The latest IfM Review is now available, highlighting the latest news and activities from across the Institute for Manufacturing. 

You can download it here or pick up a hard copy from the IfM.

The issue highlights IfM research and innovation addressing some of today’s most pressing industrial and societal challenges, including scalable automation, industrial AI, circular economy solutions, critical technologies, innovation policy, mental health interventions and the future of global value chains.

Leading this issue is a feature on the UK–India Critical Mineral Supply Chain Observatory, an ambitious initiative developing digital infrastructure to improve visibility, resilience and security across critical mineral supply chains. As demand for materials essential to clean energy technologies and advanced manufacturing continues to grow, the project highlights the importance of supply chain intelligence for industrial competitiveness, sustainability and national security.

As the IfM marks 60 years of manufacturing engineering education at Cambridge, we reflect on the evolution of manufacturing education and the enduring value of experiential, industry-engaged learning. The issue looks back on six decades of innovation in teaching while considering how education must continue to adapt in response to AI, sustainability challenges and changing industrial needs.

This issue also explores the launch of the University of Cambridge’s new Institute for Biomedical Innovation, which aims to accelerate the translation of medical technologies from laboratory research into devices ready for clinical trials and real-world deployment. Bringing together engineers, clinicians and manufacturers, the institute seeks to strengthen the pathway from innovation to impact while supporting high-value manufacturing in the UK.

Elsewhere, we speak to the Head of the IfM, Professor Tim Minshall, about his book, Your Life Is Manufactured, which explores how manufacturing shapes everyday life and why understanding the systems behind modern products is essential for building a more resilient and sustainable future.

Alongside these features, readers can discover stories from IfM students, researchers, alumni and spinouts who are driving positive change across manufacturing, technology and sustainability worldwide.

Read the latest issue of the IfM Review online.