First-year PhD students from across the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) came together on 19 May for the annual IfM First Year PhD Conference, presenting research spanning advanced manufacturing, AI, supply chains, innovation strategy and healthcare technologies.

The conference provided an opportunity for students to share progress from their first year of doctoral research with colleagues, academics and industry guests, while also fostering collaboration across the Institute’s research community.

The event opened with a welcome from the organising committee, followed by an introductory address from Head of the IfM, Professor Tim Minshall. Delegates also heard a keynote presentation from Dr Andrea Kells, Director, Research Ecosystem at Arm, who shared industry insights into emerging technological developments and innovation.

Throughout the day, students delivered presentations across a wide range of themes, including digital transformation, operational resilience, human-computer interaction, advanced manufacturing, AI and health, intellectual property strategy, and business process optimisation. A poster session during lunch enabled further discussion and networking among researchers and attendees.

The organising committee, like the contributors, is also composed entirely of first-year PhD students. This year’s committee, Anna Hoff, Christine Saeedi-Givi, Leah Suchet, Ben Silva and Bernard Liu, worked together to realise a fantastic event.

Leah shared, "I really enjoyed strengthening my connections with my peers, and it was very rewarding to see our collective efforts culminate in such a successful day. I also valued the opportunity to learn more about the research being carried out across the cohort, and I look forward to seeing how these projects evolve and mature in the years ahead. The event served as a valuable milestone for me, encouraging me to articulate my research goals more clearly and reminding me of the broader context and purpose behind the work, something that can easily be overlooked when immersed in the finer details of the research process.”

Anna commented "Organising this conference has given me a deep appreciation for everything it takes to bring an event like this to life. There are so many details to manage, and none of it would be possible without the support of IfM staff, and the volunteers who gave their time to chair sessions and judge presentations and posters.

"It has been truly inspiring to see the breadth of work happening across our department — a reminder of potential collaboration we have," she continuted. "And there is something uniquely powerful about a shared deadline: it pushes everyone to refine and elevate their work, producing a standard of presentation we can all be proud of."

Bernard added, “It was great to see such a wide range of research brought together in one space, and to be part of an event that encouraged discussion across the cohort."

Award winners 

Presentations and posters were assessed by a panel of judges drawn from across the Institute. Entries were evaluated on criteria including the quality and clarity of the research, presentation delivery, visual communication and the ability to engage with questions from the audience.

Awards were presented at the close of the conference to recognise outstanding presentations and posters:

• Leah Suchet – Best Technology Presentation
• Ioan Webber – Best Management Presentation
• Christine Saeedi-Givi – Best Technology Poster
• Anna Hoff – Best Management Poster

Frank Tietze, Head of the PhD Programme, picutured presenting awards to: top left - Leah, top right - Ioan, bottom left - Christine, bottome right - Anna.

Frank Tietze, Head of the PhD Programme, said, “The First Year PhD Conference is a valuable opportunity for our doctoral researchers to share ideas, build connections, receive feedback and showcase the breadth of research taking place across the IfM. The standard of presentations and posters this year was exceptionally high, and I would like to congratulate all the participants and prize winners.”

The conference concluded with informal networking, accompanied by music by Will Robert, in the IfM Common Room, giving students, staff and guests the opportunity to continue conversations and celebrate the breadth of research taking place across the Institute.