News Headlines
Students reveal their innovative product ideas at the annual Design Show
18 June 2013On Wednesday 5 June, the annual Manufacturing Engineering Tripos (MET) Design Show was held at the IfM, where third-year students displayed innovative products designed by them.
Engineering the Future
18 June 2013The UK needs to recruit more bright, young engineers - but what do young people really think engineering involves? Tim Minshall decided to find out.
CSTI chosen to host international meeting on standardisation and innovation
17 June 2013On Friday 7 June, the Centre for Science, Technology & Innovation Policy (CSTI) hosted a workshop as part of the Tripartite meeting, a platform to discuss standardisation and innovation-related issues.
IfM takes part in servitization workshops in China
22 May 2013Senior academics and researchers from the IfM were invited to participate in two workshops on the topic of servitization, held in China.
New Centre for Science, Technology & Innovation Policy launched
15 May 2013A new IfM research unit funded by the Gatsby Foundation has been launched – the Centre for Science, Technology & Innovation Policy (CSTI).
IfM holds first 'Make it Here' event
14 May 2013The IfM hosted the first of a series of ‘Make it Here’ events, which aim to build the manufacturing network and community.
Technology roadmap research project helps United Nations tackle climate change
09 May 2013CTM, in collaboration with the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, was commissioned by the United Nations to research how technology roadmapping could help tackle greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
IfM to host 2013 Design Management conference
08 May 2013Following the success of the first Cambridge Academic Design Management Conference (CADMC) in 2011, the 2013 conference will be held on 4 and 5 September at the Institute for Manufacturing in Cambridge.
Tim Minshall to speak at Hay Festival
07 May 2013Dr Tim Minshall, Senior Lecturer at the University of Cambridge, has been invited to take part in this year’s Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts on Sunday 2 June at 11.30.
IfM Invited to Indian Government Seminar - International Workshop on Industry-Academia Collaboration
30 April 2013The IfM was recently invited to contribute to a high-level seminar in Delhi on industry-academia links, hosted by the Indian Government.
New report on service innovation
30 April 2013The Cambridge Service Alliance has issued a new executive briefing which looks at the process of service innovation in an attempt to improve the way that service and product-service providers develop new services.
Centre for International Manufacturing (CIM) - research in sustainable supply networks
19 April 2013CIM has recently been awarded two major grants in the area of sustainable supply networks. This month it has also had an article published in Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture.
Clever kids come up with smart ways to use new technologies
11 April 2013i-Teams' annual "What would you use THAT for?" competition, held at the IfM as part of the Cambridge Science Festival, saw children come up with some fantastic ideas for using new technology.
IfM receives UK-India Advanced Manufacturing Research Grant of around £1 million
10 April 2013The Centre for International Manufacturing (CIM) has won a major new grant from EPSRC and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of India for the project 'Engineering Driven Sustainable Supply Networks - A UK/India Collaborative Study'.
ideaSpace Director shortlisted at the Cambridge Business Excellence Awards
26 March 2013Stewart McTavish, who heads ideaSpace, was a finalist in the Business Person of the Year category of the Cambridge News Business Excellence Awards 2013.
Come to the IfM for some laser rocket racing, laser-bunny hopping and FantasTech as part of the Cambridge Science Festival
19 March 2013On Saturday, 23 March, the IfM will open its doors to the public for an afternoon full of exciting activities and talks aimed at children of all ages.
New technology for improving food safety wins first Open Innovation Forum Pitching Event
14 March 2013The Open Innovation Forum held its first Pitching Event this week at the Hauser Forum in Cambridge, where 18 innovators presented their ideas to an audience of senior leaders and decision-makers from major companies.
Excellence in Teaching Award for Tim Minshall
12 March 2013Dr Tim Minshall, Senior Lecturer in Technology Management, has won a Royal Academy of Engineering ExxonMobil Excellence in Teaching Award.
New briefing on business models to help adoption of sustainable technologies
07 March 2013A new briefing on how innovative sustainable technologies can be spread to make an impact on global warming and resource scarcity has been released.
Final report from the KT-Box programme now online
05 March 2013The final report from the Knowledge-Transfer Box (KT-Box) programme, 'Improving the competitiveness of UK service providers through applying academic research', is now available to download.
IfM students help Siemens Mechanical Drives improve their business
19 February 2013Four students studying with the IfM recently spent a fortnight at the Leeds factory of Siemens Mechanical Drives as part of their Manufacturing Engineering Tripos (MET) course.
IfM trains first cohort of students from new Doctoral Training Centre
06 February 2013The IfM's Centre for International Manufacturing (CIM) has delivered a week of training to the first cohort of students from the Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) in Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallisation (CMAC).
Inside IfM
01 February 2013Last night the IfM opened its doors to over 100 guests all interested in discovering more about the work that takes place at the IfM.
Tim Minshall and a group of MET students help CBeebies' Nina and the Neurons explain engineering
22 January 2013Dr Tim Minshall was contacted by producers of Nina and the Neurons, a BBC programme aired on children’s channel CBeebies, to help them explain some engineering concepts to young children.
IfM's relationship with India strengthened with invitation to Society of Operations Management conference
17 January 2013The Society of Operations Management (SOM), based in India, held their Annual International Conference on 21-23 December 2012 at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, to which the Head of IfM and one of our researchers were invited.
Dr Alan Reece 1927 - 2012
16 January 2013The University is sad to report the death of one of its benefactors.
Recruiting Ultra Precision Scientists and Engineers of the Future
15 January 2013The new EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Ultra Precision is currently recruiting Postgraduate students interested in developing the next generation of ultra precision manufacturing systems and products, for an October start. Deadline to apply for the fully-funded MRes is 31st March.
Mars, Bacardi, Moy Park and Imerys join the panel of the Food & FMCG Innovation Pitching Event
09 January 2013As the deadline to apply for the Food & FMCG Innovation Pitching Event draws near, four new major food and FMCG companies have joined the judging panel: Mars, Bacardi, Moy Park and Imerys.
New strategic technology and innovation management consortium launched
08 January 2013A new collaborative industry-university programme, the Strategic Technology and Innovation Management (STIM) Consortium, has been launched with the aim to build a sustainable collaborative research-practice partnership delivering benefits to both industrial and research communities.
Food and FMCG giants call for innovators to pitch their ideas
11 December 2012Major food and FMCG companies such as Unilever, General Mills, Tate & Lyle and Crown Packaging are seeking small commercial or university-based organisations which could provide innovative solutions to business challenges.
Car-leasing models for the technological era - a new study on mobility-as-a-service
05 December 2012Innovative business models for modern transport are explored in a new case study-based research.
Ultra Precision Engineering- the key to a finer future
30 November 2012Interdisciplinarity is becoming increasingly important for the engineers of the future and this is reflected in being successfully awarded funding through the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training.
The future of the UK pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries mapped using techniques developed at the University of Cambridge
28 November 2012A new study aimed at identifying needs, opportunities and challenges in the UK pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing sectors was published today.
Getting ship shape: IfM develops a fleet management tool for the Royal Navy
15 November 2012Researchers Clive Kerr and Simon Ford from the IfM’s Centre for Technology Management have developed a software tool to help the Royal Navy manage its fleet of Type 23 frigates.
Dr Tim Minshall's TEDx talk 'Building the Future'
13 November 2012Dr Tim Minshall, Senior Lecturer in Technology Management recently gave a TEDx talk based around the perception of what primary school children think engineers do.
Two award-winning students get a taste of the IfM
08 November 2012Two sixth form students who won the British Sugar Academy Excellence Awards competition were given a tour of the IfM as part of a one-week ‘money can’t buy’ internship at British Sugar.
New programme to create jobs in the East of England and help the environment
23 October 2012A £2.25m business support programme for start-ups and small and medium-sized (SMEs) manufacturing companies is launched in Cambridge today.
The future of flying
23 October 2012Aircraft that work together to solve complicated mathematical problems and airports with more flexibly used runways could be the future of flying, according to studies by University of Cambridge engineers and their industrial and academic partners.
Help for Essex manufacturing firms to boost performance and create new jobs
16 October 2012A new programme of support for small, medium-sized (SME) and start-up manufacturing companies based in Essex.
Picture perfect
15 October 2012Ronan Daly and Alfonso Castrejon-Pita from the Inkjet Research Centre have won the Engineering Department’s 2012 photography competition.
The art of business, ideaSpace Enterprise Accelerator awards grant to Wysing Arts Centre
09 October 2012ideaSpace Enterprise Accelerator awards grant to Wysing Arts Centre for its work on encouraging innovation in the East of England.
Ashok Thakur visits Cambridge
08 October 2012Mr Ashok Thakur, Special Secretary of the Department of Higher Education in India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development, visited Cambridge recently.
Vince Cable visits the IfM
03 October 2012Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, visited the IfM today.
Hi-Wi project awarded poster prize at REPM'12 conference
01 October 2012David Hopkinson wins best poster presentation award
Researchers develop printable lasers
20 September 2012A way of printing lasers using everyday inkjet technology has been created by scientists. The development has a wide range of possible applications, ranging from biomedical testing to laser arrays for displays.
Inkjet Research Centre is part of a new collaborative research centre
31 August 2012The IfM's Inkjet Research Centre is a partner in the KACST-Cambridge Research Centre, studying the application of inkjet technology in additive manufacturing.
Two years on and the arrival of the 100th member
30 August 2012Just a couple of months ago, ideaSpace celebrated its second birthday and now welcomes its 100th member, Tom White of Skin Analytics.
How offshore wind turbines could be more efficient
17 August 2012Jim Platts lecturer at the Institute for Manufacturing, has overseen a new study that suggests offshore wind farms could be 100 per cent more efficient in terms of energy payback if manufacturers embraced new methods for making the structures that support the turbines.
1,000 mile trip on fold-up bikes raises at least £30,000
19 July 2012Two former IfM students, Phil Deakin and Harry Bullivant have cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats on fold-up Brompton bikes to raise money for three charities.
IfM plays host to the next generation of engineers
17 July 2012The IfM played host to 29 GCSE students from Chelmer Valley High School, Chelmsford as part of an outreach project.
Premiere conference on performance management attracts delegates from all over the globe
13 July 2012Leading experts discussed the latest thinking in the field of performance management at an international conference in Cambridge this week that attracted 170 delegates from 40 countries
Commercialising medical device innovation
13 July 2012New medical devices take a long time to reach the market – and many never make it. Jon Johnson, a researcher at Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing, is looking at ways of making the process of commercialisation more efficient.
New partnership aims to unlock a manufacturing revolution
03 July 2012New initiative to investigate the potential for businesses to cut energy consumption and reduce waste cut costs in ways that improve margins and create jobs.
IfM lecturer named as one of university's top teachers
28 June 2012Dr Tim Minshall has been awarded one of Cambridge University's Pilkington Prizes.
Defining the future of Australian rail travel - On Track to 2040
26 June 2012Opportunities and priorities for the next 30 years of the Australian rail sector have been identified in a new report.
Student product designs unveiled at Design Show
07 June 2012Eleven innovative design projects were on display at the Institute for Manufacturing on June 6th to mark the end of a year-long project.
Bill O'Neill appointed Professor of Laser Engineering
06 June 2012Congratulations to Dr Bill O’Neill who has been appointed Professor of Laser Engineering.
KT Box event to introduce tools for complex engineering services
31 May 2012KT-Box is a unique collaboration of some of the UK’s academic and industrial leaders in the new field of complex service provision.
Global Health Commercialization and Funding Roundtable
17 May 2012The IfM has hosted the first Global Health Commercialization and Funding Roundtable.
IfM Briefing Day
15 May 2012More than one hundred senior representatives from industry, government and UK and multi-national companies attended the IfM Briefing Day.
Sir Michael Marshall unveils new Gallery at IfM
14 May 2012A new gallery of images featuring the Marshall Group of companies has been unveiled at the IfM.
New programme of support launched to help small and medium manufacturers
31 March 2012IfM Education and Consultancy Services has launched a UK-wide programme of support for small and medium sized manufacturing businesses.
New agreement brings powerful approach to support smaller manufacturers in the North West
29 March 2012IfM Education and Consultancy Services (IfM ECS) Limited is pleased to announce the availability in the North West of a powerful approach to help smaller manufacturing businesses.
European Students go head to head in Business Case Study Tournament
29 March 2012European Students of Industrial Engineering and Management (ESTIEM), visited IfM for the Business Case Study semi-final in March.
Solved: one of the ink-jet printing industry's greatest challenges
28 March 2012Scientists at the IfM have developed a method for predicting whether a filament of fluid will condense along its length into a single droplet, or collapse into multiple droplets.
Institute for 'Magical Factories' opens its doors!
27 March 2012Hundreds of families flocked to the IfM on Saturday 24 March to enjoy a host of demos, hands on activities and talks – all part of this year’s Cambridge Science Festival.
Job security and pay fears at heart of manufacturing's "image problem"
08 March 2012Misplaced fears about job security and low pay could thwart efforts to strengthen British manufacturing and rebalance the economy, a new analysis of the sector’s image among the general public has revealed.
Progressive future for UK manufacturing says new report
23 February 2012Future trends, challenges and opportunities for UK manufacturing have been identified in a new study by Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing.
Design Icons event comes to the IfM
14 February 2012Cambridge is home to some of the most iconic modern product design. Design Icons: Cambridge Innovation Festival is a celebration of Cambridge design talent taking place throughout February 2012.
Under the Microscope #1 & #2 - Small things, big thinking
19 January 2012Using an electron microscope it’s possible for the human eye to see in minute detail the foot of the fruit fly – an appendage that is just about the same width as a human hair.
Former IfM student becomes a visionary for the next generation
15 December 2011Former IfM student Philip Deakin was recently named Undergraduate Visionary of 2011 by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
Mapping the future of the Australian rail supply network
30 November 2011IfM Education and Consultancy Services is helping to map out the next 30 years of the Australian rail industry following the great success of the Automotive Australia 2020 Roadmap undertaken in 2009.
Sound recognition technology to be used to detect crimes
15 November 2011New sound-recognition technology developed by a Cambridge company is to be used in intercom systems to protect prison, hospital and commercial staff from violence, break-ins and vandalism.
Alquist carries off another major award
15 November 2011A high-tech temperature monitoring device which could help UK firms cut millions of pounds off their energy bills, has given its inventor his second major product award this year.
ideaSpace company enters research collaboration with marine survey company to reduce CO2 emissions
20 October 2011Cambridge Carbon Capture (CCC) has entered into a research collaboration with Polarcus Limited to develop its carbon mineralization technology.
Moss table wins people's choice
22 September 2011Alex Driver and Carlos Peralta’s ‘Moss Table’ has won the People’s Choice poll to be included in the Design Icons: Cambridge Innovation Festival exhibition at Anglia Ruskin University.
Shift to service is 'vital' for UK industry
21 September 2011New research led by Professor Andy Neely, Director of the Cambridge Service Alliance (CSA) argues that a shift to services is vital for UK industry.
IfM graduate wins James Dyson design award
08 September 2011A former IfM student, Michael Korn, is the UK winner of the James Dyson Award, an international design competition run across 18 countries.
IfM forms part of new Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial sustainability
30 March 2011The IfM is to be a major partner in a multi-million pound project to establish a new national research centre in the field of industrial sustainability.
Chinese Ambassador explores opportunites for collaboration with IfM
01 March 2011Mr Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Ambassador to the UK, visited the Institute for Manufacturing to discuss the Institute’s connections with China and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
ideaSpace announces seven programmes to support innovation and enterprise
20 January 2011Seven projects designed to support innovators and entrepreneurs across the Eastern Region have been announced by the ideaSpace Enterprise Accelerator (iEA).
Professor Mike Gregory knighted in New Year Honours
04 January 2011Professor Mike Gregory, Head of the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) and of the Manufacturing and Management Division of the Department of Engineering, has received a knighthood in the New Years Honours for services to technology.
