Centre for Precision Technologies (CPT)

External Relationships

CPT supports the UK manufacturing industry by collaborating with key private and public organisations to deliver innovative solutions to long-term challenges. We work with companies in a variety of sectors including aerospace, automotive, biotech, instrument manufacturers and machine tool manufacturers. 

CPT Partners

The EPSRC Future Advanced Metrology Hub for Sustainable Manufacturing brings together a consortium of academic and industrial partners which spans the UK. Our partners at the Universities of Oxford, Southampton, Heriot-Watt, and Queen’s University Belfast will deliver a ground-breaking research programme. This is further complimented by partners at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and National Physical Laboratory (NPL) who will work to push our research outputs to industry, further accelerating the impact of the programme. 

Our track record of research and international expertise has been recognised by NPL (National Physical Laboratory) who signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University providing a framework for collaborative research and business collaboration in the field of engineering measurement. As a result of this relationship and the expertise within CPT, NPL chose to open a Measurement Services Laboratory on campus. This was the first NPL laboratory outside of its London base. CPT is part of NPL’s National Product Verification Programme which encourages and supports the adoption of measurement best practice. 

The CPT maintains strong relationships with a wide variety of industrial partners spanning multiple sectors such as metrology equipment and services, advanced manufacturing, machine tools, and industrial software. Over 40 partners committed support for the Future Metrology Hub including world leading companies such as Renishaw, Hexagon, Taylor-Hobson, Siemens, Digital Surf, and Fives Landis. 

The CPT currently has two industrially sponsored Chairs: the Renishaw/Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Precision Metrology held by Professor Dame Xiangqian (Jane) Jiang DBE, and the Taylor Hobson Chair in Surface Metrology held by Professor Paul Scott. 

Regional CPT work 

Our work is strategically important for large national companies within precision engineering, but it is also important for smaller regional companies. West Yorkshire has more manufacturing jobs than anywhere else in the north, employing over 10% of the local population. We are proud to work with local companies such as Wayland Additive and Holtex who are developing ground-breaking new technologies for advanced manufacturing.  

The CPT is a core partner in the Advanced Manufacturing and Productivity Institute, an industry defined initiative launched in 2022 and funded by the UKRI Strength in Places fund to stimulate the advanced machinery sector in the Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire regions.  

International links 

At an international level we are recognised for CPT's metrology expertise and we work closely with the US and German national measurement institutes and collaborate with a number of universities across the globe with strong relationships in Europe, America, China and Egypt. 

About Us

CPT is a world leading institute for metrology research based at the University of Huddersfield. Our groundbreaking research is linking measurement and production together in a unique way to enable the manufacturing sector to meet the ever increasing challenges of precision, complexity and quality, whilst minimising costs. We have world leading facilities for precision metrology and optical engineering spread across four major laboratories.   

Originally set up in 1997, we are a multi-disciplinary institute with over 80 researchers and research students. Our research programme is led by leading figures in the fields of machine tool technology, surface metrology, instrumentation, mathematics and ultra-precision manufacture.  

In 2011 CPT was designated a national centre of metrology excellence and received funding to set up an EPSRC Centre in Innovative Manufacturing with a specific focus on advanced metrology. Following on from the success of the Centre, in 2017 we were awarded £10 million of EPSRC funding to develop the Future Advanced Metrology Hub to continue advancing metrology research for the benefit of UK plc and the wider research community. Working with over 20 UK Universities, and with industrial partners including Rolls-Royce, Dapatech, Digital Surf and Renishaw. The hub has had £2.7 million worth of new commercial projects and consultancies with over 150 companies. 

Building on the success of the first Future Metrology Hub, in 2024, the EPSRC awarded £13m funding to renew the Hub with a new consortium of partners spread across the UK and an expanded remit to develop metrology technologies which can support sustainable manufacturing in order to reach the UK Governments Net Zero goals. 

In 2021, The CPT’s track record of achievement was recognised when we were awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its innovative and ground-breaking research. This is the highest national honour for UK higher education, recognising outstanding work by UK universities that shows quality and innovation, and which delivers real benefit to the wider world.  

Contact Us

If you would like to know more about our areas of expertise or wish to discuss research opportunities with the Centre for Precision Technologies then please contact us on the details below:

Director: Prof Liam Blunt

Centre for Precision Technologies
University of Huddersfield
Queensgate
Huddersfield
HD1 3DH

Tel: +44 (0)1484257141

Email: l.a.blunt@hud.ac.uk