Sheffield University takes top spot with £124m from engineering research

Glass panels are fitted to The Heartspace.

It overtook Imperial College in London, two years after beating Cambridge University to second place.

Jubilant university chiefs say the figures cement the University of Sheffield’s position as a global leader for engineering research and teaching.

Vice chancellor Prof Koen Lamberts said it was a monumental achievement.

The Heartspace is a £20m curving glass roof connecting listed buildings on Portobello Street.

He added: “Having a university in the North of England leading in engineering research income and investment is a tremendous boost for the Northern Powerhouse as we seek to boost the aerospace, nuclear and manufacturing sectors and rebalance the UK economy.

“I would like to thank all our engineers and staff at our Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and Faculty of Engineering for the hard work, innovation and creativity that has made this possible."

Some 57 per cent of the total came from the AMRC’s work including with more than 100 paying partners including Boeing, Rolls Royce and BAE Systems. Last year, McLaren Automotive and Boeing opened factories alongside the AMRC, bringing investment and new jobs into the area.

Income also comes from funders such as Innovate UK, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, the European Commission and the European Regional Development Fund.

Last week, a Centre for Cities report described the AMRC as ‘nationally significant’.

The report, Parks and Innovation, found the AMRC’s work had benefited not only the local area but other parts of the country.

It gives examples including the its work with Rolls- Royce that de-risked a £100m investment in the North East and ongoing work with Airbus in North Wales to secure the future of wing production and 6,000 jobs in the region.

Recent investment led to the unveiling of three multi-million pound research centres. A £20m Heartspace atrium linking two engineering blocks - and a materials research centre - are under construction on Portobello Street in the city centre.

Engineering researchers are working on projects including developing the next generation of offshore wind turbines, the next generation of assistive technologies to help people with disabilities and helping in the clean-up of the Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear power stations.