International Manufacturing

Overview and current research

The IfM’s Centre for International Manufacturing (CIM) focuses on strategic and operations management research, working closely with industrial and institutional partners. Expertise in the analysis, design and operation of manufacturing supply chains is applied across a wide range of sectors, from food and healthcare to automotive and aerospace. The impact of digital technologies on supply chains across all sectors is a major research theme as is the development of more sustainable and resilient networks.

Major collaborative research programmes

REMEDIES: Reconfiguring the UK's pharmaceutical supply chain

CIM led the research in ReMediES (RE-configuring Medicines End-to-end Supply), a £22 million UK initiative to reshape the sector’s supply chains. The project, headed up by GlaxoSmithKline, brought together other leaders in the pharmaceutical industry, their supply chain partners and researchers along with other stakeholders such as regulators, knowledge transfer networks and healthcare providers.

Video: Dr Jag Srai outlines the REMEDIES project.

Future Continuous Manufacturing and Advanced Crystallisation (CMAC) Hub

CMAC CIM is leading a research stream in the Future Continuous Manufacturing and Advanced Crystallisation (CMAC) Hub which aims to revolutionise the way pharmaceuticals and high value products are made.

Find out more about CMAC here

TIGR²ESS: Transforming Indian agriculture

Indian agriculture CIM is part of the Cambridge team working with Indian scientists to bring about a second Green Revolution funded by the UK's Global Challenges Research Fund. CIM is using supply chain mapping and modelling tools to analyse the end-to-end production, processing and distribution of food to make supply chains more resource efficient.

Find out more about TIGR2ESS here

EIT Food:Engineering Food Value Chains

CIM is leading research streams with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Food on the following projects:

Favuleux: Developing Fava beans as a sustainable source of high quality protein for food, through optimized genetics, farming & processing.
GLAD - Green Last Mile Delivery: a more sustainable way for home delivery tailored to personalized nutritional needs.
Grand Challenge: The development of organic supply chains that drive fair, transparent and healthy options for the consumer.

Achieving impact through industrial collaboration

Digital Supply Chains Consortium

This consortium brings together some of the world’s leading firms and academics to develop and apply frameworks developed by the Centre to support strategic decision-making and develop digital supply chain capabilities.

Find out more about the Consortium.