The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Future Electrical Machines Manufacturing Hub was the first of its kind to bring together leading industrial and academic research expertise in electrical machines and manufacturing.
The £28 million investment was underpinned by a £10m award from the EPSRC and funding from industrial partners including Rolls Royce, Airbus, Siemens Gamesa, GKN Aerospace, McLaren and Dyson and the University partners. The team, led by the University of Sheffield’s Faculty of Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) are working with academics at Newcastle University and the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC).
The official launch of the Hub was held at The University of Sheffield's Factory 2050 at the AMRC in June 2019 and involved presentations from the key hub partners including Rolls-Royce and Innovate UK. Led by Professor Geraint Jewell from the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at The University of Sheffield the Hub has published their first Annual Report. To view it please follow this link.
Professor Jewell reflects on the past year saying "We have had a successful year in building a team of researchers with a broad spectrum of expertise across the partners. We also have a growing cohort of allied PhD research students who are both contributing to the research outcomes of the Hub and receiving training in skills for which there remains a pressing UK shortage."
On looking towards the future Professor Jewell says "The Hub has engaged pro-actively in shaping the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s Driving the Electric Revolution programme, with Hub partners playing key roles in the Scotland and North East Industrialisation Centres. We anticipate many opportunities emerging to dovetail Hub activities with Driving the Electric Revolution programme and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve in the next 12 months."
For more information on the ESPRC Future Electrical Machines Manufacturing Hub please email the Hub Manager Laura O’Keefe on FEMMhub@sheffield.ac.uk. Follow them on Twitter @FEMMHub.