WMG News - Latest news from WMG

Dr Di Li — Associate Professor and Deputy Head (Skills and Education Engagement) of the Business Innovation, Supply Chain and Trade Group at WMG, University of Warwick — has been selected as a judge for this year’s QS Reimagine Education Awards. These prestigious, international awards recognise innovative projects, technologies, and pedagogical approaches that enhance learning outcomes, employability, and educational equity. As a judge, Dr Li will review submissions from around the world, enabling her to engage directly with cutting-edge educational innovations.

New research from WMG has found that the carbon footprint of collecting and refurbishing abandoned trolleys adds up to the equivalent of flying from London to New York and back twice!

“Thousands of shopping trolleys are reported as abandoned in the UK every year. When you multiply the carbon impact of retrieving each one, it becomes both significant and concerning,” explains Neill Raath, Assistant Professor at WMG, University of Warwick, who led the research.

Despite supermarkets introducing a range of methods to stop shopping trolleys leaving their premises, including coin slots and wheel-locking mechanisms, over 520,000 are still reported as abandoned in the UKLink opens in a new window each year, according to global trolley and retail equipment manufacturer, Wanzl.

Supermarkets rely on commercial collection services, typically using diesel vans to survey suburban areas, to collect and return the trolleys. Researchers at WMG assessed the environmental impact in order to tally the true cost of abandoning a trolley.

It’s been a busy and exciting time for Warwick Racing and Warwick Submarine, two undergraduate student-led project teams from the University of Warwick, who recently showcased their engineering talent in international competitions both at home and abroad. Read all about the teams' success at Formula Student, Silverstone, and the International Submarine Races, USA.

The Outreach team at WMG has been busy bringing science to life in London as part of the Royal Institution (Ri)’s holiday workshop programme. Designed for ages nine to 14, the workshops provide young people with hands-on experience of STEM topics, helping expand their learning beyond the classroom.

This is the fourth consecutive year that WMG has delivered sessions in partnership with the Ri, expertly led by Professor Margaret Low, Director of Outreach and Widening Participation, and Dr Phil Jemmett, Widening Participation Coordinator and Faculty Public Engagement Lead (Science, Engineering and Medicine).

To drive safety in our future airspace, WMG has been working with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on new research to assess how future electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft can be safely integrated into UK skies. The 18-month study, funded by the Department for Transport, forms part of the regulator’s Future of Flight programme and applies systems thinking to assess the safety of future eVTOL aircraft operations in UK airspace.

Earlier this year the UK Government recognised agri-tech, in its Industrial Strategy, as a key frontier industry within Advanced Manufacturing.

The recognition marks a pivotal shift by the government - acknowledging the sector’s potential to drive growth, enhance productivity, strengthen climate resilience, and reduce agricultural emissions - while prioritising a sustainable and secure food supply for the UK.

This also aligns with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) new food strategy for England, to tackle UK food resilience and enhance supply chains, while protecting nature and biodiversity.

Warwick Agri-Tech, established in 2022, is a pioneering initiative that brings together the expertise of two leading University of Warwick departments – WMG and the School of Life Sciences. By integrating advanced engineering with plant science, the initiative aims to shape the future of agriculture.

As part of this mission, Warwick Agri-Tech has launched a new Pilot Facility featuring state-of-the-art robotics designed to support sustainable food production and accelerate agricultural innovation.

The Advance HE Teaching Excellence Awards are among the most prestigious in the world of higher education — and WMG, University of Warwick, is proud to share that one of its own, Dr Freeha Azmat, has been honoured this year.

An Associate Professor and Reader in Engineering Education at WMG, Dr Azmat has been named a National Teaching Fellow for her outstanding innovations in engineering education and curriculum design, as well as her steadfast commitment to inclusion.

Freeha is now one of only three academics at WMG to have received Advance HE’s National Teaching Fellowship Award; she joins Professor Robin Clark, Pro-Dean International, and Professor Margaret Low, Director of Outreach and Participation, as a fellow.

Cutting-edge WMG scanning technology led by Professor Mark Williams featured in BBC Two documentary, The Moors Murders: A Search for Justice  

Advanced scanning technology developed by Professor Mark Williams and his team at WMG, University of Warwick, plays a pivotal role in the powerful new BBC Two documentary series The Moors Murders: A Search for Justice.  

The two-part series, produced by Longtail Films and airing on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, reopens one of the UK’s most harrowing cold cases: the search for the final victim of serial killers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, 12-year-old Keith Bennett. The documentary features never-before-seen documents and audio recordings, alongside new forensic investigations that challenge long-held assumptions about the case.  

Professor Williams is a leading expert in advanced scanning and imaging technologies, who contributed state-of-the-art forensic analysis to the programme. His team’s high-resolution 3D scanning and material analysis provided critical insight into key pieces of evidence uncovered during the investigation. The technology helped to scan an area of interest on the moors to identify anomalies and features in the landscape for potential body deposition sites.   

The Institution of Engineering and TechnologyLink opens in a new window (IET), one of the world’s leading professional societies for engineers and technicians, has awarded professional recognition to the BSc Digital and Technology Solutions Degree ApprenticeshipLink opens in a new window at WMG, University of Warwick.

Accreditation was awarded following a rigorous review process, which looked at the programme’s content and delivery including its relevance, coherence, challenge, assessment, staffing, quality assurance, facilities and resources. This recognition underscores WMG’s dedication to providing high quality engineering education.

The BSc Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship is aligned to the Digital and Technology Solutions Professional (Level 6) Undergraduate Degree Apprenticeship StandardLink opens in a new window. The programme offers four specialist pathways, designed to best meet specific industry needs.*

Professor Kerry Kirwan has been announced as WMG’s new Dean, effective 1 August 2025. He succeeds Professor Robin Clark, who was appointed Dean of WMG in October 2020. Professor Kirwan comes to the appointment with over 30 years' experience at WMG, University of Warwick. He has been a part of the department since he completed his second-year project as part of his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering.