Move to boost lab and manufacturing links

An initial group of fellows, funded by the EPSRC, will carry out research at one or more of the seven Centres of Excellence that collectively form the Technology Strategy Board’s (TSB) High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult.

“These fellowships will allow academics to immerse themselves in an industry-focused environment

ESPRC chairman Paul Golby

The scheme is designed to increase academic involvement in the HVM Catapult and accelerate the impact of EPSRC-funded research so that it is utilised more rapidly within industry.

ESPRC chairman Paul Golby said: “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.”

The University of Sheffield (UOS) is one such institution to benefit from the announcement, having been granted an initial £1 million grant to help coordinate the scheme through its Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

Professor Richard Jones of the UOF said: “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.”

The seven centres included in the scheme are as follows:

• Advanced Forming Research Centre (University of Strathclyde)
• Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (University of Sheffield)
• Centre for Process Innovation (Wilton & Sedgefield)
• Manufacturing Technology Centre (Ansty, sponsored by the Universities of Birmingham, Loughborough and Nottingham and by TWI)
• National Composites Centre (University of Bristol)
• Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Universities of Manchester and Sheffield)
• Warwick Manufacturing Group (University of Warwick)