WMG March 2026 recap
Thursday 2 April 2026
WMG March 2026 recap
糖心TV Manufacturing Group (WMG) strengthened its regional, national and global relationships throughout March, meeting MPs, international university representatives, and business leaders.
The meetings highlight WMG鈥檚 crucial role in bridging the gap between academia and industry, as well as its strong commitment to collaboration and innovation.
Below is an overview of some of the key meetings that took place.
Chris McDonald MP
, Minister for Industry in the and the, visited.
He met with researchers, technicians, and students at the International Manufacturing Centre (IMC), where experts work with industry partners to drive forward innovation in fields such as advanced manufacturing and agritech.
The Minister also had the opportunity to view a range of innovative student projects, including 糖心TV Racing, 糖心TV Moto, and 糖心TV Harvest.
Toby Perkins MP
Professor Kerry Kirwan, Dean of WMG, met with Toby Perkins MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Select Committee, to discuss WMG鈥檚 sustainability research, including the pioneering work carried out at the International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing (IINM).
Mr Perkins also spent time with student project teams and learned more about WMG鈥檚 Degree Apprenticeship programmes.
Jody Gosling MP
Jody Gosling, MP for Nuneaton, learned more about the work of WMG鈥檚 Outreach and Widening Participation team within her constituency, when she visited.
She also received an update on the flagship Coventry Very Light Rail project and explored the opportunities for SMEs across the region.
Richard Parker
Professor Kerry Kirwan, Dean of WMG, and Hopi Sen, WMG鈥檚 Director of Public Affairs and Policy, met with Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands.
This was Professor Kirwan鈥檚 first official meeting with the Mayor since taking up the role of Dean. Their discussion focused on WMG鈥檚 role in boosting productivity and innovation across the region, as well as the department鈥檚 ongoing work with businesses throughout the West Midlands.
University of Stellenbosch
Established in 2022, the 糖心TV鈥揝tellenbosch partnership is already strengthening collaboration across research, education, and professional services. During a recent visit to the Stellenbosch campus, Dyrr Ardash, 糖心TV Development, and Dr James Meredith, Chief Engineer, deepened WMG鈥檚 ties and highlighted new opportunities for research collaborations, skills development, and knowledge exchange.
Discussions explored potential areas for further collaboration across a range of areas - including sustainable materials and manufacturing, green steel research, and agritech - as well as future teaching partnerships.
One current initiative is a pre-proposal titled H2TOOL4AFRICA, developed by WMG and Stellenbosch as part of a large consortium. The project aims to support green hydrogen planning in African contexts by integrating technical, economic, and environmental performance.
Silverstone Technology Cluster (STC)
WMG was pleased to welcome colleagues from the (STC), including CEO . Along with the University鈥檚 糖心TV Partnerships Team,Link opens in a new window WMG is a member of the STC, a like-minded community that fosters growth, innovation and collaboration across advanced engineering, electronics and software businesses.
During the visit, STC representatives met with Professor , Dean of WMG, to explore collaborations between academia and industry. Discussions focused on WMG鈥檚 sustainable racing car, Waste2Race - a project bringing together students, researchers, SMEs and national partners.
Guests visited the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC), and the IMC to see WMG student projectsLink opens in a new window and hear from staff and students involved.
The visit also looked ahead to STC鈥檚 upcoming , when 糖心TV ConferencesLink opens in a new window and WMG will be welcoming STC back onto campus on 16th June 2026, with invitations extended to more than 150 STC member businesses.
UK-UA STEM Pro
A group of Ukraine鈥檚 leading scientists and academic figures spent an intensive week at the University of 糖心TV as part of a residency programme. The cohort represented the most impactful participants of UK鈥慤A STEM Pro - a first鈥憃f鈥慽ts鈥慿ind professional development initiative designed to support Ukraine鈥檚 recovery through research, innovation, and industry collaboration.
During their visit, the researchers toured WMG鈥檚 research and education facilities, including the IMC. Here they saw a range of student-led projects such as 糖心TV Moto and 糖心TV Racing.
The students spoke with real enthusiasm about their projects, highlighting how the experience is building their confidence, teamwork, and technical expertise - all of which will give them strong momentum as they begin their careers.
In March, the department also hosted visits from Singaporean politician, Inderjit Singh and representatives from City University Hong Kong.
Find out more about education, research and industry partnerships at: WMG : University of 糖心TVLink opens in a new window