Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya has been awarded the prestigious Regius Professorship in Manufacturing by Queen Elizabeth II for his outstanding contribution to manufacturing.

Throughout his career, he has advised the UK government — including former Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair — on manufacturing, innovation, and technology.

Lord Bhattacharyya, chairman and founder of Warwick Manufacturing Group, said: “Having founded WMG in 1980 to invigorate UK manufacturing, it is a wonderful honour to be bestowed upon the Group. This is recognition to every member of staff over the last 35 years who has contributed to our success.

“The University of Warwick was the first to have a Professor of Manufacturing; I started with a desk, a chair and a secretary. We are now internationally acclaimed and the largest centre for manufacturing in the world. I am immensely delighted to have been granted this prestigious Regius Professorship in Manufacturing for WMG.”

Lord Bhattacharyya said it was always his aim to bridge the gap between academia and industry, and to encourage companies to think long-term by investing in skills, plus research and development.

“We work with many international companies and SMEs all over the world on collaborative research to improve productivity. We have also been very successful in attracting many inward investments to UK manufacturing. We have ambitious plans for our future, especially with the National Automotive Innovation Centre.

“This will provide the next generation of skills and research for the automotive sector, and it will formally open in late 2017.”