Warwick Manufacturing Group
Encyclopedia
WMG is an academic department at the University of Warwick
, providing research, education and knowledge transfer in engineering, manufacturing and technology. The group provides taught and research degrees for postgraduate students at the University of Warwick campus, as well as at overseas centres in China
, India
, Singapore
, Malaysia, Cyprus
, Russia
and Thailand
.
to support the reinvigoration of UK manufacturing through research and knowledge transfer. Bhattacharyya still acts as director of the group and was made a life peer
in 2004.
In 2007, the Group rebranded with the abbreviated title of WMG (instead of Warwick Manufacturing Group) to reflect its move into a more diverse range of activities with partners in a number of different sectors such as health, banking, the built environment and digital technology, which are outside its original manufacturing roots.
WMG is based in four buildings on the University of Warwick campus:
A fifth building is due to be completed in Summer 2012, the International Institute for Product and Service Innovation will allow Midlands SMEs access leading product and service design technology.
WMG also works on specific research programmes alongside industrial partners.
In 2001 work began on the £72 million Premium Automotive Research and Development (PARD) Programme. This was funded by Advantage West Midlands
and matched by the main partner, Jaguar Land Rover
. The end of the PARD programme saw the development of the Premium Vehicle Lightweight Technologies (PVLT) Centres of Excellence which seeks to expand on the outcomes of the PARD programme.
Other recent programmes include the £29 million Low Carbon Vehicle Technology Project (LCVTP) and the Low Carbon Vehicle Technology Project, which is being managed by WMG.
A new £5 million Premium Vehicle Customer Interface Technologies (PVCIT) Centre is housed in the International Manufacturing Centre and brings together high resolution laser scanners, x-ray technology in a precision CT scanner, and a 3D “Power Wall”. The Centre is open to Midlands manufacturers who want to use this technology to improve their products.
A West Midlands regional Vehicle Energy Facility is housed in the International Automotive Research Centre. It supports companies who are developing engines for hybrid vehicles, providing state-of-the-art equipment and research support.
WMG is also home to the Warwick IMRC (Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre).
In 2009, WMG was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize
for Higher and Further Education.
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
, providing research, education and knowledge transfer in engineering, manufacturing and technology. The group provides taught and research degrees for postgraduate students at the University of Warwick campus, as well as at overseas centres in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Background
Warwick Manufacturing Group was originally founded in 1980 by Kumar BhattacharyyaKumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya
Sushanta Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya, CBE is an Indian-born British engineer, educator and government advisor.Kumar Bhattacharyya was born in Dhaka , His father was a professor of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur...
to support the reinvigoration of UK manufacturing through research and knowledge transfer. Bhattacharyya still acts as director of the group and was made a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
in 2004.
In 2007, the Group rebranded with the abbreviated title of WMG (instead of Warwick Manufacturing Group) to reflect its move into a more diverse range of activities with partners in a number of different sectors such as health, banking, the built environment and digital technology, which are outside its original manufacturing roots.
WMG is based in four buildings on the University of Warwick campus:
- International Automotive Research Centre
- International Manufacturing Centre
- Engineering Management Building (Westwood campus)
- International Digital Laboratory (completed in 2008)
A fifth building is due to be completed in Summer 2012, the International Institute for Product and Service Innovation will allow Midlands SMEs access leading product and service design technology.
Research
Research in WMG is organised into three main theme areas:- Digital Technologies (including Digital MediaDigital mediaDigital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
& Innovation, Digital Product Lifecycle ManagementProduct lifecycle managementIn industry, product lifecycle management is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from its conception, through design and manufacture, to service and disposal...
, Digital HealthcareEHealtheHealth is a relatively recent term for healthcare practice supported by electronic processes and communication, dating back to at least 1999...
, e-Security, Virtual RealityVirtual realityVirtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
& Visualisation) - Materials and Manufacturing (including Additive Layer ManufacturingAdditive manufacturingAdditive manufacturing is defined by ASTM as the "process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies, such as traditional machining...
, AutomationAutomationAutomation is the use of control systems and information technologies to reduce the need for human work in the production of goods and services. In the scope of industrialization, automation is a step beyond mechanization...
& RoboticsRoboticsRobotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
, Experiential Engineering, Complex SystemsComplex systemsComplex systems present problems in mathematical modelling.The equations from which complex system models are developed generally derive from statistical physics, information theory and non-linear dynamics, and represent organized but unpredictable behaviors of systems of nature that are considered...
and Product Evaluation Technologies).Biomedical MaterialsBiomaterialA biomaterial is any matter, surface, or construct that interacts with biological systems. The development of biomaterials, as a science, is about fifty years old. The study of biomaterials is called biomaterials science. It has experienced steady and strong growth over its history, with many...
, Metals & Alloys, Polymers & Composites, Sustainable Materials and Rapid PrototypingRapid prototypingRapid prototyping is the automatic construction of physical objects using additive manufacturing technology. The first techniques for rapid prototyping became available in the late 1980s and were used to produce models and prototype parts. Today, they are used for a much wider range of applications...
) - Operations & Business Management (including Lean Operations, Complexity ManagementComplexity managementComplexity management is a business methodology that deals with the analysis and optimization of complexity in enterprises. Effects of complexity pertain to all business processes along the value chain and hence complexity management requires a holistic approach...
, Modelling & SimulationSimulationSimulation is the imitation of some real thing available, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system....
, Product Introduction and Manufacturing Excellence)
WMG also works on specific research programmes alongside industrial partners.
In 2001 work began on the £72 million Premium Automotive Research and Development (PARD) Programme. This was funded by Advantage West Midlands
Advantage West Midlands
-Advantage West Midlands – Regional Development Agency:Advantage West Midlands was established in 1999 as one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England. RDAs were created by the UK Government to drive sustainable economic development and social and physical regeneration through a...
and matched by the main partner, Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover
Jaguar Land Rover is a British automotive company owned by Tata Motors of India. It develops, manufactures and sells vehicles under the Jaguar and Land Rover marques.-History:...
. The end of the PARD programme saw the development of the Premium Vehicle Lightweight Technologies (PVLT) Centres of Excellence which seeks to expand on the outcomes of the PARD programme.
Other recent programmes include the £29 million Low Carbon Vehicle Technology Project (LCVTP) and the Low Carbon Vehicle Technology Project, which is being managed by WMG.
A new £5 million Premium Vehicle Customer Interface Technologies (PVCIT) Centre is housed in the International Manufacturing Centre and brings together high resolution laser scanners, x-ray technology in a precision CT scanner, and a 3D “Power Wall”. The Centre is open to Midlands manufacturers who want to use this technology to improve their products.
A West Midlands regional Vehicle Energy Facility is housed in the International Automotive Research Centre. It supports companies who are developing engines for hybrid vehicles, providing state-of-the-art equipment and research support.
WMG is also home to the Warwick IMRC (Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre).
Education
WMG supports undergraduate Engineering courses (in conjunction with the School of Engineering). However, its student population is mainly Postgraduate students organised in the following way:- Full-Time MastersMaster's degreeA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
Degrees - Part-Time Professional Programmes
- Overseas Programmes
- PhD and Engineering DoctorateEngineering DoctorateThe Engineering Doctorate scheme is a British postgraduate education programme promoted by the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council . The programme is undertaken over four years. Students conduct PhD-equivalent research and undertake taught business and technical courses whilst...
(EngD) Programmes
In 2009, WMG was awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize
Queen's Anniversary Prize
The Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education is a biennially awarded series of prizes awarded to Universities and Colleges in the further and higher education sectors within the United Kingdom...
for Higher and Further Education.