Centre for Precision Technologies showcases innovation before Parliament

Photo: Parliamentlive.tv

Professor Liam Blunt, Director of the University of Huddersfield’s renowned Centre for Precision Technologies (CPT), has spoken before a Parliamentary Committee about the centre’s innovative work.

Professor Blunt was invited before the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee as part of the Commons Select Committee’s Innovation Showcase.

During a presentation, he was able to share how one of the centre’s key aims is to bring metrology systems within the heart of manufacturing processes and inside the machines themselves – delivering hugely enhanced productivity and minimised energy use.

He explained that the CPT is the current host of the Advanced Metrology Hub for Sustainable Manufacturing, and the success of the Hub model was down to consortia including academics, catapult centres, manufacturers and end user companies, to both push and pull technology through the development pipeline.

He also spoke of how early investment was critical to allow innovative ideas to be developed into viable commercial products – having encountered issues with access to finance when seeking to exploit technologies developed by the CPT via spin-out companies.

Speaking after the committee, Professor Blunt commented: "This was a fabulous opportunity to highlight the achievements of the Hub at the University of Huddersfield and how innovations in high-value manufacturing across the country can be facilitated by proactive government policy."

Centre of excellence

The CPT is a centre of excellence for collaborative metrology research – utilising the science of and practice of measurement to solve real-world manufacturing problems through cutting-edge research in precision engineering.

Scientists within the CPT are at the forefront of creating new measurement techniques, and its highly innovative research and strong links with industry resulted in the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) designating the CPT as a National Centre of Excellence in Advanced Metrology in 2011.

The CPT has been awarded EPSRC funding on three successive occasions, with its critical mass funding amounting to £55 million in total when taking funds from industrial partners and the University itself into account.

Headed by Professor Dame Xiangqian (Jane) Jiang, the Hub’s current focus is on developing groundbreaking new technologies to enable a step change in capability for process monitoring and control.

The Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and associated public bodies.