WMG

WMG at the University of Warwick is an international role model for how universities and businesses should successfully work together.

It is at the forefront of innovative technology, leading major multi-partner projects to develop exciting new processes and products that can lead to major breakthroughs and be of huge benefit to UK organisations, according to Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, WMG’s chairman.

Our innovative approach has seen us continually grow to exploit new opportunities in the digital world and we understand that the best solutions come from providing an environment for experts from a range of backgrounds to come together and share their knowledge in new ways.

We have been successful in attracting a broad portfolio of funding to enable us to carry out our research; by establishing collaborative partnerships we are able to deliver innovative solutions to address major challenges, making a significant impact both on economic growth and society.

We are a global group and as such work with entrepreneurial leaders in organisations of all sizes located and operating all around the world.  Many of these are global leaders in their respective marketplace, for example Bharat Forge, China Aerospace, GE Healthcare, Goodrich, IBM, Nikon and TVS Motor Company. 

Our multi-sector approach enables us to work closely with industry advising and applying our knowledge. As such our collaborations with industrial partners continue to thrive. We have been delighted to welcome Jaguar Land Rover to the university as it locates its 170-strong Advanced Research Group to the International Digital Laboratory.

It will be spending more than £100m on collaborative research programmes with WMG over the next few years, combining academic excellence with industrial relevance, to drive the company forward.

Tata Motors’ European Technical Centre is also growing its team of highly skilled engineers who are based at WMG by 40% over the next few years. We are constantly seeking to close the gap between academia and industry, encouraging business to see how academic teaching and research can help develop their people and products, and through them, their bottom line.

We were also pleased to have been selected as one of the partners in the Government’s first Catapult Centre which will focus on High-Value Manufacturing. The Centre will provide an integrated capability and embrace all forms of manufacturing using metals and composites in addition to process manufacturing technologies and bio-processing.

Our focus is on the international challenge of low carbon mobility, with a whole systems approach exploiting leading edge capability, addressing key priorities in the technology roadmaps of the automotive, commercial and off-road, rail and marine sectors.

One of our major projects in the healthcare sector is the Institute of Digital Healthcare, where we are a partner in a five-year, £4m programme with NHS Midlands and East, and Warwick Medical School. The Institute aims to improve health and wellbeing through the use of innovative digital technologies.

We continue to forge links with new partners, in order to share ideas and encourage innovation, working on the basis of bringing together experts from different disciplines and applying knowledge from one industrial sector to solve problems in new areas.

Our fifth building, currently under construction, the International Institute for Product and Service Innovation (IIPSI), funded by the European Regional Development Fund and University of Warwick will continue to pursue this agenda. A funded support programme for West Midlands’ small and medium-sized businesses will run from January 2012 to the end of June 2015 and the building itself will open in September 2012.

SMEs can learn about and access a range of technology to support product and service development. There are three specific technology and expertise areas: Polymer Innovation, Experience Led Innovation and Digital Innovation. IIPSI will feature a range of demonstrators and examples of the three technology areas in practice.

SMEs will be able to test the demonstrators and explore ways in which the technology can work for their specific business. The WMG SME Programmes Team will be delivering the programme of support within IIPSI. They have a range of expertise and will work with SMEs by giving technical demonstrations, delivering workshops, exploring new ideas, undertaking projects and collaborating on research.