INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING SETS ITS SIGHTS ON UNLOCKING SUPPLY CHAIN POTENTIAL AFTER £6 MILLION EXPANSION

The UK’s first Faculty on the Factory Floor has unveiled a six-million-pound expansion to help boost industry’s journey towards a sustainable and digital world.

Coventry University’s Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME), which was originally born out of a collaboration with Unipart Manufacturing in 2014, has been relaunched thanks to a £5 million investment by the university and a £1 million grant from the government’s Local Growth Fund.

The investment has delivered nearly 2,000 sq metres of additional space for new laser welders, laboratories, a robotic and testing area and new digital twin capabilities.

The relaunch marks nearly a decade of achievement for AME, with more than £110 million of research and development and commercial projects completed for major automotive marques such as Aston Martin, Ford, Lotus and the new battery manufacturing facility Hyperbat, helping generate more than £500 million of economic benefits for the UK.

Nearly 175 companies – including large manufacturers alongside SMEs, have collaborated through the centre, and more than 400 students have graduated thanks to the combination of real-world shopfloor and classroom learning.

AME has spearheaded projects that have improved production precision and e ciency and has been pivotal in developing lightweight, eco-friendly products and methodologies. It also helped create high-volume fuel rails that are now exported from Coventry to China and other parts of the world.

Carol Rose Burke CBE, Managing Director at Unipart Manufacturing, said: “As the transport sector transitions to EV manufacturing and greener solutions, Coventry University’s latest investment will empower AME to expand Unipart’s capabilities into new sectors.

“This involves collaborating on R&D with academia and strengthening ties with supply chains – including small and medium-sized firms – all working together to generate business growth.”