On Saturday, 22 March, the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) opened its doors as part of the Cambridge Festival. Staff and students were thrilled to welcome members of the public, providing a glimpse into the manufacturing world through an engaging array of talks, activities, and demonstrations.

Inspiring young and old

Among the varied learning experiences, guests were fascinated to discover how to create a battery from lemons, learn techniques for building a better paper airplane, understand our perception of sound, have a go with Versius®, the next-generation surgical robot by CMR Surgical, and immerse themselves in the Cambridge Space Programme through VR goggles.

“It was such a wonderful day. The paper airplane my son made has been a hit and is still bringing him joy. He’s so excited to take it to his school’s show-and-tell this week to share the secret of how to make it fly the best!” says Carly Meaden, who brought her family to the IfM for the event.

‘Your Life is Manufactured’

Professor Tim Minshall, Head of the IfM, shared insights through his talk “Your Life is Manufactured”. Using the journey of toilet roll from tree to supermarket and production lines illustrated through cake, he showcased research from the IfM to unveil the complexities of making and moving products. Illuminating this hidden world, he left attendees pondering: Why do we make it that way, and can we do it better?

“Tim’s talk was exceptional—he engaged a packed room of attendees ranging from primary school students to people in their 70s,” says Kasy Chong, who attended with her 6 year-old aspiring engineer. “He took us on a fun journey of understanding how our everyday lives are manufactured. When Tim asked the audience about the "R" words, my son whispered to me, "Rethink" - What a powerful reminder that we should always rethink how we can make the world a better place.”

Celebrating our volunteers

A huge thank you to the more than 40 volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to run activities, greet our guests, and ensure that everyone left feeling inspired. Your dedication and enthusiasm ensured the day was a complete success!

About the Cambridge Festival

The Cambridge Festival is an annual event that brings research from across the University of Cambridge to the public, through in-person, on-demand, and online events. This year’s festival runs from 19 March to 4 April.