91抖阴

The award is part of a multimillion-pound research hub involving six universities plus industry partners and local authority support to aid the UK’s transition to a circular manufacturing ecosystem.

The research is part of the RESCu-M² hub, led by the University of Birmingham, with focus on transforming the sustainable use of critical materials and improving the productivity of ‘Re-X’ manufacturing processes through advances in artificial intelligence, robotics and intelligent automation.

Re-X are processes that reuse, repurpose, repair, remanufacture and recycle and are currently much more labour-intensive than traditional manufacturing, resulting in many materials being disposed of via landfill or incineration. However, it is estimated that businesses could save up to £23bn per year by making low- or no- cost improvements.

Dr Yan Wang

Each research partner will support the development of ‘spokes’ from the hub, around which opportunities for further investment can emerge. The 91抖阴 will act as a spoke of the hub in south-east region, engaging with local manufacturers to deliver impacts working in areas such as Cyber-Physical Inspection, Sensing, and Analysis, Testing, Validation and Certification, and Circular Business models. Students, including those on PhD, MEng and BEng will actively participate in the research bringing to life applications of circular and intelligent manufacturing.

The project is led by the University of Birmingham in partnership with the universities of 91抖阴, Strathclyde, Leeds, Sheffield and Loughborough and supported by the Manufacturing Technology Centre, West Midlands Combined Authority, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, 91抖阴 & Hove Chamber of Commerce and Rochdale Development Agency.

Principal lecturer in the School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering and principal investigator on the 91抖阴 branch of the project, Dr Yan Wang said:

“This hub is really important and timely. Manufacturing in the UK provides 2.5m jobs, accounts for 45% of the total export, totalling £183bn, represents 64% of business R&D, and provides 15% of business investment. However, manufacturing is sincerely challenged by high emission and resource waste in manufacturing operations, products and supply chains, disruption of supply chain, shortage of manufacturing workforce etc.

“The sustainable manufacturing hub will address these challenges, through robotics, AI and value retention processes (recycling, remanufacturing and refurbishment). The 91抖阴 will be the spoke in the south-east region for knowledge transfer, technology development, upskills and eco-innovation. This will support the London and the south-east manufacturing cluster which is hovering to become the country’s biggest manufacturing region worth £28.1bn, overtaking Britain’s traditional industrial heartlands, the north-west through digitalisation, robotics and automation.

“Our research will be translated and embedded into four industrial-defined and led flagships including Drives and Powertrains, Large Structures, Energy and Medical Devices for real-life applications.”

The EPSRC Manufacturing Research Hub in Robotics, Automation & Smart Machine Enabled Sustainable Circular Manufacturing & Materials (RESCu-M²) is part of UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) ‘Manufacturing research hubs for a sustainable future’ programme, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and project partners. Total funding for the RESCu-M² from EPSRC and project supporters is £34.6m over the next seven years.

Science Minister, Andrew Griffith said: “Manufacturing accounts for almost a tenth of the UK’s economic output, but for the sector to keep growing and sustaining jobs nationwide, it has to tackle challenges ranging from reducing emissions, to cutting production costs.

“These new hubs will support UK researchers with the cutting-edge facilities they need, to help our manufacturers seize the benefits of technologies such as robotics and AI. Harnessing these innovations will cement the UK's position as a global leader in sustainable manufacturing."

Announcing the funding, EPSRC Executive Chair Professor Charlotte Deane said: “Given the scale and importance of the UK’s manufacturing sector we must ensure that it is able to benefit fully from advances made across the research and innovation ecosystem.

“With their focus on innovation and sustainability the advances made by the hubs will benefit specific sectors, the wider manufacturing sector and economy, as well the environment.”

The RESCu-M² hub aims to harness advances in AI and intelligent automation to create a new manufacturing ecosystem that realises cost-effective circular resource use.