Birmingham to Host £34.6M National Hub for Robotics-Enabled Sustainable Manufacturing

By Anushka Malhotra

1 minute 31 seconds

Investment

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Quick Read: £34.6M funding secured to establish RESCu-M2 hub in Birmingham, driving sustainable manufacturing through robotics and automation.

A significant step towards sustainable manufacturing has been taken with the announcement of the establishment of a national research hub at the University of Birmingham. The hub, named the EPSRC Manufacturing Research Hub in Robotics, Automation & Smart Machine Enabled Sustainable Circular Manufacturing & Materials (RESCu-M2), is part of UK Research and Innovation’s ‘Manufacturing research hubs for a sustainable future’ programme. It will receive £34.6M (£11M from EPSRC and £23.6M from project partners) in funding over the next 7 years.

The RESCu-M2 hub aims to address two grand challenges: transforming the sustainable use of critical materials and improving the productivity of ‘Re-X’ manufacturing processes. These processes, including reuse, repurpose, repair, remanufacture, and recycle, are currently labor-intensive, leading to significant material wastage. However, businesses could save up to £23 bn per year by making low- or no-cost improvements.

Professor Samia Nefti-Meziani OBE, Director of the Birmingham Robotics Institute, emphasised the need for radical approaches in manufacturing.

"Instead of focusing on producing new products and disposing of them, we should be prolonging the useful life of products, particularly those containing critical materials such as rare earth elements," she said.

The RESCu-M2 hub will harness advances in AI and intelligent automation to create a new manufacturing ecosystem that promotes cost-effective circular resource use. Partnerships include various universities, research centres, and regional authorities, with a focus on developing 'spokes' from the hub to attract further investment opportunities.

Researchers will investigate smart processes for disassembly, remanufacturing, separation, and recovery of critical products and components, as well as circular Re-X business models.

Professor Adam Tickell, Vice Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, expressed optimism about the hub's potential impact.

"The aim of RESCu-M2 is to find and help implement integrated solutions that will drastically reduce the environmental impact of high-value products and make significant savings in CO2 emissions annually," he said.

Mike Wright, Independent Chair of the West Midlands Innovation Board, welcomed the initiative, noting its alignment with the West Midland’s Plan for Growth.

"By bringing these activities together, recognising the strong base of regional R&D and businesses, we have a real opportunity to catalyse growth for the region," he added.

Read the press release here.

What's new

West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator Unlocks Nearly £50M in Private Investment

The West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA), led by the University of Birmingham, has generated an impressive £49.4 million in private co-investment within its first two years, significantly surpassing its original £14.5 million public funding allocation.

Funded through the Innovation Accelerator programme, coordinated by Innovate UK, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and UK Research and Innovation, WMHTIA has become a leading force in advancing health technology innovation across the region.

The majority of the private investment—£36.3 million—was directly committed by investors to enterprises supported by the Accelerator. This achievement represents a threefold return on the initial public investment, demonstrating the strong investor confidence in the region’s health tech sector.

Powering Health Innovation Through Collaboration

The WMHTIA brings together 21 partners from academia, industry, and the NHS to help healthtech companies develop, validate, and commercialise cutting-edge medical technologies. So far, companies supported through the programme have also secured an additional £10 million in national public grants from agencies including NIHR, Eureka, and Innovate UK.

Including both public and private contributions, the total investment leveraged by WMHTIA now stands at £67.3 million.

Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor, University of Birmingham:

We’re proud to support startups through the riskiest stages of innovation so more life-saving technologies reach patients. This exceptional investment proves what’s possible when academia, the NHS, and industry work together to drive economic growth and better health outcomes.

In March 2025, the Innovation Accelerator programme was extended with a further £30 million, including £4 million for the WMHTIA to continue supporting the region’s innovators in 2025/26.

Backing the Future of Health Tech

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands:

The West Midlands is leading medical tech innovation—from faster diagnoses to shorter hospital stays. Healthtech isn’t just improving lives; it’s creating secure, high-value jobs that drive inclusive growth.

Dean Cook, Executive Director of Place and Global, Innovate UK:

This programme shows how place-based innovation can unlock greater business investment in R&D. By connecting the region’s strengths, we’re creating high-value jobs and building globally significant innovation capability.

The WMHTIA continues to strengthen the region’s reputation as a national hub for health technology, with far-reaching benefits for patient care, job creation, and regional economic development.

By Anushka Malhotra

24 Jun