New wave of engineers

The automotive and aerospace industries in the UK have received a major boost as Universities and Science Minister David Willetts announced the launch of five new centres across the UK to train engineers of the future.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is co-funding five new Industrial Doctorate Centres covering key areas of advanced manufacturing vital to growth in two of the UK's biggest industrial sectors.

The new EPSRC centres will help students taking an engineering doctorate (EngD) to understand the needs of business, how to be entrepreneurs, as well as training them in the most innovative future technologies in advanced manufacturing.

Launching the new centres during a visit to the Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Loughborough University, the Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts, said: “These new centres will generate a new wave of engineers with the knowledge and skills needed to become future business leaders and create new innovation and economic growth for the UK.

“They focus on key areas of advanced manufacturing, which are vital to the UK's major industrial sectors including the aerospace and automotive industry. These talented young innovators will help fuel future economic growth for the UK.”

Each centre will support up to 100 doctorate students over four years and are based in university departments with a strong track record of working in partnership with industry.

Over 50% of the funding for each centre will come from industrial partners with EPSRC providing £1.25 million per centre. The companies involved in these centres include JLR, Rolls-Royce, Tata Steel, Timet, Airbus, BAE Systems, Boeing and a wide range of other partners.

The five new centres:

Delivering rapid manufacturing performance improvements
Nottingham, Birmingham and Loughborough Universities (Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).

New ways of manufacturing metal with very little waste
University of Strathclyde, Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC).

Clever new machine technology to make huge time and cost savings
Sheffield University, Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

High value. Low environmental impact manufacturing. Warwick University (Warwick Manufacturing Group).

New techniques for improving manufacturing processes
Swansea University (College of Engineering).