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Work to find new ways to breathe life into priceless motors has caught the interest of one of the industry’s stalwarts. Researchers at WMG, the innovative solutions provider at the University of Warwick, have been looking at how lasers might be used to help restore classic cars. They’re working with Coventry Transport Museum who loaned the university department a priceless Lea Francis Hyper racing car as a test model. After reading about the ground-breaking work, the Managing Director of Lea Francis Cars Ltd – still very much a going concern - contacted WMG to share his own experience of building the thoroughbred cars.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer visited international research and education group WMG today to see one of the UK’s foremost examples of universities and industry working together.

Alistair Darling MP saw how the £72 million Premium Automotive Research and Development programme (PARD), run by WMG at the University of Warwick, has resulted in increased productivity, innovation and competitiveness in the West Midlands automotive supply chain.

2007 has been a very busy year for WMG: here we look back over some of the highlights. We welcomed many important guests during the year including the British Prime Minister the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP and the past President of India Dr Abdul Kalam and we are making good progress on what will be our fourth building – the Digital Laboratory.

It was announced today, at the Festival of Innovation, that Health Tech, the programme which helps West Midlands SMEs to innovate new medical & healthcare products and diversify into the healthcare sector, has received a £1.5m injection to expand and extend its work through to the end of 2008.

The Health Tech programme is run by WMG at the University of Warwick and is supported by a European Regional Development Fund grant through the Government Office for the West Midlands to enable it to provide 5 days of free assistance to its client SMEs in geographic areas of greatest need for development.

STATE-OF-THE ART SCANNER GIVES NEW LIFE TO CLASSIC CARS**TUESDAY 13 NOVEMBER ** Britain has a unique motoring heritage – most of it preserved in museums – but researchers at WMG are to use high-technology to breathe new life into our classic autos. WMG’s Craftsmanship team, based at the University of Warwick, have recently installed a £350,000 laser measurement machine, supplied by Metris UK, that can accurately measure – to the nearest micron – anything from the smallest component up to full size cars. And on Tuesday 13 November they will demonstrate this technology by laser scanning a priceless Lea Francis Hyper – winner of the 1928 Ulster TT race – to develop a unique computer model of the car.

WMG was a major sponsor of Manufacturer Live 2007 held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on 17-18 October.

Click here to see a gallery of pictures from the event.

Pictures from Manufacturer Live 2007

WMG at the University of Warwick is fast becoming key to India’s hopes to expand both its high-tech manufacturing capability and recruiting bright young engineers to its space programme.

On Sunday 21 October former President of India, Dr Abdul Kalam (President of India until July 2007), arrives in the UK and he has made a particular point of making a visit to WMG the very first thing on his itinerary.

A paper authored by WMG researcher Dr Jay Bal and Engineering Doctorate student Mr Ali Al-Khouri on digital identities has won the Information Security Award. The assessment, which was based on scope; KPIs; innovation; functionality; and productivity, involved a panel of senior government officials from around the Asia Pacific that considered 212 nominations from 14 countries in the region.

Dr Bal is an expert on digital ID. Mr Al-Khouri is Assistant Director General of the Emirates Identity Authority and his work with Dr Bal to set up the UAE national ID project has won many international awards.

Professor Darek Ceglarek, Director of Digital Product Lifecycle Management at WMG, has recently chaired some of the most influential international events in his field.

He has also been asked to represent the UK on the ManuFUTURE high level group.