About AME
Welcome to the UK's First 'Faculty on the Factory Floor'
The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) marks a step-change in the way the UK is tackling industry’s well documented skills and technology gaps.
Established six years ago through the collaborative vision of Coventry University and Unipart Manufacturing Group, the UK’s first ‘Faculty on the Factory Floor’ has been a resounding success, with more than 204 young people completing or currently studying towards their BEng or MEng in Manufacturing and Engineering.
What makes us different? Put simply, it’s our ability to deliver the very best teaching in a real-world manufacturing environment, giving young people the opportunity to apply what they are learning on live shop floor projects.
This, combined with access to the latest equipment at our 1700 sq metre manufacturing hub, will help to accelerate progression and ensures that graduates are industry-ready and futureproofed in the latest digital and sustainable manufacturing technologies that are currently in high demand.
To date, we have a very high graduate employment success rate, with many of our engineers going on to hold senior positions within automotive, aerospace and clean energy sectors.
More than just skills
AME’s second focus is on supporting UK manufacturers in commercialising the outstanding research we undertake in this country. For too long, overseas technology specialists have been reaping the rewards of the research conducted by UK universities and we want to change this by creating a domestic innovation ecosystem that:
- Develops a roadmap, which matches research against industrial challenges
- Encourages a full supply chain approach to Research and Development and commercialisation
- Matches academic expertise with industrial capability in key fields of digitalisation and sustainable manufacturing
The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering has a proven track record for this approach, delivering over £50m of Research and Development projects since its launch in 2014.
This has resulted in the development of a number of improved engineering, manufacturing and product technologies such as lighter exhausts for Aston Martin, new fuel tanks and exhaust systems for Jaguar Land Rover and high pressure fuel rails for Ford, new battery joining technologies for Hyperbat and new digital manufacturing solutions to a number of partners – all of these have generated academic output and commercial benefit, created jobs and introduced new manufacturing technologies to the marketplace.
We want to build on this by opening up new technology opportunities to UK industry by inviting OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), SMEs and other research partners across all manufacturing sectors to collaborate with AME.
Achievements at a glance
90 students graduated with a BEng or MEng in Manufacturing & Engineering
High employment rate for all of our students
30 international placements offered
Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Innovation
in Higher Education
Over £50m of Research and Development
projects completed
Over £200m of economic value generated
for UK industry
About the Collaboration
The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering is an exciting collaboration between two of the leading organisations in academia and industry.
Unipart Manufacturing Group (UMG) lies at the heart of the Unipart Group, a global specialist in manufacturing logistics, and consultancy.
Employing 800+ employees across six divisions, UMG delivers tailored solutions to some of the most critical manufacturing, engineering and supply chain problems in the world.
The company has been built on a proud history of serving the automotive industry and, today, applies the same engineering excellence when dealing with original equipment manufacturers in aerospace, power generation and oil & gas.
All of its operations have a commitment to invest in innovation and operate using ‘The Unipart Way’ – a philosophy of working underpinned by tools and techniques that inspire efficiency, flexibility and outstanding customer service.
The latter’s site in Coventry houses the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering.
Visit the Unipart website
Coventry University is an ambitious, business-facing university whose roots can be traced back to 1843 to the Coventry School of Design.
Its Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing has a well-earned global reputation for research and teaching, driven by activity-led learning, business innovation and industry-focused research.
A £55m investment has created a state-of-the-art building for this faculty and provides access to numerous technologies, including a brand new Computerised Numeric Control (CNC) manufacturing centre, engine test tell and dedicated facilities in composite manufacturing, metrology and material and joining.
Coventry University, which is the Sunday Times’ ‘Modern University of the Year’ for the second consecutive year, currently works with some of the biggest names in industry, including Jaguar Land Rover, GE Aviation, Cummins and Intel.
It also prides itself on working with SMEs and helping to support innovative new products to market.
Today, Coventry University employs over 3000 members of staff and boasts an annual turnover for £220m.
Visit the Coventry University website
The benefits
Discover the benefits of AME's unique 'Faculty on the Factory Floor' approach for students, business, researchers and the United Kingdom as a whole.
Find out more