Coventry University’s Professor Stephen Hagen and Professor Catherine Hobbs

The Precision Digital Manufacturing and Healthcare Technology Lab, which is to be created at Coventry University, has been awarded £5 million from the Office for Students and will be equipped with industry standard digital technologies such as 3-D metal printing and high-end radiography equipment.

Students from Coventry University’s Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing, and the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, will both benefit from the facility, learning how to use specialist equipment employed in both health and engineering sectors. It is hoped the lab will also foster a collaborative approach and potentially lead to developments in areas such as prosthetics and wearable technologies, which require both areas of expertise.

Catherine Hobbs, Academic Dean at Coventry University’s Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing, said: “This project presents great opportunities for students as they will be able to access ‘state of the art’ digital engineering technology; and further forward, collaboration between both faculties will offer great benefits especially in areas such as digital healthcare.

“The precision 3-D printing technology available will mean we can create useable components for healthcare applications, while digital twinning will allow us to simulate how objects will work in a virtual environment. We are absolutely thrilled that we will be able to invest in these technologies, it is an incredible opportunity for us, one that doesn’t come around very often.”

Great opportunities
She added: “This project presents great opportunities for students as they will be able to access ‘state of the art’ digital engineering technology, but further forward collaboration between both faculties will offer great benefits especially in areas such as digital healthcare.”

Stephen Hagen, the Interim Academic Dean at Coventry University’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, added: “Investing in modern buildings and innovative equipment will help universities and colleges in England prepare students for their future careers. Modern laboratories and state of the art technology mean students learn with the best facilities. Our investment will also increase the provision of short courses that offer flexibility to boost the skills of the workforce.

“Competition for funding was strong, with high quality applications from across the sector. The OfS-funded capital projects will ensure current and future students have a positive experience while studying expensive-to-deliver subjects that are strategically important to society. Taxpayers will feel these benefits too, as our investment will boost local and regional economies and support environmental sustainability.”