The International Warwick Manufacturing Group

The International Warwick Manufacturing Group

S.K. Bhattacharyya

The authorS.K. Bhattacharyya is head of Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.

It is well known that the UK has an investment gap in high technology industries. The quality of investment is quite often given as one of the reasons for our lack of competitiveness. The Government has well recognised this and has started with providing investment allowances for SMEs.

The other major problem facing British industry is the lack of relevant skills, especially in areas of high technology. Automation equipment vendors and users have been working very closely together especially with higher and further education centres in order to overcome this shortfall.

The International Warwick Manufacturing Group (IWMG) works in partnership with many major firms using high technology, such as the Rover Group, British Aerospace etc., in order to train people. IWMG also works in partnership with about 500 companies worldwide. The Group has centres in Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, Thailand, South Africa and Europe, where it is involved in training a host of senior and middle managers in areas of competitiveness.

The IWMG also carries out both fundamental and applied research in areas of competitiveness and automation. Research is carried out again in partnership with both vendors and users of equipment so that a smooth technology transfer takes place. The Group has a very simple mission which is to train people with academic rigor combined with industrial usefulness. To date it has trained more than 10,000 people worldwide.