An Innovative Electronics Manufacturing Research Centre

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The IeMRC is one of 16 Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres (IMRCs) set up and supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), focussing on the electronics manufacturing sector.With more than 5 million funding over 5 years (2004-2009), the IeMRC is distributed among a number of universities and has a 'hub' at Loughborough, UK. Other UK universities involved in the operation of the Centre include Bath, Brunel, Greenwich, Lancaster, Heriot-Watt and Nottingham. This is a proposal to renew the IeMRC for a further 5 years, from March 2010.Compared with the other Innovative Manufacturing Centres established with EPSRC support, the IeMRC differs in being a distributed research operation rather than having a fixed location for its research activities. Universities across the UK are able to bid for funds from the Centre, so encouraging open collaboration between groups. The advantage of a distributed programme, compared with a single centre, is that it allows the most appropriate people to do the work for an industry that has now become very diverse.Key elements of the IeMRC are the high level of industrial involvement and strong industrial steering group that decides priorities for funding. As with other IMRCs, the contribution from industry in resources and cash will at least match the EPSRC funds.