Southampton Advanced Manufacturing and Design Hub officially launched

On 1st May, the School of Engineering welcomed the Vice Chancellor, Prof Mark E. Smith, to launch the Southampton Advanced Manufacturing and Design Hub.

The Hub brings together existing world-leading expertise and facilities in engineering design and advanced manufacturing to create a new interdisciplinary centre of research, enterprise and education. The opening of the Hub marks a significant milestone for the School of Engineering, reinforcing the University of Southampton’s role as a leader in technological advancement and sustainable manufacturing solutions.

Based within the Department of Mechanical Engineering , SAMDH aims to be recognised as an internationally leading centre for advanced manufacturing and digitally enabled design. The hub will educate students to provide the expertise needed to regenerate UK manufacturing as its faces the rapid pace of energy transition and sustainability enabled by the fourth industrial revolution. The Hub also engages education, research and enterprise activities in engineering design and advanced manufacturing, working across the University’s triple helix strategy.

The facilities linked to SAMDH include the Quanser Manufacturing and Virtual Twin Laboratory, Engineering Design and Manufacturing Centre (EDMC) workshops, Design Studios and the Additive Materials and Structures Research Laboratory (AMSRL). The Hub also links to established characterisation facilities, such as µ-VIS X-Ray Imaging Centre and the National Infrastructure Laboratory .

Hub Director, Professor Bo Chen explains further "The SAMDH leadership team envisions a connected, agile, and scalable manufacturing ecosystem — a Future Manufacturing Hub powered by people, technologies, and partnerships. They view manufacturing as a systems-level challenge, considering the entire product lifecycle, including carbon footprint, energy use, repairability, recyclability, and circular economy principles."

The hub's leadership team also includes Chris Malcom, senior technician at Engineering and Design Manfacturing Centre (EDMC); Andrew Hamilton, an academic focused on AI and digitalisation; and Lyndon Buck, Principal Teaching Fellow in Design, who aims to strengthen industry links and reconnect with alumni.

This summer, the Hub will co-create case studies across education, research, and enterprise, guided by their Triple Helix approach. They will map skills gaps, identify facility needs, and generate ideas through industrial consultation and engagement.

To find out more visit Southampton Advanced Manufacturing and Design Hub .