Introduction

The HW-IMRC is the  centre for excellence for advanced manufacturing solutions at Heriot-Watt University. It is one of 16 IMRCs (Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres) established by EPSRC with long-term funding and enhanced with susbstantial additional financial support from Industry.

Our mission is to support manufacturing innovation through research in technologies that underpin sustainable growth of high value-added manufacturing industries in Scotland and the rest of the UK, by exploiting a constructive engagement between academic researchers and industrial stakeholders. Our particular focus is on new technology and processes for high value, low volume, highly customised products with high IP content for the benefit of global manufacturing industry. It is hoped that the transfer of knowledge to Industry from the SMI will strengthen the performance of the UK manufacturing process.

The HW-IMRC is based on research groups in three themes of Digital Tools, Microsystems and Photonics. However, the HW-IMRC is intrinsically interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, drawing on all relevant technology research in the development of its activities to solve problems facing manufacturing industry. The most important problems facing manufacturing industries are no longer mono-disciplinary solutions.