing Fellowships

EPSRC’s relationship with Innovate UK’s Catapults has led to the EPSRC High Value Manufacturing

(HVM) Catapult Fellowships. Fellows will conduct research at one or more of the seven HVM Catapult

centres, to inject more top-end academic rigour into these centres.

In addition, EPSRC has introduced Manufacturing Industry Fellowships, devised to build academic

research groups grounded in real industry experience. They specifically help the ‘outstanding

individuals in industry’ who are moving into an academic career, in the expectation that their research

will have a transformative impact on industry, among other metrics.

There are now 12 fellowships based at 11 universities, supported by companies from BAE Systems

and GE Sensors to GSK and Qinetiq. Four were awarded in 2014.

.

Each Centre has different and complementary communities of

interest, and each helps to draw in the knowledge of the best people in

each community.

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Advanced composite materials offer the most credible solutions to the problems of lightweighting (the introduction of lightweight materials) in transportation: from creating energy-efficient, crash-resistant cars to environmentally friendly, cost-driven aircraft. They are also the material of choice for renewable energy generation.To take these solutions forward, we need to develop and understand the manufacturing

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites (CIMComp)

technologies which can reliably deliver the required production volumes and complexity of components. The £5.9 million EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Composites (CIMComp) brings together leading universities, companies and research centres to underpin the development of next-generation composite manufacturing processes, based on low cost, short cycle times,

efficiency and sustainability. In so doing our aim is to stimulate investment in the manufacture of high-value lightweight structures, bringing significant benefits to UK industry and society. We are based at the University of Nottingham, with the University of Bristol, Cranfield University and The University of Manchester as academic partners.

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What we offerCIMComp offers the largest pool of resources

and equipment in composites manufacturing

research in the UK, including the only directed short

carbon fibre preformer in the country, and the only

quadaxial braider in the world.

We also offer the expertise of internationally-leading

researchers and academics.

There are many opportunities for businesses to get

involved in CIMComp, either directly in our research

or as part of our wider network. This includes as a

partner in our research projects, as an industrial

partner on a feasibility project, by hosting knowledge

transfer activities, by attending our dissemination

events and technology seminars, or as a partner on

projects that we coordinate.

Innovation linksCIMComp administers the EPSRC Centre for

Doctoral Training in Composites Manufacture.

We also have close links to the High Value

Manufacturing Catapult, the National Composites

Centre (NCC) and the Advanced Manufacturing

Research Centre (AMRC), as well as the Northern

Ireland Advanced Composites and Engineering

Centre (NiACE).

Our impact The CIMComp total portfolio value is currently

£22 million, which includes 32 interrelated projects

and an Industrial Doctoral Centre.

We are currently training 45 EPSRC-supported

PhD/Engineering Doctorate (EngD) students and

29 postdoctoral researchers for the UK composites

manufacturing sector, with a further 62 EngD

students to be trained by 2022. We have leveraged

over £2.2 million in industrial support since 2012.

Universities involved:University of Nottingham, University of Bristol, Cranfield University, The University of Manchester.

Our partners:Airbus, Amber Composites, AMRC, BAE Systems, Bentley, Bombardier Shorts, Caparo, Cobham, Composites Integration, Composites Research Network, Cordenka, Coriolis Composites UK, DSTL, ESI, Festo, Formax, Formtech, GKN, Herzog, Hexcel, Ifremer, Lmat, Lotus, Luxfer, McLaren Automotive, McLaren Racing, Merl, Morgan Composites, MTC, M Wright & Sons, NCC, Rolls-Royce, Sigmatex, Technical Fibre Products, Trellebourg, Vestas.

Contact: Professor Andrew Long, EPSRC Centre DirectorTel: +44 (0) 115 9513779Email: Andrew.Long@nottingham.ac.ukWeb site: www.epsrc-cimc.ac.uk

CIMComp is an internationally-leading centre of excellence providing the foundations for a step change in the innovation of our supply chain.

Dr Tim Slack, Airbus

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Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability

The UK is in the process of

building an internationally-

leading capability in the practice

of industrial sustainability, and

can benefit from that leadership

economically, environmentally

and socially.

By rebalancing our economy and

knowing how to manufacture

products while using less energy

and less resources, we increase

the likelihood of retaining existing

production, and even on-shoring

the production of goods that are

currently imported.

Based at the University of

Cambridge, and in partnership

with Cranfield University,

Loughborough University and

Imperial College London, the

£5.2 million EPSRC Centre for

Innovative Manufacturing in

Industrial Sustainability supports

cross-industry learning, shared

technical research and the

intellectual development of this

rapidly evolving subject.

Research collaborations include

22 additional universities in the

UK, Europe and globally.

Our partners are typically

leaders in their chosen fields,

with a strong desire to work

together on shared problems

and opportunities. Collectively

we share a common vision for

excellence in practice, research

and policy in the field of

industrial sustainability.

A key characteristic of the Centre

is the focus on manufacturing

processes and systems as well

as products.

Sir Richard Lapthorne, Chairman, Cable and Wireless, Chairman, Foresight Group

on UK Manufacturing

The work of the Centre offers hope for a positive industrial future that can be successful and sustainable over the long term. Future generations depend on this.

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What we offerMaking a difference in the real world is core to our

vision, which is why we offer membership to leading

manufacturing businesses of all sizes.

Our members work with us in several key ways:

Sharing experiences with academics and

other members

Keeping the Centre up to date with industry

needs and emerging trends

Guiding the direction of our core research

and investments

Actively participating in research projects

Testing the outputs of other research projects

Implementing research findings to maximise

their impact on the UK economy

Providing feedback that can help shape future

government policy

For many of our founder members, a key factor in

joining is being able to share information about what

works and what does not, in confidence, with other

leading sustainable manufacturers. We help in this

process. Members have privileged access to some

of the early findings from research projects that they

are not participating in.

To ensure that our impact on industry is as effective

as possible we drive all research projects to produce

tools together with industry guides and case studies

so that the research can be understood and adopted

by businesses that were not part of the initial

research. Where possible we also convert the tools

into executive training and consultancy skills.

Our partners:Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Materials and Manufacturing at Exeter, Warwick and Cranfield, the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Food at Loughborough, Birmingham and Nottingham universities; the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership; the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

Industrial research partners:Adnams, ASICS, Carbon Trust, EEF, Extremis Ltd, The KTN Ltd, General Motors Company (GM)IEMA, Marks and Spencer, P&IB, RiverSimple, Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA, Trade Union Congress (TUC)Unilever Corporate Research, Vitsoe Ltd, WRAP, Xeros Ltd, P&IB, Vestas.

Contact: Professor Stephen Evans, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: +44 (0) 1223 339815Email: se321@cam.ac.ukMr Ian Bamford, Commercial Director, Tel: +44 (0) 771 851 7946Email: imb31@cam.ac.ukDr Dee Dee Frawley, National Outreach Manager, Tel: +44 (0) 1223 766141Email: ddf21@cam.ac.uk

Email: info@industrialsustainability.org Web site: www.industrialsustainability.org

The Centre is committed to maintaining porous

boundaries and enabling any UK academic to

join with us in developing the very broad area of

industrial sustainability.

We maintain a wide set of international relationships

and have working relationships with 20 leading

international universities and technical institutes so

that the UK remains aware of progress and is at the

heart of global trends.

Academic partners engaged in sustainable

manufacturing and design include: the University of

Surrey; the University of Liverpool; The University

of Manchester; London College of Fashion; Royal

College of Art; Brunel University; Cardiff University; the

University of Strathclyde; and De Montfort University.

95 collaboration partner organisations in industry

and academia

13 tools being used by over 40 manufacturers

16 business guides written

Over 90 journal and conference papers, book

chapters and reports

Five reports to UK and other national

governments and the UN

Core messages seen or heard by over

30,000 people

Innovation links

Our impact

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Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Emergent Macromolecular Therapies

The £5.9 million EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Emergent Macromolecular Therapies, based at UCL (University College London) and in collaboration with Imperial College London, provides an international lead in improving the way in which new biomolecules and processes are developed for manufacture and delivery to the patient.

We act as the focus for a national and international network of leading users and academics in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and provide strong support for UK industry.We aim to reduce greatly the time and costs of developing new treatments, and to improve access to protein drugs with advanced therapeutic properties. These developments offer the

potential for a step change in the competitiveness and performance of the UK-based biopharmaceutical sector.Our user group is made up of companies, sector groups and networking organisations and provides guidance on our research programme, the potential impact of our research, and the transfer of the technology we develop.

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What we offerWe offer a world-class engineering research

capability to address the process challenges in

biopharmaceuticals and synthetic biology. Our team

is highly multidisciplinary, to address the complexity

of research challenges. It links physical science and

biological disciplines with engineering and

social sciences.

We host the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in

Emergent Macromolecular Therapies – providing

the next generation of trained engineers for the

biopharmaceutical industry.

We have a strong record of working with companies

on collaborative R&D projects, and we are keen to

partner with companies on new projects funded

by Innovate UK (formerly the Technology Strategy

Board), Horizon 2020 and other agencies.

Universities involved:University College London, Imperial College London.

Our partners:Our research programme is aligned closely to industrial needs, and our industrial collaborators include major multinational pharmaceutical companies, small biopharmaceutical companies and companies in the supply chain.

Contact: Professor Nigel Titchener-Hooker, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: +44 (0) 207 679 3796Email: nigelth@ucl.ac.ukWeb site: www.ucl.ac.uk/biochemeng/industry/epsrc

The review panel finds the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Emergent Macromolecular Therapies to be a timely, highly innovative centre that is exploiting the UK’s top research and training talent in bio-macromolecular therapeutics manufacturing… It is making outstanding progress in delivering the fundamental science and technological advances needed to safely and economically manufacture a range of new product classes that are expected to dictate future growth of the biotechnology sector as it enters the age of personalised medicine. The Centre is responsive to and very well coordinated with industry.

International Review Panel

We undertake demonstration projects with Centre

companies to apply the Centre research findings to

company challenges.

Funding is also available to support staff and

researcher secondments to industry to apply

research that we develop. Companies can also

apply research that we develop through Knowledge

Transfer Partnerships, funded by Innovate UK.

The Department of Biochemical Engineering at

University College London manages an Industrial

Doctoral Training Centre (IDTC) in Bioprocess

Engineering Leadership. The IDTC provides

opportunities for collaborative research with

companies via tailored one-to-one Engineering

Doctorate (EngD) programmes.

The Centre regularly holds briefings and workshops

on technical and strategic issues related to its remit,

these are normally open to all the bioprocessing

community.

We also have close links with the Knowledge

Transfer Network Ltd, the BioIndustry Association,

and the High Value Manufacturing and Cell

Therapy Catapults.

Innovation links

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The global medical device market is valued at over £200 billion a year. That market is seeing pressures for reducing cost, increasing levels of regulatory control, improving levels of safety and reliability, and more rapid innovation and product development.The £4.5 million EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Medical Devices (MeDe Innovation) carries out research that addresses the whole manufacturing and product value chain in medical devices. This chain runs from product

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Medical Devices (MeDe Innovation)

concept through functional simulation and design, novel manufacturing processes and enhanced pre-clinical testing, to product delivery and enhanced patient benefits. The Centre is based at the University of Leeds, and is in collaboration with the universities of Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Bradford.The Centre addresses the strategic challenges of introducing stratification and personalisation in medical device technology, in particular developing Stratified Approaches

For Enhanced Reliability (SAFER) medical devices. These challenges include developing functionally stratified design and manufacture, and manufacturing at the point of need (near-patient manufacturing). We have established an industry network of 150 partners and a national clinical network. We are focusing initially on implantable devices and surgical delivery systems in musculoskeletal disease, which has a global market estimated at  £50 billion a year.

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What we offerWe have the largest pre-clinical joint replacement

simulator facility in the world, and can carry out

3D printing of scaffolds and cells for near-individual-

patient manufacture.

We can offer novel virtual simulation systems for

prediction of function and performance, to be used in

design analysis and stratification of implants

and populations.

We have facilities for the manufacture of non-woven

textiles, and manufacturing processes for acellular

biological scaffolds. We also have 500m2 Class

Two clean rooms, and ISO-accredited research

laboratories.

Industry partners can join our network, engage

directly in collaborative research, or collaborate with

any of our university partners in feasibility studies.

We also offer workshops on biological biomaterials

and scaffolds, near-patient manufacture, and

functionally stratified design and manufacture.

Innovation linksWe host EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training in

Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine –

Innovation in Medical and Biological Engineering.

We also host or have close links with:

The Medical Technologies Innovation and

Knowledge Centre based at the University

of Leeds

The ARUK Centre for Tissue Engineering,

University of Newcastle

The NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical

Research Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust

Universities involved:University of Leeds, University of Bradford, Newcastle University, University of Nottingham, University of Sheffield.

Our partners:Ceramisys, DePuySynthes, Eminate, Fripp Design, Glass Technology Services, JRI Orthopaedics, Materialise, NetComposites, NIHR LMBRU, NHSBT, Promethean Particles, Simpleware, Simulation Solutions, Surgical Innovations.

Contact:Professor John Fisher, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: +44 (0) 113 3432128Email: J.fisher@leeds.ac.uk Ceri Williams, Deputy Director, Tel: +44 (0) 113 3430922Email: c.j.r.williams@leeds.ac.ukRowan Grant, National Outreach Manager, Tel: +44 (0) 113 3430923Email: r.h.grant@leeds.ac.ukWeb site: www.mede-innovation.ac.ukTwitter: @mede_innovation

The Bradford Polymer Research Centre

The Cell Therapy Catapult

Our impactOne year in, our current research programme of

work involves over 40 projects co-created with

15 different industry partners, and with NHS

Blood and Transplant and NHS Leeds Teaching

Hospital Trust.

The total value of our current programme of work is

£10 million, of which £3 million is matched funding

from industry and other funders.

We have 60 researchers actively working on

manufacturing research projects in medical

device technology.

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Materialise has been working in partnership with MeDe Innovation to deliver novel software solutions via the Mimics Innovation Suite. Specific focus has been on ensuring the success of a novel bioactive implant for osteochondral repair. We have really benefitted from working in collaboration with the MeDe Innovation team and with the other industry partners supporting this tissue regeneration project, which has the potential to be adopted and adapted for a whole range of other clinical areas

Daniel Daryaie

Materialise UK Ltd, industry partner

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Photonics

Photonics and light-based technologies are key enabling technologies for the 21st century and central to our daily lives, from the web to the smartphone. Optical fibre enables the high-speed operation of the internet, cloud and big computing services. Lasers are the tool of choice for increasing the efficiency of advanced manufacturing, from

semiconductors to automotive production. Optical sensors are used in a host of different applications, from healthcare and building to transport infrastructure monitoring.To date, the manufacture of many photonic components, such as specialist optical fibre and new glasses, has been expensive and limited in volume.

The £5.1 million EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Photonics focuses on new methods of fabricating key photonics components so they can be manufactured cost-effectively in high volume with high consistency, opening up new domains of performance.

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What we offerBased at the EPSRC-supported Optoelectronics

Research Centre at the University of Southampton,

a substantial and internationally-leading institute

for photonics, we offer access to a new, state-

of-the-art clean room, with a unique range of

optical fibre, silicon, glass and planar photonics

manufacturing capabilities.

We have an international reputation for expanding

the range of optical materials, the methods by which

they can be processed, and the devices that result.

We are focused on new, low-cost techniques that

expand both the fundamental performance and the

manufacturability of key photonics components.

Our industrial partners have access to the highest

concentration of photonics expertise in Europe, as

well as over 100 laboratories for characterisation,

testing and development.

We are engaged with companies throughout

the supply chain, from photonics components

manufacturers to end users and system integrators,

who need to access the next generation of

photonics capability.

Universities involved:University of Southampton.

Our partners:AWE Plc, BAE Systems, Fianium Ltd, Fibercore Ltd, FiberLogix Ltd, Gooch & Housego Plc, M Squared Lasers Ltd, OpTek Systems, Oxford Electronics Ltd, Schlumberger, Selex Galileo, Sensoptics Ltd, SG Controls, SPI Lasers UK Ltd, Stratophase Ltd.

Contact: Professor David Payne, Principal Investigator, Tel: +44 (0) 23 8059 3583Email: dnp@orc.soton.ac.ukDeanna Standen, Marketing Communications, Tel: +44 (0) 2382 594509Email: d.standen@soton.ac.ukDr John Lincoln, National Outreach Manager, Tel: +44 (0) 7970 974120Email: j.lincoln@soton.ac.ukDr Gilberto Brambilla, Director, Tel: +44 (0) 23 8059 2696Email: gb2@orc.soton.ac.uk

Web site: www.cimp.soton.ac.uk

We are working with UK firms to exploit the untapped potential of optical technologies – extending their portfolios and introducing innovative, yet cost-competitive manufacturing processes in the photonics sector.

Professor Sir David Payne, Principal Investigator

Innovation linksWe have links to the Satellite Applications Catapult

and the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in

Applied Photonics.

Our impactThanks to over £1 million in direct funding from

industry we have developed novel photonic

components and technologies that have enabled

UK companies to expand their product portfolio

in a range of fields. These include photonics,

sensing, aerospace, defence, nuclear, energy and

material processing – enhancing competitiveness

and increasing their market penetration and

overall share.

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Large-area electronics is an innovative way of manufacturing electronics using high-throughput processes, such as printing and coating, with new active materials, including organic semiconductors, novel carbon-based materials and metal oxides. Devices including displays, photovoltaics, transistor circuits and sensors can be fabricated over large areas on a range of substrates, allowing electronic systems to be deployed in non-traditional situations: on paper, plastic or textiles, in furniture, cars and buildings as well as on packaging and even in and on the human body. This enables products to be designed that are

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Large-Area Electronics

thin and light, as well as flexible and robust. With these attributes, electronics systems can enter completely new markets, in the form of intelligent packaging, automation systems in buildings, wearable electronics, anti-counterfeiting devices, healthcare products, and the ‘internet of things’, in which everyday objects are connected via the web. The £5.6 million Centre brings together four academic centres of excellence in the field: the Cambridge Innovation and Knowledge Centre (CIKC), the Centre for Plastic Electronics at Imperial College London, the Welsh Centre for Printing and

Coating at Swansea University, and the Organic Materials Innovation Centre at The University of Manchester. Our research is focused on the challenges of integrating the component technologies, including conventional silicon electronics where necessary, into multifunctional electronic systems using high volume manufacturing processes. We work with a wide range of companies which are pioneering the electronics manufacturing revolution, and end-users who see its commercial potential, helping to establish a vibrant new electronics systems manufacturing industry.

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What we offerBy working with us as a partner organisation you

gain access to the most advanced knowledge in

large-area electronics manufacturing research.

We can help you develop new product concepts or

carry out feasibility studies for manufacturing of

large-area electronics applications.

We support assessment of large-area electronics

tools and fabrication techniques, in terms of yield,

reliability and cost-effectiveness, for industrial

product manufacturing.

We work with industry through Knowledge Transfer

Partnerships and other exchange schemes through

collaborative research projects such as those with

Innovate UK (previously the Technology Strategy

Board), Horizon 2020 or other publicly-funded

schemes, and through our networking events and

roadmapping workshops.

Universities involved:University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, The University of Manchester, Swansea University.

Our partners:3M United Kingdom PLC, Cambridge Display Technology Ltd, CPI Ltd (part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult), De La Rue International Ltd, Dow Corning Ltd, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Eight19 Ltd, Merck Chemicals Ltd, Molecular Vision Ltd, National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Nokia Research Centre, Cambridge, Oxford Lasers Ltd, Plastic Logic Ltd, Pragmatic Printing Ltd, RK Print Coat Instruments Ltd, SABMiller PLC, Solvay Fluor GmbH.

Contact: Chris Rider, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: +44 (0) 1223 767880Email: cbr24@cam.ac.ukWeb site: www-large-area-electronics.eng.cam.ac.uk

Innovation linksHigh Value Manufacturing Catapult

SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Industrial

Functional Coatings

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Plastic

Electronics Materials

Our impactLarge-area electronics will impact several high

growth market sectors, with a global market

predicted by analysts to reach at least $13 billion

by 2020

We are already working with industry partners

in two Innovate UK collaborative projects with a

total grant value of over £1.1 million.

The exciting future exploitation routes for our technology will utilise the unique properties of plastics to make electronics conformal, flexible, rollable, foldable and even stretchable. In overcoming the manufacturing obstacles to unlock the commercial potential of this market, the support of the bright minds of UK scientists is invaluable.

Dr Mike Banach, Plastic Logic Ltd

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Full metal circulation has the potential to transform the global metallurgical industry from one that is currently dominated by mining and primary metals production to one that revolves around the reuse, remanufacture or recycling of existing metals through innovative technologies. Achieving full metal circulation will lead to substantial conservation of natural resources and reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions, while meeting the demand for metallic materials for economic growth and wealth creation.

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Liquid Metal Engineering (LiME)

However, this depends upon developments in liquid metal engineering to bring it about.The UK metal casting industry is a key player in the global market, and it underpins the competitive position of every sector of UK manufacturing. However, the 500 or so companies in the sector are mainly SMEs, which are often not in a position to undertake the highest quality R&D necessary for them to remain competitive internationally.The £5.1 million Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Liquid Metal Engineering (LiME)

is a national centre of excellence, based at Brunel University, and in collaboration with Oxford and Birmingham universities. The Centre carries out fundamental research in solidification science, develops new metallic materials, and creates innovative and sustainable technologies to enable the UK metal casting industry and its customers to improve their competitiveness in global markets.

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What we offerOur team of investigators provide the necessary

expertise to carry out world-class research in both

fundamental solidification science and mainstream

casting technologies. We work flexibly as a cross-

institution research team, able to address the major

challenges now facing the metal casting industry

and its customers.

LiME brings together the impressive facilities

for solidification research at our three partner

universities, including state-of-the-art analytical

modelling and molecular dynamics simulation, a

range of innovative casting processes, technologies

for the engineering and assessment of liquid metals,

and an extensive suite of tools for microstructural

characterisation.

We continually seek to build additional collaborations

with academic and industrial partners.

Moreover, in our role as a national centre, we aim

to strengthen the UK solidification and casting

community as a whole. We do this through a

number of vehicles including networking open-

days, technology workshops, and partnerships with

industry federations.

Universities involved:Brunel University, University of Birmingham, University of Oxford.

Our partners:Aeromet International, Aluminium Federation, Cast Metals Federation, CSIRO Light Metals Flagship, Doncasters, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Foseco, General Research Institute for Non-ferrous Metals, Grainger & Worrall, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute of Cast Metals Engineers, Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining, Jaguar Land Rover, JVM Castings, London & Scandinavian Metallurgical, Magnesium Elektron, Materials Knowledge Transfer Network, Meridian, NewPro Foundries, Norton Aluminium, QinetiQ, Rautomead, Rolls-Royce, Sandvik, Sapa, Siemens, Tata, TWI.

Contact:Professor Zhongyun Fan, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: + 44 (0) 1895 266406Email: Zhongyun.Fan@brunel.ac.ukWeb site: www.lime.ac.uk

What we offer

Innovation links

Our impactWe have developed a number of novel metallic

materials and liquid metal processing technologies

that are undergoing industrial scale trials in the UK

and abroad.

To further bridge the gap between laboratory

innovations and full-scale production trials, we are

establishing a £17.4 million Advanced Metals Casting

Centre housing large-scale metals processing

equipment in a purpose-built 1,500 m2 facility.

Since LiME was established we have won

£27 million in research funding including £8 million

from industry. We have become a member of the

global Light Metals Alliance of eight key light metals

research groups, have organised three major

international conferences, and work hard to bring

the UK academic and industrial solidification and

casting communities together.

We have links with the Manufacturing Technology

Centre (MTC) and the Advanced Forming Research

Centre (AFRC) of the High Value Manufacturing

Catapult, and the new Materials Processing Institute.

We work closely with the EPSRC LATEST2

programme. Our focus on innovation is working

directly with industrial partners, for example for

demonstrator and production scale trials, and

through numerous collaborative programmes with

the EU and Innovate UK (previously the Technology

Strategy Board).

Within the international solidification community LiME has an excellent standing, obviously driven by enthusiasm of the highly motivated researchers. The Centre covers the whole range from atomistic modelling to foundry engineering. This is not only a real challenge, but is unique and means they transfer the knowledge gained not only to the scientific community, but also to industrial companies or more general to industrial processes.

Professor Lorenz Ratke, German Aerospace Centre

(DLR), Chairman of the LiME International

Advisory Board

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Most modern high-value manufacturing systems continue to rely heavily on the dexterity and flexibility of manual work. Intelligent automation could be a better alternative to many elements of human work, by improving operational efficiency and removing the need for people to carry out tasks in unhealthy, difficult or dangerous working conditions. This will enable companies to grow and skilled workers to be redeployed, performing other more rewarding tasks. This should bring substantial economic benefits, enabling manufacturers to continue (or return to) producing goods within the UK.The £5.9 million Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Intelligent Automation is a partnership between Loughborough University and Cranfield University, and has a

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Intelligent Automation

presence on both university sites. Our vision is to:• Bring people and technology

together to research, develop and implement advanced industrial manufacturing automation solutions

• Produce exemplars of research solutions up to proof-of-concept demonstrator stage

• Broaden the take-up of automation throughout UK industry, especially among SMEs

• Maintain high levels of quality whilst increasing production volume at reduced costs

• Take a national role, connecting expertise with need in this growing specialist area

• Inspire young people to consider future careers in highly skilled manufacturing roles

• Promote the further development of intelligent automation for UK industry

We are working to develop automated manufacturing processes previously considered too difficult to automate. Many of the technologies developed will enhance and maximise the use of the existing skill sets within the workforce rather than replace them. The aim of our research is to radically improve the effectiveness of manufacturing operations in key areas of UK industry, working to meet the needs both of large companies and manufacturing supply chains.

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Universities involved:Loughborough University, Cranfield University.

Our partners:Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Control and Data Services, the Manufacturing Technology Centre.

Contact: Professor Mike Jackson, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: : +44 (0) 1509 227570Email: m.r.jackson@lboro.ac.ukWeb site: www.intelligent-automation.org.uk Twitter: @WeKnowRobots

What we offerWe reach out beyond our existing network to the wider

manufacturing industry, especially SMEs. We aim

to build relationships, working with companies who

may otherwise have little access to high-value work.

We work closely with the British Automation and

Robot Association and the Manufacturing Technology

Centre to identify automation issues for smaller

manufacturers and individual companies, and are

exploring opportunities to address these challenges.

We are keen to grow and expand into different areas

of manufacturing, and welcome expressions of

interest from companies interested in investing as

partners, and shaping our future research direction.

We can offer 400m2 of dedicated lab space at

Loughborough University, and access to state-of-

the-art research facilities at Cranfield University

Academics and researchers work collaboratively

across the two sites and out with industrial

partners, sharing their complementary expertise

to develop truly multidisciplinary research

A fundamental synergy comes from the

integration of human factors researchers with

automation researchers. This teamwork leads to

full automation solutions, or partial automation

solutions. The latter involves human-automation

system cooperative working and has a significant

safety research element

We offer unique technical resources that include:

A Yaskawa SDA20D and SDA10 twin arm robot

cooperative working cell

A Kuka KR16 adaptive welding automation cell

which also has the facility for capturing human

skill and process parameters in TiG welding

A collaborative human-automation cell for the

development of new integrated safety systems

A haptic suit linked to Delmia for operator

ergonomic studies, with eye tracking goggles for

operator attention studies

Optical bore inspection facility mounted on Kuka

KR16 robot

3D surface scanner mounted on Fanuc

LR-Mate for micrometre sized surface

feature measurement

Optical bore inspection facility mounted on

Kuka KR16 robot

The CIM creates a unique supply chain for talent in intelligent automation. These skills are not available to us from anywhere else and will form a pivotal part of our future workforce.

Professor Ken Young, Technology Director,

Manufacturing Technology Centre

Innovation links

Our impact

We are part of a unique pipeline from discovery

through to industrial deployment. Work initiated

within an academic environment can be developed

through an established innovation pathway (the

Manufacturing Technology Centre and Cranfield

Partners) to reach major industrial companies with

the funding and commitment to exploit the results.

This continuous pipeline is central to our success

and value, and unique within the UK.

Fifteen projects that we have initiated will be

progressed to TRL 4+ and supported for development

by industry by the end of 2016.

£1 million has been committed by the industrial

partners to our research.

Industrial partner-led evaluation has indicated that

funds invested through us will lead to a significant

positive financial return through new innovations in

production processes.

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We work on multi-functional additive manufacturing (AM), which is the next step in the evolution of digital fabrication (3D printing) technologies, opening up new possibilities in high-value manufacturing for the production of functional structures in one build operation. This will lead to highly geometrically complex and innovative products across multiple sectors to enable applications which, for example, have electronic or optical elements directly ‘printed-in’ them, or which have integrated pharmaceutical or medical functions. Individual consumers and industrial end-users will benefit through innovative designs and

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Additive Manufacturing

the stream of services provided by the inbuilt functionality of products. Research has shown that additive manufacturing processes also have the potential to help improve sustainability, both in terms of the efficiency of manufacturing processes and the environmental performance of products during use. Based at the University of Nottingham, with Loughborough University as an academic partner, the £5.9 million Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Additive Manufacturing carries out fundamental and translational research into multifunctional AM. The Centre aims to give the high-value manufacturing sector in the UK the tools to

compete aggressively in the global marketplace, providing sustainable industrial growth and attractive new employment opportunities in this highly industrially relevant new manufacturing methodology.While undertaking low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) research activity, we also work closely with global industry to tackle major industrially relevant research challenges, ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of AM and its applications. Our priority is to enable commercial exploitation of our research in order to meet the industrial and national requirements for cutting-edge technologies that have a low carbon manufacturing footprint.

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Universities involved:University of Nottingham, Loughborough University.

Our partners:Alcoa, AWE, BAE Systems, Boeing Company, Delcam, Delphi Diesel Systems, Econolyst, GSK, National Physics Laboratory (NPL), Oce, PPG, Printed Electronics Limited, Renishaw, Rolls-Royce, Smart Fibres, Solidica, Stratasys, TWI.

Contact:Professor Richard Hague, Director, Executive Team, the University of Nottingham, Tel: +44 (0) 115 951 3962Email: Richard.Hague@nottingham.ac.ukWeb site: www.3dp-research.com

What we offerOur research activities primarily take place in our new

Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing laboratory

at the University of Nottingham. This is a £6 million

facility covering 500m2 in which the university has

also invested over £2 million in equipment and

refurbishment to create an internationally unique and

state-of-the-art additive manufacturing laboratory.

Specially laid out for our research activities that span

the TRL spectrum, the facility also incorporates three

separate laboratory rooms with restricted access for

confidential work.

Our team includes world-leading researchers in

innovative manufacturing (Centre Director

Professor Richard Hague, for example, is Chair of the

International Conference on Additive Manufacturing

and 3D Printing), as well as highly-skilled technicians.

Though we have a focus on the underpinning science

related to additive manufacturing, we actively offer

many opportunities for business to get involved –

either directly in the research or as part of our

wider network.

In addition to working directly with industry through

projects and partnerships, we host seminars,

networking events and conferences to help develop

the UK’s additive manufacturing community, bringing

together industrial members and researchers.

We also operate an open-door policy to all members

of the industrial community, across most sectors,

including aerospace, automotive, pharma and

consumer, looking to carry out additive manufacturing

research where we work with organisations of all

sizes, from world-leading multinationals to new start-

up companies.

Innovation links

We recently launched the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral

Training (CDT) in Additive Manufacturing, led by the

University of Nottingham with Newcastle, Liverpool

and Loughborough universities as integral partners.

The primary objective of this new CDT is to produce

research leaders to tackle the major scientific

and engineering challenges over the next 10-15

years, enabling additive manufacturing and 3D

printing to play a prominent role in manufacturing,

and provide the people and talent to fuel this new

industrial revolution.

Our impact

We are committed to realising the potential of

our research activities and we strive to create

impact on both academic and industrial levels

through publications in the best scientific journals,

graduation of doctoral students, patenting of

key intellectual property and exploitation of this

intellectual property through licencing into industry

or through spin-out activity.

As additive manufacturing matures, technologies will evolve to transform the ways in which engineers design and fabricate parts... My research team, within the printing group, recently evaluated additive manufacturing research groups around the world and identified the Additive Manufacturing Research Group at the University of Nottingham as a world leader... I believe the proposed use of 3D printing to fabricate multi-functional parts is revolutionary, and we are interested in seeing progress in your investigations.

Edward D. Davis, Senior Strategic Technology

Manager, HP 3D Printing Business Unit

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Advanced metrology is a key infrastructure technology which increasingly underpins innovative manufacturing. Without measurement, manufacturing is not possible. Measurement is an important way of verifying that innovative manufacturing processes are working as they should, and predicting the quality of products, their function and lifetime performance. Measurement is applied across all manufacturing sectors, and it is of critical importance in key sectors such as aerospace, automotive, microelectronics, energy, healthcare, telecommunications, and low carbon technologies, enabling these industries to flourish and grow in the UK. The ‘factory-on-the-machine’ concept, using novel measurement

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Advanced Metrology

technology, will enable products to be designed, manufactured, measured, and corrected in a single integrated system, making possible a flexible and agile form of high-value manufacturing. It will enable the future factory to make bespoke geometric products, getting them right first time, and every time. This new infrastructure technology, and the knowledge that comes from it, will also contribute to ‘big data’ collection, precision 3D printing, and cloud/distributed manufacturing systems.The £4.7 million Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Advanced Metrology is based at the University of Huddersfield’s Centre for Precision Technologies (CPT), a long-established group with an international reputation in precision engineering, and metrology R&D. In partnership with the National Physical

Laboratory and the Science and Technology Facilities Council, our aim is to develop the UK’s manufacturing metrology capabilities, and support economic growth in precision engineering.Our highly innovative research and strong links with industry have resulted in the CPT being designated a National Centre of Excellence in Advanced Metrology. Our focus is on developing the UK’s manufacturing metrology capabilities, as well as supporting economic growth in relevant sectors.Our key areas of research are:• Machine tool metrology• Mathematics for metrology• Optical instrumentation• Surface metrology

and applications• Ultra precision manufacturing

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What we offerWe work closely with industry partners to ensure

that our research and projects will benefit the sector

and ultimately lead to more efficient and accurate

manufacturing processes.

We solve real-world manufacturing problems

through cutting-edge metrology research and

development in precision engineering.

Our multidisciplinary team of over 40 research

staff and students includes engineering scientists,

physicists, mechanical and electrical engineers,

mathematicians and computer software developers.

This ensures a high level of innovation and

collaboration in different sectors and disciplines,

including areas not commonly linked to precision

engineering, such as skin science, forensics,

implants and archaeology.

Universities invovled:University of Huddersfield.

Our partners:AMRC, Asquith Butler, BSI, Carl Zeiss, Centre for Integrated Photonics (CIP), Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), Cummins Turbo Technologies, Dapatech, David Brown Gear Systems, DepuyForensic Pathways, Holroyd/PTG, IBS Precision Engineering, London Implant Retrieval CentreMachine Tool Technologies, Manufacturing Technologies Association, NPL, Renishaw, Rolls-RoyceTaylor Hobson.

Contact: Professor Xiangquian (Jane) Jiang, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: +44 (0) 1484 473634Email: x.jiang@hud.ac.ukWeb site: www.hud.ac.uk/research/researchcentres/ciman

Innovation linksWe have close links to the High Value

Manufacturing Catapult.

Our impactSince its creation in 2011 the Centre has

collaborated with over 100 companies and around

75 universities/research institutes across the world.

Over this period, £3.8 million of additional R&D

funding has been leveraged and the team have

delivered over 40 industrial training, consultancy

and/or measurement services projects.

The Centre is also actively engaged in the

development of new national and international

standards, and has strong links to the National

Measurement System through its close collaborative

relationship with National Physcial Laboratory.

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The UK food manufacturing sector employs around 400,000 people, has an annual turnover of £76.2 billion, accounts for 16 per cent of the total UK manufacturing base, and contributes £12 billion in exports to the UK. However, there are numerous and increasing pressures on the food system, from the primary production of food to the changing behaviours and eating habits of consumers. There is both an increased need to use more of what nature provides while keeping pace with changes in consumer behaviour.

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Food

This requires a new, flexible manufacturing capability, which will enable foods to be made to order, closer to the point of sale and use.Engaging with the UK food industry and the UK science base can help us make food more resource-efficient and secure. The £4.5 million EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Food is helping to develop innovative materials, products and processes for use in food manufacture, and making food supply and manufacture more sustainable. This includes:

• Developing new processing technologies

• Upgrading ingredients to improve resource efficiency

• Developing food manufacturing for healthy diets and lifestyles

• Using new, flexible manufacturing processes such as re-distributed manufacturing

• Promoting eco-food manufacturing

• Developing ideas and strategies for a sustainable food supply chain

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Universities involved:University of Nottingham, University of Birmingham, Loughborough University.

Our partners:Partners helping shape the focus and impact of the Centre are: 2 Sisters Food Group, AB Sugar, Cargill, Food & Drink Federation, J Sainsbury Plc, Knowledge Transfer Network, McCain Foods GB Ltd, Manufacturing Technology Centre, Marks and Spencer Plc, Mars, Mondelez, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Premier Foods, Unilever.

Contact: Professor Tim Foster, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: +44 (0) 115 9516246Email: tim.foster@nottingham.ac.uk Twitter: @cim_food

What we offerThe Centre is a collaboration between the University

of Nottingham, the University of Birmingham and

Loughborough University. We offer our partners

research expertise and associated facilities and

equipment, and we are also developing new talent,

employing 30 new researchers.

The University of Nottingham’s Department of Food

Science has a focus on biomaterial processing,

and is home to the Food and Bioenergy Innovation

Centre, which has a bespoke food processing facility.

Loughborough University has a strong focus

on sustainable manufacturing. Its Sustainable

Manufacturing and Recycling Technologies (SMART)

Centre leads in areas such as sustainable product

design, low carbon manufacturing and supply

chain management.

The University of Birmingham’s Centre for

Formulation Engineering won the Queen’s

Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education

in 2011. It is the only institute of its kind in the UK,

and meets the process needs of industry in the

manufacture of micro-structured materials.

By becoming Centre partners, organisations in

the food industry can get involved in our research

projects, help to direct our projects, and gain early

access to research data and talent developed at the

Centre. We have an ongoing programme of events to

encourage industry participation.

Innovation linksWe collaborate with the EPSRC Industrial Doctorate

Centre in Formulation Engineering, which carries

out research in industry.

The centre is developing new drying, emulsifying and

3D printing capabilities. We also collaborate with the

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable

Chemistry, which will develop new chemical and

manufacturing solutions that are safe, efficient and,

above all, sustainable.

The Centre also has strong links with:

Innovate UK (previously the Technology

Strategy Board)

UK Trade & Investment

Appetite for Engineering

The Knowledge Transfer Network

The Food and Drink Federation

The High Value Manufacturing Catapults

(The Manufacturing Technology Centre)

This Centre will create the science and technology leadership required for the continued strength of the UK’s largest manufacturing sector.

Ian Noble, PepsiCo

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Together, CMAC’s partners have a shared long-term vision: to enable a step change from batch manufacturing of pharmaceuticals to fully continuous manufacturing processes, systems and plants – leading to higher levels of quality at a lower cost, more quickly and in a more sustainable manner. The shared vision, scope and programme for CMAC have been developed through close collaboration with industry and, in particular, our founding strategic partners GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Novartis, which continue to provide significant input and support.

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallisation (CMAC)

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is entering a period of unprecedented change with the need to reduce costs, enhance sustainability and ensure quality across a broad range of traditional and emergent product types and therapeutic areas. The drivers for change include technological, economic and regulatory factors that have seen an increased focus on manufacturing research to deliver better processes and advanced products.Continuous manufacturing offers significant advantages over traditional batch methods, and

our research will revolutionise the way medicines are made and delivered to patients. This requires an improved understanding of pharmaceutical material functionality and new manufacturing technologies that can be deployed within a highly regulated environment.Our research is bringing together chemists, engineers, pharmaceutical scientists and supply chain management researchers to accelerate the adoption of continuous manufacturing.

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Universities involved:University of Strathclyde (hub), University of Bath, University of Cambridge, University of EdinburghUniversity of Glasgow, Heriot-Watt University, Loughborough University.

Industrial partners:AMTech, AstraZeneca, Clairet Scientific Ltd, Cambridge Reactor Design, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis. Tier 2:, Mettler Toledo, NiTech Solutions Ltd, Novartis, Perceptive Engineering Ltd, PSE, SyrrisAvantium, Alconbury Weston Ltd.

Contact:Professor Alastair Florence, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: +44 (0) 141 548 4877 (ext 4877)Email: alastair.florence@strath.ac.ukCraig Johnston, Industry Director, Tel: +44 (0) 141 548 2240 (ext 2240) Email: craig.johnston.101@strath.ac.uk Dr Andrea Johnston, Centre Manager, Tel: +44 (0) 141 548 4506 (ext 4506)Email: andrea.johnston@strath.ac.uk

General Enquiries, Email: info@cmac.ac.uk, Web site: www.cmac.ac.uk

What we offerWe have facilities distributed across our seven

partner universities, providing access to unique,

multidisciplinary capabilities over a broad

spectrum of areas.

We have developed a facilities database which

may be viewed globally. We are also developing

an expertise database to make it clear at a glance

exactly what we offer. In addition to conducting

fundamental manufacturing research, the Centre:

Develops new processes on company-specific

problems

Innovates and puts prototypes into practice

Delivers measurable successes that are of real

benefit to society

Creates commercial opportunities for start-ups

and major global companies

Delivers new and innovative approaches to

continuous manufacturing, tailored to

industry needs

Produces a talent pipeline of highly skilled

scientists and engineers

Influences policy, government and regulators

Understands and integrates with broader supply

chain context

Collaborates best with best on a worldwide basis

Innovation linksWe are committed to open access across the broad

industry/academic community. Our EPSRC Centre

for Doctoral Training is helping meet the demand for

highly-skilled researchers in the field, working with

leading UK academics and industry mentors.

We also form part of the Technology and Innovation

Centre at Strathclyde, a hub for world-leading

research, transforming the way academics,

business, industry and the public sector collaborate.

Within this hub the recently announced £34 million

UK Research Partnership Investment Fund scheme

at Strathclyde will establish a world-class facility

for continuous manufacturing and crystallisation

research equipped with a comprehensive suite

of continuous processing process analysis and

characterisation equipment.

Our impact 80 staff and growing

£80 million portfolio funding (original business

plan £36 million)

Recent flagship awards include a £34.2 million

UK Research Partnership Investment Fund;

£22.8 million industry and charity contributions;

and £23 million project approved in the latest

round of the Advanced Manufacturing Supply

Chain Initiative

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The Centre is recognised by stakeholders as a world-leading manufacturing research centre. It will attract inward investment, new jobs and wealth.Craig Johnston, Industry Director

Laser-based manufacturing is a global multi-billion dollar industry. The past 25 years have seen industrial lasers replace conventional tools in many diverse areas of manufacture, enabling increased productivity, functionality and quality.The £5.6 million EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Laser-based Production Processes opens the door to a diverse range of new technologies, and manufacturing applications,

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Laser-based Production Processes

helping UK industry to take maximum advantage of these advances by bringing together a multidisciplinary team of leading UK researchers and key industry partners.We run a wide-ranging programme of coordinated research and UK-wide network-building activities which include strong European links. This approach enables significant business growth opportunities, stimulating the broader UK community, providing

leadership in the development of UK public policy, giving access to infrastructure for SMEs, and providing education and training for industry.Our vision is to allow UK manufacturing industry to take advantage of high quality, high precision, repeatable and flexible laser-based production processes, by developing and refining new manufacturing techniques.

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Universities involved:Heriot-Watt University, University of Cambridge, Cranfield University, University of Liverpool, The University of Manchester.

Our partners:AILU – Association of Laser Users, APT Technologies, Airbus, Attica, AWE, Carrs Welding TechnologiesCoherent Scotland, Compound Semiconductor Technologies, GE Aviation, Gooch & HousegoHelia Photonics, JK Lasers, Laser Cladding Technology, Laser Expertise, Laser MicromachiningLitron Lasers, Manufacturing Technology Centre, MenloSystems, Micrometric, M-Solv, OpTek Systems,OptoScribe, Oxford Lasers, PowerPhotonic, Renishaw, Selex-ES, SPI Lasers, Rofin-Sinar UK,Rofin-Baasel UK, Rolls-Royce, Tata, Trumpf, TWI.

Contact: Professor Duncan Hand, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: +44 (0) 131 451 3020Email: D.P.Hand@hw.ac.ukWeb site: www.cim-laser.ac.uk

What we offer

Our distributed Centre team offers world-class

background knowledge of a wide range of laser-

based manufacturing applications and high-level

technical skills in the science and technology of

both laser-material processes and advanced lasers,

optics and related hardware systems.

Moreover, we have a wide range of high average/

peak power industrial laser systems across many

pulse lengths including millisecond, nanosecond,

picosecond, femtosecond and continuous-wave, and

wavelengths from the UV through to the infrared

(355nm, 532nm, 1.06μm, 2.94μm, 10.6μm), and with

average power levels from a few tens of Watts

to multi-kW.

These laser systems are coupled with high

precision motion systems, including high speed

galvo scanners and high precision air bearing and

cross bearing stages. The laser processes that can

be provided encompass micromachining, optical

modification, polishing, cutting, welding and other

joining processes.

We also have extensive laser-based additive

manufacturing systems, with a particular focus on

powder bed processes. Analytical facilities include

>20 electron microscopes, comprising SEMs, two

dual beam Focused Ion Beam (FIB) microscopes,

and five Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEMs).

Seedcorn projects allow SMEs to work with us on

two-week feasibility studies or pump-prime projects

at no cost to themselves. Each project is awarded

up to two weeks of researcher time, with input from

members of the Centre academic team to develop

or test laser-based production processes that could

benefit the SME involved.

Innovation links

We have close links to several EPSRC Centres for

Doctoral Training that complement and augment

our research effort, including the EPSRC Centre for

Doctoral Training in Additive Manufacturing.

Our impact

Our underpinning approach to exploitation is the

systematic sharing of new scientific information and

technology with industry partners.

In addition to the Core Platform and Flagship

programmes, additional leverage and industry

engagement are being developed via a series of

initiatives. These include directly-funded, company-

focused research projects; partnering in Innovate UK

(previously the Technology Strategy Board) projects;

and by actively promoting larger-scale EU-funded

programmes, utilising our well-developed

European networks.

In addition, the Centre Outreach Programme aims

to help stimulate and coordinate the UK industry/

academic community with the objective of developing

UK manufacturing industry growth strategies and

influencing the formulation of national

investment policies.

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Regenerative medicine is a high-value field of healthcare, with the potential to transform lives for the better. It covers a wide range of therapies designed to enable damaged, diseased or defective skin, bone and other tissues to work normally again.The regenerative medicine manufacturing sector seeks to translate these therapies into the

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine

clinic, in sufficient quantity and in safe and cost-effective ways.The £5.8 million EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine is led by Loughborough University, in partnership with Keele University and the University of Nottingham.We work to equip businesses in the regenerative medicine

manufacturing industry with the tools, technologies and platforms they need, from end to end of the supply chain. We use a systems approach to draw together the many processes involved in transferring the right therapies to the right patient at the right time.

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What we offerWe collaborate with academic, clinical and

commercial organisations on a wide range of funded

research. We are building a community to share best

practice in regenerative medicine manufacturing.

Each of the universities within the Centre has

cutting-edge facilities which are available to our

partners, including quality-managed biological

engineering laboratories, advanced manufacturing

workshops and analytical measurement suites.

Our experts are available to work on confidential

research projects for commercial clients.

Businesses can commission our researchers to

work on problems specific to their needs.

Opportunities also arise for tools and technologies to

be licensed to commercial organisations or for spin-

out companies to be created.

Innovation linksThe Centre works with a wide variety of collaborators

– academic, clinical, industrial and regulatory. Our

close links with the Cell Therapy Catapult help our

partners take their innovations into the marketplace.

Universities involved:Loughborough University, The University of Nottingham, Keele University, Heriot-Watt University, University of Bath, University of Birmingham, University College London.

Our partners: Asymptote, Athersys, Baker Ruskinn, Bose ElectroForce Systems Group, BSI, CCRM, Cell Therapy Catapult, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, GSK, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Instron TGT, Intercytex, International Organization for Standardization, I-Stem, Knowledge Transfer Network, LGC, Locate Therapeutics, Medilink East Midlands and West Midlands, MHRA, NC3Rs, Neusentis, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS Blood and Transplant, NIBSC, ReNeuron, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Smith & Nephew, TAP Biosystems, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

Contact: Professor Nick Medcalf, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: +44 (0) 1509 564898Email: n.medcalf@lboro.ac.ukDr Sophie Dale-Black, Head of Engagement, Tel: +44 (0) 1509 227649Email: s.h.dale-black@lboro.ac.ukWeb site: www.epsrc-regen-med.orgTwitter: @RM_Outreach

Our impactWe deliver cost-effective processes that increase

patient access to advanced therapies. We work with

the regulatory authorities to inform the way that

safe, effective treatments can be produced.

We support policy in advanced therapies by working

on committees and governmental initiatives. We

promote good practice through our contribution to

work on international standardisation.

This bridging of biology, medicine and engineering

creates one of the most exciting areas of

multidisciplinary science – and it will lead to a new

manufacturing industry.

We have benefitted greatly from collaborating with the EPSRC Centre. Accessing first-class materials and drug delivery expertise has helped transition ideas from early proof of concept into full development.

Rob Quirk, Director, Locate Therapeutics

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Our fruitful collaboration with the EPSRC Centre at Loughborough University has given us access to manufacturing science expertise and specialist equipment to support the progress of two of our flagship projects.

Dr Stephen Ward, Chief Operating Officer, Cell

Therapy Catapult

Working with Professor Shakesheff and the EPSRC Centre has accelerated our product development work and created a new important opportunity to manufacture a regenerative product for dental and maxillofacial applications.

Dr Marco Tatullo, Director of Research, Calabrodental

Making complex engineering products is hard; making them last a long time is harder.The £11.1 million EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Through-Life Engineering Services carries out research into extending the life of technological products and associated issues such as degradation and failure mechanisms, autonomous

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Through-Life Engineering Services

maintenance, component obsolescence and whole life cost modelling. Hosted by Cranfield University and Durham University, the mission of the Centre is to improve the availability, predictability and reliability of complex engineering products that deliver the lowest possible cost over their whole life cycle.

Our vision is to provide thought leadership in through-life engineering services, and be the first choice for UK manufacturing companies as a source of technological solutions, R&D capability, knowledge, skill and advice. We are unique in what we offer.

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What we offerThe Through-life Engineering Services Studio is

established in the heart of the Cranfield University

Campus and at Durham University. The studio

facilities provide instrumentation and laboratories

for carrying out experiments and developing

technology and process demonstrators.

Among the facilities within the studio are:

An environmental chamber to support thermal

cycling, dielectric over-voltage, thermal stress

and current overload testing

NDT and associated capabilities in a number

of techniques which include ultrasound, eddy

current and thermography scanning and

measurement technologies

An augmented and virtual reality suite

The facility also allows for a collaborative working

environment, where multiple participants can

simultaneously manipulate elements on

their displays.

There are various ways in which companies can get

involved with us, from short-term, focused projects,

through longer and broader interactions, to full

membership of the core partner group, giving you

the ability to steer the direction and focus of

our research.

We have also launched a TES Club, which provides

a simple way of engaging with Centre activities,

especially for smaller companies in the service and

support supply chain.

Universities involved:Cranfield University, Durham University.

Our partners: Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Ministry of Defence, Bombardier Transportation, British Standards Institute, Intelligent Energy Ltd, Cassidian Test and Services Ltd, National Instruments Ltd,EnginSoft UK Ltd, GOM UK Ltd, Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine Ltd, PRICE Systems International,Siemens Ltd, Copernicus Technology Ltd, ADS Group Ltd, East of England Energy Group, UK Council for Electronic Business, The Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTNs), The Safety and Reliability Society (SaRS), The Manufacturer.

Contact:Professor Rajkumar Roy, EPSRC Centre Director, Tel: +44 (0) 1234 758555Email: r.roy@cranfield.ac.ukAndy Shaw, EPSRC Centre Manager, Tel: +44 (0) 1234 750111 Ext 2281, Mobile: 07711 706287Email: a.shaw@cranfield.ac.ukEleanor Collins, EPSRC Centre Outreach Coordinator, Tel: +44 (0) 1234 750111 x 4031Email: eleanor.collins@cranfield.ac.ukWeb site: www.through-life-engineering-services.org

Innovation linksWe have close links with the Electronics, Energy

Generation and Supply, and Aerospace, Aviation and

Defence Knowledge Transfer Networks. We have

generated one patent and have two more potential

patents in the pipeline.

We held an inaugural TES Knowledge Hub dinner

for 70 senior executives from industry and captured

key themes for the future direction of our sector.

These leading thinkers will help guide our innovation

approach.

Our impactThe five core projects of the Centre are producing

tangible results, and the collaborations with our

industrial partners have become stronger.

We have completed several industrial use cases

to add value to the partners. We have published

many papers in both peer-reviewed journals and

at international conferences and now have in

production the first book in Through-life Engineering

Services which is due to be published in early 2015.

We have developed a series of initiatives such

as establishing a new international conference,

TESConf, with 80 papers and 140 delegates in its

third year, sponsoring a national award in Through-

life Engineering Services, also in its third year; and

have held a series of open calls for feasibility studies

complementary to our core research and funded 19

proposals involving 11 new universities with

the Centre.

We have also supported a series of successful

proposals valued at £5.7 million which have grown

the influence of the Centre.

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Ultra precision has many different applications, from micro-fluidics to large telescope and space optics. The technologies and techniques involved allow features on the atomic scale to be reproduced over large areas, with high yield and high quality.The £5.9 million EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Ultra Precision is led by Cranfield University, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and the National Physical Laboratory. The Centre helps to accelerate the development of emerging high-value products, through internationally-leading research

Our aim

EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Ultra Precision

on ultra precision processes. It engages with the UK supply chain in precision manufacturing, helping to create opportunities for future wealth creation in emerging sectors.

What we offerOur primary role is to provide bespoke machine tools that can produce nano-scale features on metre-scale substrates, both rigid and flexible. As well as benefiting from world-leading research and the most rapid laser-assisted focused ion beam processing, our partners

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have access to the most compact machine tooling centre, and the largest flexible film roll-to-roll processing equipment, built on a production scale.We engage with organisations throughout the supply chain for ultra precision equipment and its applications, from large machine producers to small businesses dealing with single-stage processes, and raw materials suppliers. This is increasingly the case, as UK businesses develop their own new products and services, which rely on access to facilities on the scale of what we have developed.

Innovation linksOur educational demonstrator Watch It Made™

is being developed into a self-sustaining

educational experience

Our EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Ultra

Precision is integrated with the National Strategy

Programme and links educational and industrial

outreach activities

We are involved in national networking

events across the UK, including partnering

with the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI),

Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and

High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapults

Output from our large roll processing platform

provides sample material for the European

EMPIR metrology programme and EPSRC

metamaterials research projects.

Universities involved:Cranfield University, University of Cambridge, National Physical Laboratory.

Our partners:3DE, Aerotech (UK), Castech Ltd, Double-R Controls Ltd, Fanuc (UK), Gooch & Housego, Heidenhain (UK), Hexagon Metrology, Holford Precision Ltd, Integration Technology Ltd, Loxham PrecisionM-Solv, Poeton Ltd, Qioptiq Ltd, SPI Lasers UK, Timson, Westwind.

Contact:Martin O’Hara, National Strategy Manager, Tel: +44 (0) 1234 752958Email: martin@ultraprecision.orgWeb site: www.ultraprecision.orgTwitter: @UPrecisionUK LinkedIn: Ultra Precision UK NetworkFacebook: Ultra Precision UK

Our impactOver 30 businesses have now joined in with our

activities. In addition we have seen:

Over £7 million in added value from industrial

and other non-EPSRC sources

40 papers published, including by our CDT

researchers as well as Centre investigators.

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I am impressed and extremely interested in your reel-to-reel system and welcome the opportunity of being involved. We are a British company manufacturing reel-to reel equipment and have extensive experience in many of the processes; access to a large-scale research platform will help keep the UK ahead in this technology.

Neal Rothwell, Group CEO, Double-R Group

The Ultra Precision networking event at CPI brought together industry and academic experts and enabled us to showcase our facilities. Several interesting projects from the event are being considered and we are now working together with the Ultra Precision and Advanced Metrology centres to develop a roll-to-roll summer school for 2015. This has strengthened the relationship between CPI and the Ultra Precision CIM and we look forward to a very productive relationship moving forward.

Dr Jon Helliwell, Director of Printable Electronics,

Centre for Process Innovation

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