The University of Sheffield has overtaken Imperial College London to become the top university in the UK for income and investment in engineering research, according to new data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

In 2017-18, the university attracted £124 million for engineering research from a range of organisations in the Sheffield City Region, throughout the UK and around the world.

These included Innovate UK, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, the European Commission and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as well as industrial partners.

Engineering research is delivered by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and its Faculty of Engineering.

The research addresses real-world problems and leads to innovations that benefit a wide range of people, improving their quality of life, creating jobs and stimulating the economy.

It covers a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, aerospace, automotive and energy. Investment is helping researchers at the university to develop and harness emerging technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), digitalisation and robotics, using ‘state of the art’ facilities that are appropriate for industrial-scale research.

Koen Lamberts, vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield (www.sheffield.ac.uk), said: “This is a monumental achievement for Sheffield.

Having a university in the North of England leading in engineering research income and investment is a tremendous boost for the Northern Powerhouse, as we seek to boost the aerospace, nuclear and manufacturing sectors and re-balance the UK economy.”