On Saturday 21 March, the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) opened its doors for the Cambridge West Family Day as part of Cambridge Festival. Staff and students welcomed more than 500 visitors to explore the world of manufacturing, sharing research technologies and real-world applications through a programme of hands-on activities, live demonstrations and engaging talks.

Exploring manufacturing

This year’s activities showcased the breadth and impact of research and the IfM. Visitors discovered techniques for building better aeroplanes, explored the science of fluids and microdroplets, and heard the story of the Plastic to Ghar project, which is transforming Himalayan waste into useful products.

Across the IfM, interactive exhibits offered something for all ages and highlighted how manufacturing shapes everyday life. Attendees experienced the future of surgery with Versius®, CMR Surgical’s robotic system, and stepped inside the chocolate-making process using virtual reality.

One attendee commented, “It was my first time at the IfM, and it was absolutely worth the drive! My kids enjoyed the activities, and it is a great way of getting people thinking about the various challenges and solutions involved with manufacturing.”

Manufacturing tomorrow

Professor Tim Minshall, Head of the IfM, shared insights through his talk “Making Tomorrow: How the future will be manufactured”. He took the audience on a journey through the scale and complexity of modern manufacturing and explored what is coming next: personalised healthcare, clean energy challenges, and reducing food waste. Illuminating this hidden world, he left attendees with a final thought: so how is this going to happen? And who is going to make it happen?

Professor Florian Urmetzer, Associate Teaching Professor and Course Director for the MPhil in Industrial Systems, Manufacture and Management (ISMM), led a session titled: “University Unpacked: What You Don’t Learn in the Prospectus”. Addressing perceptions of university as a costly and uncertain investment, he explored how students can actively manage risk and maximise value. His session offered a thoughtful perspective on the role and relevance of higher education today.

Celebrating our volunteers

A huge thank you to our more than 40 volunteers, who gave their time to run activities, welcome visitors and ensure everyone left feeling inspired and ready to help manufacture a better world.

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 16 March to 2 April.

Find out more: https://www.festival.cam.ac.uk/