WMG visits: February 2026
Monday 2 March 2026
WMG visits: February 2026
In February, representatives from Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) met with MPs; Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) leaders; and international guests, including colleagues from the PNB Research Institute in Singapore and Osaka University in Japan.
Sir Jeremy Wright MP
Sir Jeremy Wright MP was welcomed by Professor Kerry Kirwan, Dean of WMG; Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Warwick; and Professor Caroline Meyer, Provost at the University of Warwick.
During his visit, he heard more about WMG’s research capabilities in visualisation, intelligent vehicles, and forensics. He also spent time chatting to WMG’s Apprentice Technicians and Degree Apprenticeship students.
Taiwo Owatemi MP
WMG was pleased to welcome Coventry North West MP, Taiwo Owatemi. She was particularly interested in learning more about the department’s Outreach and Widening Participation activities.
Professor Margaret Low, WMG’s Director of Outreach and Widening Participation, led a Turtlestitch coding workshop with students from West Coventry Academy.
The session highlighted the creativity and hands-on learning that STEM can offer, and how practical experiences can inspire young people and open doors to future opportunities.
EPSRC
The EPSRC’s Sustainable Manufacturing and Mobility team visited WMG for a tour of the International Manufacturing Centre (IMC), the Advanced Materials Manufacturing Centre (AMMC), and the Materials Engineering Centre (MEC).
During the visit, the guests also heard from several leading researchers, gaining insight into the breadth of WMG’s activities and capabilities, including work in materials manufacturing, sustainability, supply chains, steels, agritech, and batteries.
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce
WMG was pleased to welcome Sandra Godley, President of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.
A strong advocate for supporting young people, she spent time with students from Warwick Moto and Warwick Racing, hearing first-hand how they design, build, and race cutting-edge vehicles. The students spoke enthusiastically about their projects and the confidence, teamwork, and technical skills they are gaining - skills that will give them real momentum as they launch their careers.
PNB Research Institute
Dr Sarena Che Omar, Chief Executive Officer of PNB Research Institute Malaysia visited. PNB is one of Malaysia’s largest government-linked investment institutions and plays an important role in driving sustainable growth and long-term national development.
Dr Omar was welcomed by Professor Kerry Kirwan, Dean of WMG, before joining a wider discussion with colleagues from WMG and the University.
Sessions led by Dr Kogila Balakrishnan and Dr Tara Schiller opened up productive dialogue on potential future collaboration in areas including sustainability and the circular economy; sustainable mobility and transport systems; energy transition and decarbonisation; sustainable materials and manufacturing innovation; and policy, governance, and industrial transformation.
University of Osaka
Professor Kerry Kirwan, Dean of WMG, together with Professor Parveen Kaur, Phil Wall and Dr Matthew Bennett, welcomed Associate Professor Miho Namba from the Department of Management of Industry and Technology at the University of Osaka. Miho Namba was accompanied by an independent consultant, Daisuke Kudo.
During their visit, the guests toured the International Manufacturing Centre (IMC), the Degree Apprenticeship Centre (DAC), and the Composite Materials Laboratory. They learned more about WMG’s industry and research collaboration model, as well as the structure and impact of Degree Apprenticeship programmes.
Find out more about education, research and industry partnerships at: WMG : University of Warwick