The Computational Engineering and Design group operates at the intersection of academia and industry, maintaining a vast network of partners that ensures our research addresses the most pressing challenges in global engineering. Our collaborations range from long-standing strategic alliances with aerospace giants to agile partnerships with innovative tech start-ups.
Strategic industrial partners
We host and contribute to several major industrial research centres, providing the expertise required for large-scale digital transformation and system optimization:
- Rolls-Royce: Home to the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC) for Computational Engineering, we collaborate extensively on gas turbine design and digital design transformation through projects like REPLENISH and Nene.
- Airbus: In partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, we host a dedicated Chair in Design Process Digitalisation, focusing on automating industrial design processes and high-fidelity wing optimization.
- BAE Systems: Our collaboration focuses on systems modelling, aerospace design, and the development of digital twins for advanced flying vehicles.
- Leonardo Aerostructure: We conduct vital research into novel lightweight materials and aerospace structural integrity for the Italian aerospace leader.
- CIRA (Italian Centre for Aerospace Research): We collaborate on high-impact aerospace structures and provide technical and scientific contributions to major international programs such as the Space Rider project.
- JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency): Our partnership focuses on the cutting edge of flight autonomy, specifically developing AI-based control systems for next-generation aerial vehicles.
Specialized technology and sector partners
Our research impacts diverse sectors, including autonomous systems, maritime safety, and automotive efficiency:
- Luffy AI: A key partner in accelerating the development of adaptive AI flight controllers for UAVs and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) platforms.
- Lloyd’s Register & ST Engineering Antycip: We collaborate on maritime engineering, Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI), and safety-critical computational modelling for the marine and defense sectors.
- Volkswagen and Mubea: Our researchers develop topology optimization techniques for thermal management in electric vehicles and next-generation automotive components.
- Microsoft: As the home of the Microsoft Institute for High Performance Computing, we drive advancements in large-scale engineering simulations and cloud-based computation.