The Centre for Engineering Innovation and Research (CEIR) is focused on combining advanced scientific techniques, specialist knowledge and critical enquiry to solve engineering problems relevant to the industry, society, healthcare, and the environment. From advanced additive manufacturing to metamaterials, tissue engineering biomaterials, next-generation energy-absorbing devices, and advanced energy storage, the innovations at CEIR are focused on pushing the boundaries of engineering through interdisciplinary enquiry. The centre encompasses multiple research groups focused on in-depth enquiry into various cross-cutting and interdisciplinary thematic areas.

The University of Coventry’s Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing has 3 primary wind tunnel facilities. These are the Mercedes Petronas low speed wind tunnel, the TeQuipment AF100 wind tunnel, and the TeQuipment AF80 smoke wind tunnel. Some of these tunnels are suitable for student and commerial use.

East Midlands Freeport is made up of three sites, uniquely located in the centre of the UK. Each location has excellent transport links and freight infrastructure to support trade and connect to all areas of the country, including other freeports, with 91% of the UK’s population within a 4-hour drive.

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) was established in 2010 as an independent Research & Technology Organisation (RTO) with the objective of bridging the gap between academia and industry – often referred to as ‘the valley of death’. It represents one of the largest public sector investments in UK manufacturing and, after four years of planning and a 16 month build, the facility opened at Ansty Park in Coventry at the end of 2011.

Building upon the heritage and space-science excellence of the University of Leicester, Space Park is a collaborative community of industry, academics and students working together to drive growth in space and space-enabled sectors. Space Park aims to support the growth of the UK space sector, boosting economic performance in the region, while becoming a strategically important asset in the delivery of the UK’s industrial competitiveness.

The Staffordshire Advanced Materials, Incubator & Accelerator Centre (SAMIAC) which is a specialist facility that supports incubation and accelerates growth in the advanced materials sector and is part of UK Research Innovation (UKRI).

Amongst other space activities, including the 2021 Local Space Cluster Development Support Programme, the University engages in a variety of space applications work. This includes being the UK lead of the Space-Time Explorer and QUantum Equivalence Principle Space Test (STE-QUEST) consortium, which has developed a mission concept to test aspects of Einstein’s Equivalence Principle using an atom interferometer and an atomic clock.

Sixty years ago, in 1960, Professor Ken Pounds founded the Space Research Group at the University of Leicester. The first Leicester-built instrument in space was launched aboard a Skylark rocket in 1961 and there has been at least one piece of Leicester-built equipment operating in space every year since 1967. Sixty years on, we are continuing to collaborate with international space agencies and developing Space Park Leicester with local partners.

The University of Nottingham has a broad range of research and development in the space domain, with historic strengths in global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), Earth Observation for Human Rights endeavours, and space biology, shaping national and international policy in these areas. The University has also been increasingly utilising CubeSat technology in both academic research and student projects.

West Midlands 5G Accelerator is an innovation and digital acceleration company, born from a 3-year DCMS funded programme to accelerate the roll out of 5G and be the lead partner of the DCMS 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme. In March 2022 this project came to an end and we are now using the case studies and learnings from the testbed trials to benefit organisations primarily in the connectivity, transport, manufacturing and healthcare sectors. WM5G also helps businesses innovate and become future fit through connectivity solutions, Internet of Things and AI.

The Midlands Aerospace Alliance was formed in 2003 to support and represent the aerospace industry across the Midlands region. The MAA works closely with the UK’s other regional aerospace alliances and the national body ADS, as well as with other European and world-wide aerospace clusters.

The Midlands Innovation partners have collective strengths in the academic disciplines that apply to ‘space’ in its broadest sense. The group come together to explore opportunities for collaborative research, discuss training and skills needs for the space sector and how best to utilise the diverse range of space-related equipment housed across the partnership.