Ireland’s specialist post-doctoral training centre for metal additive manufacturing, has won the Education Laboratory of the Year Award. The winners of the 2021 Irish Laboratory Awards were revealed in front of a live digital audience, on April 29.

The SFI Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Metallic Systems (AMSCDT) is a collaboration between the University of Sheffield, University of Manchester, University College Dublin and Dublin City University, and the Irish component is led by Prof Dermot Brabazon at DCU.

The centre has powder state-of-the-art metallurgy and laser processing facilities. It promotes research and industry engagement. Its PhD projects address industrial challenges.

Metallic materials specialists

“The UK and Ireland has a critical shortage of doctoral level metallic materials specialists, which impacts on our competitive manufacturing capabilities,” said Prof Brabazon.

“In the centre, we deliver four-year doctoral projects with technical and leadership training for STEM graduates. The projects are designed specifically for and with industry, to support high-value manufacturing across the whole supply chain, from fundamental research through to industrial delivery.”

The centre has a particularly strong focus on the development of skilled talent appropriate to the major needs of the 21st century economy.

It was established by the state agency Science Foundation Ireland which funds it in Ireland. It was co-founded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council  the UK's main organisation for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences.

Researchers gain the skills and experience needed to become leaders in the dynamic area of advanced manufacturing. Sponsoring companies solve their manufacturing challenges while getting access to the next generation of highly-trained graduates. In providing this training, the expertise and facilities at DCU fit well with those at the universities of Sheffield, Manchester and UCD.

The manufacturing sector is the second largest employer in Ireland and the centre plays a key role in both growing the country’s knowledge base in the area of metallics manufacturing and in responding to industry’s skills needs.