Sheffield University makes Â£93 million from engineering research

Manufacturing research at the University of Sheffield has attracted Boeing and McLaren factories

The University of Sheffield is celebrating after income from engineering research hit Â£93million a year.

It beat Cambridge University to take second place nationally, a whisker behind Imperial College in London which raised £95million in the 2015-16 academic year.

And it posted the fastest rate of increase among top universities, including Oxford, doubling income in the last four years.

The £93m figure shows how important engineering is to Sheffield University, which has a £500million annual turnover.

Prof Keith Ridgway, executive dean of the AMRC

The faculty boasts 5,400 students and more than 1,000 staff.

Included in the figures is the work of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and Nuclear AMRC.

It works with more than 100 paying partners including Boeing, Rolls Royce and BAE Systems.

Earlier this year, McLaren Automotive and Boeing announced they would open factories alongside the AMRC, bringing investment and new jobs into the area.

Prof Sir Keith Burnett, vice-chancellor, University of Sheffield

Prof Keith Ridgway, executive dean of the AMRC, said: “The growth of the AMRC has not only contributed directly to the increase in research income of the university, but directly to Sheffield City Region by attracting inward investment, creating jobs and contributing to the health of the UK supply chain.”

Vice chancellor Prof Sir Keith Burnett said: “The extraordinary success of our engineers makes Sheffield an international leader in this crucial area of teaching and research.”