About NWLEC

£2.5 million of funding has been awarded to NWLEC by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), through its Northwest Science Fund (NWSF) scheme. The award includes the provision of state-of-the art equipment for laser micro processing and engineering and aims to establish the Northwest as the leading region for laser capabilities. The NWDA is committed to driving forward the regional economy by improving the efficiency and competitiveness of manufacturing. The NWSF support allows the Liverpool and Manchester groups to participate in micro and nano technologies that are at the forefront of new research initiatives in the UK, Europe and worldwide. between the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester that aims to position the Northwest as the leading national region for laser engineering. NWLEC brings together expertise from both universities to research and develop laser capabilities for the benefit of industry in the Northwest. The use of lasers in manufacturing is currently under exploited in the UK and is required urgently by industry to remain competitive in the 21st Century.

The NWLEC consortium allows the pooling of talent and resources at Liverpool and Manchester, thereby allowing the two groups to continue to be the UK's largest players in laser processing research.

The NWSF projects represent the first example of science research funding by a regional development agency and its award recognises the track record of both Liverpool and Manchester laser research groups. The use of lasers in manufacturing is under-exploited in the UK – yet laser technology offers a tried and tested means of helping industry to enhance its competitiveness

The application of new laser technology will benefit the region’s key clusters including the aerospace, automotive, biotechnology and chemical sectors and is backed by an industry consortium that includes major international companies with bases in the Northwest, such as Rolls Royce and BAE Systems, and a growing number of SMEs.