Circular economy grant awarded to create the Cardiff University RemakerSpace Centre

Cardiff University and the PARC Institute have received a circular economy grant of half a million pounds to set up a new Cardiff University RemakerSpace Centre for Redesign, Repair, Remanufacture and Reuse.

A successful joint proposal from Cardiff University and the PARC Institute of Manufacturing Logistics and Inventory was submitted to the Welsh Government in January 2020. The proposal aims at supporting and promoting remanufacturing and repair and help Wales become a leader in the transition to a circular economy. A sum of £0.5 million was granted to Cardiff University to set up a dedicated RemakerSpace centre that will focus on addressing the below issues to drive fundamental attitude changes to the way we design, consume and dispose of products:

1. Increasing consumer awareness of the benefits of reuse, repair, and remanufacturing to help create a more sustainable world.
2. Providing businesses with the skills and equipment needed to develop new commercial opportunities based on remanufacturing and repair services.
3. Rethinking the design of products with an emphasis on repair and after-life considerations. The centre will enable organizations to fully exploit technologies such as Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) and innovative solutions for repair, remanufacturing and re-use.

This will be achieved by developing and promoting exceptional capabilities for Wales through a new Cardiff University RemakerSpace Centre for Redesign, Repair, Remanufacture, and Reuse located within Cardiff Business School. The RemakerSpace will leverage the School’s world-leading remanufacturing and supply chain optimization research, combined with the access to tools and technologies to educate individuals and companies (both SMEs and large organisations) on the benefits of repair and remanufacturing. Practical training sessions, access to industry leading equipment and experts will help visitors to start their journeys towards the circular economy.

Our aim is also to achieve a self-sustained operation within three years through a range of contributory mechanisms, such as sponsorship, subscription fees, and relevant grant funding schemes. A key role of the centre will be to provide information on other organisations which can help individuals and firms with their remanufacturing requirements. The centre will support rather than compete with such organisations, with the centre’s equipment being made available specifically for (community) upskilling purposes.

To learn more about the centre or if you would like to participate in its working please contact Aris Syntetos or Daniel Eyers, or join our workshop in March to discuss the future of supply chains.