The Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC) at Cardiff University was founded in 1996, under the directorship of Professor Duc Pham OBE, FREng, FLSW, FSME, BE, PhD, DEng, CEng, FIET, FIMechE.

The MEC conducts world-class research and development in all major areas of Advanced Manufacturing and uses the output to promote the introduction of new manufacturing technology and practice to industry.

Over 100 industrial partners including Daimler, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Mitutoyo, Parametric Technology, SAP, Silicon Graphics, Siemens and Zeiss have supported research at the Centre which has collaborative projects with more than 22 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. We also actively engage with industry in Wales.

As a Centre of Excellence sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), we focus on helping manufacturing industry, particularly SMEs to develop competitive instruments, machines or products that enjoy increased margins and that compete successfully in existing and new markets. Since 1996, we have completed thousands of projects with local companies.

Under Professor Pham's leadership, the MEC has won numerous awards for its innovative manufacturing research and industrial collaboration, including the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry's First Prize for success in building lasting research partnerships with industry and the Queen's Anniversary Prize for creating an exceptional programme of support for firms using our research expertise and state-of-the-art facilities. We are the only advanced manufacturing research centre in the UK to have earned both accolades.

Note: From 1 October 2011, Professor Pham will return to the University of Birmingham to take up the position of Head of the School of Mechanical Engineering and Chance Professor of Engineering there.