WMG Warwick Manufacturing Group

With a shared commitment to bring together academia and industry in battery research and development, WMG at The University of Warwick and the Faraday InstitutionLink opens in a new window have partnered to deliver a bespoke training programme to help bridge the skills gap in the UK battery sectorLink opens in a new window.

As the UK accelerates towards a more sustainable, electric future there is a rapidly growing demand for skilled researchers and engineers in battery technology and innovation. The Faraday Institution, the UK’s independent institute for electrochemical energy storage research and battery skills development, understands the growing demand for next-generation researchers to help support the ever-evolving battery industry.

Seeking a unique training solution to equip its PhD students and early career researchers with up-to-date knowledge and skills in the latest technological advancements in batteries, the Faraday Institution partnered with the WMG Skills CentreLink opens in a new window to establish the WMG-Faraday Battery School. Now in its seventh year, the industry-aligned 4-day programme recently welcomed 30 PhD students to WMG’s Energy Innovation Centre, bringing the total number of upskilled researchers to 240.

Edward Motson, a BSc Cyber SecurityLink opens in a new window graduate from WMG at The University of Warwick, was named as the Fred Piper Award Winner at ‘CIISec LIVE’ in Bristol.

In honour of Professor Fred Piper, this national award is presented by The Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) to celebrate outstanding students, not only for academic achievements but for contributions to the cyber community too.

Those nominated for the Fred Piper Award have previously been awarded the titles of Best Student or Best Project by CIISec’s Academic Partners, as part of CIISec's Student of the Year Awards.

According to the QS International Trade Rankings 2025Link opens in a new window, WMG, at the University of Warwick’s MSc in International Trade, Strategy and OperationsLink opens in a new window (ITSO) programme has been placed 4th in the world, and 2nd in the UK

Recognised for its cutting-edge curriculum and strong industry ties, the programme excels across six key criteria:

• Trade programme

• Graduate outcomes

• Industry engagement

• Innovative teaching

• Reputation

• Research

A total of five undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at WMG, University of Warwick have received accreditation from the BCS, Chartered Institute for IT.

The BCS, the professional body for computing, awarded unconditional accreditation, to the following:

Full-time courses  

· BSc Cyber Security

· MSc Cyber Security Engineering

· MSc Cyber Security Management

 Degree Apprenticeships 

· BSc Digital and Technology Solutions

· MSc Digital and Technology Solutions

This accreditation ensures that graduates from the relevant BSc and MSc programmes are automatically eligible to apply for full or partial Chartered Information Technology Professional (CITP) membership with BCS respectively, thereby enhancing their employability prospects as they embark on careers in technology and computing.

WMG at the University of Warwick welcomes the recent Edge Foundation report on Degree Apprenticeships in England.

As a major provider of degree apprenticeships in engineering and digital technologies in the West Midlands, WMG recognises the transformative impact that they have on employers and learners who gain real industrial experience alongside a degree qualification.

The report explores the experiences of apprentices, employers, and education and training providers (ETPs), and makes a number of key recommendations for Government and Skills England to explore, which WMG strongly supports.

Professor Rob Thornton, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at WMG, said: "Degree Apprenticeships provide fantastic opportunities for young people to learn and gain work experience, at the same time delivering value for and meeting the ongoing skills needs for businesses.

“While awareness of these programmes and their popularity is growing, ETPs may struggle to meet this demand due to administrative complexity and the fragmentation of apprenticeship standards. It's vitally important that employers take the lead in defining apprenticeship standards, but these also need to be flexible to allow ETPs to tailor their programmes to better meet employer and regional needs, and incorporate the world-leading research and development being carried out in our universities."

Find out more about WMG Degree Apprenticeship programmes here: Degree Apprenticeships

Congratulations to the WMG graduates who celebrated their achievements at the University of Warwick's Winter Ceremonies.

A total of 1307 Master’s, Postgraduate Research and Undergraduate students graduated from across WMG Including:

• 1,212 Master’s students; with 1,123 of those full-time, 38 part-time, and 51 studying overseas.

• 11 PhD students and one EngD student

• 83 Undergraduate students from Applied Engineering; Digital and Technology Solutions; Cyber Security; and Digital Healthcare Science

At the event, keynote speeches were delivered by members of the WMG alumni community - Dr Andy Palmer CMG, MSc Manufacturing Systems Engineering, (1990), former COO at Nissan and President & Group CEO of Aston Martin; Paul Faithfull MSc/EngD Engineering (UK), (1997), Chairman, Watt Electric Vehicles and Jim Shaw, MSc Engineering Business Management, (1996), Chief Experience Officer, bloom³.

WMG at the University of Warwick celebrated the success of its full-time Master’sLink opens in a new window students at the annual Scholarship Dinner on Thursday 16 January 2025.

The event was held to celebrate the achievements of the scholars, with over 178 from 46 countries attending, and gave them the opportunity to network with peers and faculty members.

WMG’s prestigious departmental scholarships are merit-based awards, offering tuition fee discounts to outstanding candidates. Among this year’s scholars, 135 were recipients of the highly competitive WMG Excellence ScholarshipLink opens in a new window.

Additionally, 63 students were supported by over 20 international funding bodies, including governments, charities, development funds, and industry organisations. Notable among these were Chevening Scholars, funded by the UK Government Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

On 14 January 2025, WMG at The University of Warwick hosted the inaugural lecture of award-winning designer and WMG Industrial Professor, Sebastian Conran.

The lecture was held in the Design Showroom in the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC), with an audience of design and engineering partners, staff and students.

The evening was opened by Professor Robin ClarkLink opens in a new window, Dean of WMG, who spoke about the future of the manufacturing industry and the need for designers and engineers to work together seamlessly to meet society’s challenges. Professor Clark highlighted Sebastian Conran’s work in the design engineering space, and his role in the development of WMG’s new Master’s in Engineering Design ManagementLink opens in a new window.

Sebastian’s lecture, titled ‘Engineering Emotional Experiences’ - Lessons in Collaborative Implementation of Innovation, took the audience on a journey from his early years growing up and wanting to be an inventor, to his teenage years stacking shelves at Habitat, his time at art school studying industrial design engineering, and his career where he’s seen thousands of products through from concept to consumer.