Lancaster University is joining forces with Cambridge-based TWI (www.twi-global.com) to create a new Centre of Excellence for smart and advanced manufacturing systems.

The centre, which will be owned by the university, will operate from TWI’s 54,000m² facilities in Cambridge and will concentrate on advancing knowledge in technologies such as additive manufacturing.

Eight PhD researchers will initially be funded by TWI for five years to advance understanding in Industry 4.0 technologies.

The partnership will boost both organisations’ research bases and will enable the fast transfer of research breakthroughs to TWI’s established network of 700 industrial members — active in industries such as aerospace, automotive manufacture, oil and gas, as well as energy and nuclear technologies.

Lancaster University Pro-Vice Chancellor Stephen Decent said: “This exciting new partnership with TWI will deliver the world-leading science, innovation and skills necessary to put the UK in the centre of the fourth industrial revolution.

It builds upon Lancaster’s leadership in Industry 4.0 — recently evidenced in the Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Science and Innovation Audit — and it builds upon our expertise at Lancaster University in engineering, data science and materials.”