High Value Manufacturing Catapult launches chief engineers’ team 

The High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC) has launched a new initiative to recruit chief engineers on secondment directly from its family of research centres. The engineers will bring a breadth of subject knowledge and expertise from the world-leading research centres to HVMC, which was established and is supported by Innovate UK. 

The initiative will ensure HVMC has the best chief engineers in the business, focusing on issues of national and global importance. The engineers will also work with the government and funding bodies to help establish funding opportunities. 

Professor Sam Turner, Chief Technology Officer at HVMC at the time the scheme launched, was a driving force behind the secondment approach. Professor Turner, who has recently been announced as the CEO of a new centre in Northern Ireland – the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) – said: “I’m pleased to have established this collaborative concept before taking up my new position in Belfast. In my new role I will still be connected to HVMC and will continue as the ambassador for net zero. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing how the activity evolves as part of HVMC’s next chapter and have no doubt the chief engineers will make a significant contribution to driving industrial transformation.” 

The first three chief engineers have already been appointed: Professor Rab Scott from the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, Mike Wilson from the Manufacturing Technology Centre and Marc Funnell from the National Composites Centre. Once the recruitment process is complete, HVMC will have six chief engineers.