EPSRC Centres for Innovative Manufacturing
Manufacturing has been supported in a number of ways by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). This area has always benefitted from funding dedicated to some aspect of Manufacturing Research. Since 2001, this support has been primarily through Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres (IMRCs).
In 2009, the funding model changed to meet changing business requirements and the EPSRC Centres for Innovative Manufacturing were created. The model for these new centres incorporates the advantages of the IMRC funding model - stability of long-term funding to allow long-term planning and retention of expertise - whilst giving increased flexibility to respond quickly to new research results and react effectively to user-led research challenges.
The aims of these Centres are:
- To create, deliver and disseminate a coherent programme of innovative manufacturing research.
- To address major long-term manufacturing challenges / and or emergent market opportunities.
- To provide strong support for UK manufacturing industries.
- To enhance the global profile and significance of the UK manufacturing research.
- To create a national network of expertise in manufacturing knowledge with outreach to other centres and relevant research groups.
It is expected that the Centres will:
- Act as leaders in their areas: be high profile, lead on workshops, open days and networks and drive forward the innovative manufacturing research agenda, influencing policy and contributing to national debate in manufacturing.
- Evolve by taking a strategic approach to move in new directions and new areas and depart from traditional thinking.
- Work with EPSRC to further manufacturing research.
In addition to this dedicated funding, the EPSRC portfolio in manufacturing research is supplemented by grants awarded through standard responsive mode.
Related research areas
- Artificial Intelligence Technologies
- Bioenergy
- Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
- Built Environment
- Carbon Capture and Storage
- Catalysis
- CMOS Device Technology
- Complex Fluids and Rheology
- Complexity Science
- Control engineering
- Displays
- Electrical Motors and Drives/Electromagnetics
- Energy Efficiency
- Energy Storage
- Engineering Approaches to manufacturing operations
- Engineering Design
- Fuel Cell Technology
- Graphene and Carbon Nanotechnology
- Graphics and Visualisation
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Hydrogen and Alternative Energy Vectors
- ICT Network and Distributed Systems
- Image and Vision Computing
- Information Systems
- Manufacturing Technologies
- Materials Engineering - Ceramics
- Materials Engineering - Composites
- Materials Engineering - Metals and Alloys
- Mathematical Aspects of Operational Research
- Microelectronics Design
- Microsystems
- Mobile Computing
- Non CMOS Device Technologies
- Nuclear Fission
- Optical Devices and Subsystems
- Optoelectronic Devices and Circuits
- Particle Technology
- Performance and Inspection of Mechanical Structures and Systems
- Polymer Materials
- Process Systems Components and Integration
- Resource Efficiency
- RF and Microwave Devices
- Robotics
- Sensors and Instrumentation
- Software Engineering
- Solar Technology
- Statistics and Applied Probabilities
- Structural Engineering
- Surface Science
- Synthetic Biology
- Synthetic Co-ordination Chemistry
- Synthetic Supramolecular Chemistry
- Vision, hearing and other senses