At a Royal Academy of Engineering event, held on Thursday 26 September at Prince Philip House in London, a long-term collaboration between the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and The Boeing Company was announced as the winner of the 2024 Bhattacharyya Award. The award is given in recognition of the success of this sustained industrial academia–industry partnership.
A collaboration between the University of Sheffield and Boeing created the AMRC. This strategic relationship underpinned the business case for Boeing’s first European manufacturing site and created a pipeline of future talent for the advanced manufacturing sector. Research projects include developing 100% sustainable aviation fuels and constructing the largest collaborative R&D programme to solve challenges around creating composites for aerospace.
Watch: University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and The Boeing Company
Materials engineering, such as creating novel composites, is one of the most productive areas of engineering research in the UK, according to research carried out by the Academy in a new report on Trends in Engineering Research. (1)
Funded by the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the annual Bhattacharyya Award is awarded to a UK university or college that has demonstrated a sustained, strategic industrial partnership in any academic discipline that has benefitted society and is deserving of national recognition. (2)
Between them, the 2024 Bhattacharyya Award finalists have created thousands of highly skilled jobs across the UK in manufacturing, aeronautics, robotics, aviation, space, energy, defence and security and secured over £1bn of investment.
The winners were announced and presented with their Award by Professor Sir Martin Sweeting.
Professor Sir Martin Sweeting OBE FREng FRS, Chair of the judging panel for the Bhattacharyya Award, said:
“The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and The Boeing Company showed clear evidence of a sustained industrial collaboration with demonstrated mutual benefit to both academia and industry, alongside a clear contribution to the UK economy. This blueprint for partnership is critical to driving growth in the economy, innovation in business and capitalising on research and development at universities, and the future of the success of UK plc will depend upon this synergy.”
Steve Foxley, chief executive officer for the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), said:
“Winning the 2024 Bhattacharyya award from a list of such high-calibre companies and universities, and seeing the work they have produced, is a very humbling moment - and brings with it a huge sense of pride and accomplishment.
Our longstanding collaboration with Boeing is very special. It is a partnership we have nurtured for more than 20 years.
This award, and making the AMRC what it is today, would not have been possible without all of our hardworking and dedicated staff. We’ve been privileged to work with hundreds of talented individuals over the years, who have been instrumental in driving the innovation and impact we have achieved together.
Working alongside our valued industrial partners like Boeing has enabled us to make real-world changes in the advanced manufacturing sector together, both in the UK and globally. And this not only helps industry to increase productivity and improve its sustainability footprint, but creates more jobs, prospects and investment.”
Notes for editors
- Trends in Engineering Research: a quantitative analysis of Engineering research publications in the UK was commissioned by the Royal Academy of Engineering and produced by Digital Science and Technopolis. https://raeng.org.uk/policy-and-resources/research-and-innovation/research-and-innovation-ecosystem/trends-in-engineering
- The Bhattacharyya Award is a tribute to Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya CBE FREng FRS, the Regius Professor of Manufacturing at the University of Warwick and founder of WMG who advocated for greater collaboration between industry and universities.
- The 2024 shortlist was:
- University of Bristol and EDF Energy: Working together for safe, clean, affordable energy for the UK.
- Cardiff University, Swansea University, the Compound Semiconductor Centre, IQE, CSconnected and SPTS (KLA): The world’s first Compound Semiconductor (CS) Cluster.
- Cranfield University and Airbus: 53 years of partnership and counting.
- The Heriot-Watt University and Renishaw Strategic Alliance: A long term and highly effective partnership.
- The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and The Boeing Company: Transforming the regional and national manufacturing innovation landscape.
4. The Royal Academy of Engineering is harnessing the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.