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Our Journey

Our Journey

Revolutionising how universities research and educate

40 years ago, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya had the seed of an idea. From this, strong roots were built, which would revolutionise how universities research and educate to meet business demands.

The idea quickly blossomed, branching out into multiple sectors and creating international education centres. This produced projects with commercial impact and nurtured the brightest talent.

That small seed grew into a world leading research and education group, WMG.

Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya KT CBE FREng 
FRS Regius Professor of Manufacturing

6th June 1940 - 1st March 2019

"It's very important to build an institution - that's the difference from a one-man enterprise which disappears after him. An institution that does better after your time - that is a true legacy."

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya defined WMG’s mission as combining academic excellence with industrial relevance. From that vision, Lord Bhattacharyya advocated for, and delivered, education and research partnerships between industry and universities.

Through delivering apprenticeships, improving skills through lifelong learning, and applying advanced research to real business concerns, WMG has had a major impact on British business.

That success meant that Lord Bhattacharyya’s advice on manufacturing and technology was sought by a succession of Prime Ministers and Presidents; as well as by leaders and business figures in Coventry, Warwickshire, and the West Midlands.

  • Lord Bhattacharyya was a strong advocate of an effective industrial strategy, seeking a revitalisation of skills policy, a growth in apprenticeships, a focus on the impact of research and training and technology partnerships between industry and universities.
  • Lord Bhattacharyya played a leading role in attracting inward investment to the UK. Most notably, he played a key role in persuading Tata to invest in British manufacturing.
  • Lord Bhattacharyya’s advice was in demand far beyond Britain, including business and government leaders in India, China, South Africa, Malaysia and Singapore.

1980

WMG founded by the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya Kt, CBE, FREng, FRS, Regius Professor of Manufacturing

1981

Launch of the first modular Master’s degree - integrated graduate development scheme – for organisations to upskill their staff

1990

First education programmes offered overseas with Hong Kong Polytechnic University The Advanced Technology Centre opens which was a joint venture with industry – opened by the former prime minister Margaret Thatcher

1992

Engineering Management Building opens with a focus on educating executives

1995

Launch of programmes in India with the Confederation of Indian Industry

1998

Launch of programmes in China with the Chinese state administration of foreign affairs experts

2000

Full-time Master’s programme expanded to include engineering business management, project management, logistics management, and technology management.

2002

Launch of SME programme to support local businesses

2003

£72m premium automotive research and development programme launches to enable industry partners to be more competitive

2008

International Digital Laboratory opens with a focus on digital technologies including cyber, healthcare, and visualisation Institute of Digital Healthcare launched with the NHS and Warwick Medical School

2009

WMG awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for higher and further education

2010

£19m Low Carbon Vehicle Technology project launched to enable industry to design and develop low carbon vehicles

2011

WMG Centre High Value Manufacturing Catapult launches with a focus on strengthening UK industry through innovation and technology transfer

2012

International Institute for Product and Service Innovation opens focusing on future digital and connected technologies

2014

First WMG Academy for young engineers opens in Coventry – supporting the pipeline of young engineers Energy Innovation Centre opens focusing on the development of battery research. International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing opens focusing on developing polymer processing to enable scale up

2016

Advanced Materials Manufacturing Centre opens with a focus on investigating the feasibility and stability of new manufacturing processes

2017

Part of the consortium to develop the new UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, the £130m scale up stage of the Faraday Battery Challenge which is part of the UK Industrial Strategy

2018

Materials Engineering Centre opens which is dedicated to application driven materials research WMG leads the £25m Midlands Future Mobility Connected and Autonomous Vehicle testbed project Further expansion of the full-time MSc programme, which now covers 15 Master’s courses delivered at Warwick to over 1200 students each year

2019

New dedicated Degree Apprenticeship Centre opens for students from industry to study while working 

2020

The National Automotive Innovation Centre officially opened by HRH Prince of Wales in the Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya Building, driving the future of the automotive industry from the heart of the United Kingdom. A beacon for automotive research, it brings together the brightest minds from industry and academia to develop future vehicles and mobility solutions. 

2021

WMG battery vision powers into life with formal launch of UKBIC, a £130 million pioneering 18,500 square metre state-of-the-art national facility, which has been developed to support UK industry with development of battery technologies for future electrification. The facility is owned 66% by Coventry City Council and 33% by the University of Warwick in order to maintain its independence of any one vehicle or battery company. 

2022

The WMG Skills Centre opens to provide expert-led, flexible and cutting-edge short courses designed for groups and individuals who will shape the future of business and industry 

Our commitment leading up to 2026 

Build a positive working culture and a supportive, dynamic and stimulating environment based on the principles of diversity, inclusion and respect   Achieve greater recognition for the unique collaboration between industry and academia provided by WMG in the pursuit of a sustainable and digital future   Lead the development of regional resilience in the Midlands by way of outreach and work with local organisations   Grow WMG, not simply in size but in strength, and find ways of improving practices to add value, improve efficiency, avoid duplication and reduce bureaucracy   Develop the WMG portfolio of engineering, technology and management courses to meet the changing needs a diverse community of learners and employers   Work with government, academia and industry to ensure that our science and research prowess is translated into commercial success for UK plc and the approaches used are shared with our partners across the world 

Research at WMG

Research is at the heart of WMG. With many innovative research areas we offer a range of research degree topics so you can pursue your interests and passions. Our projects have strong links with leaders in global industry, meaning your research will be directly applicable to solve the challenges facing organisations today.

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Danielle

Meet Danielle Flynn, who is one of our current BEng Applied Engineering degree apprentices.

Danielle

Meet Danielle Flynn, who is one of our current BEng Applied Engineering degree apprentices.

Danielle

Meet Danielle Flynn, who is one of our current BEng Applied Engineering degree apprentices.

Danielle

Meet Danielle Flynn, who is one of our current BEng Applied Engineering degree apprentices.

Danielle

Meet Danielle Flynn, who is one of our current BEng Applied Engineering degree apprentices.

Danielle

Meet Danielle Flynn, who is one of our current BEng Applied Engineering degree apprentices.