School of Mechanical and Design Engineering
Teaching | Research | Our staff | Explore our faculty | Contact us
The everyday tools you use – the phone in your pocket, the train on your morning commute, the car you drive – each relies on ambitious and innovative engineers. At the School of Mechanical and Design Engineering, we're helping solve societal problems through creative and practical engineering solutions, combined with technical academic knowledge.
Our engineers make a positive difference locally and globally through their work and research – from using artificial intelligence to improve powered wheelchairs, to creating more efficient solar panels and lightweight manufacturing materials.
We have an open and welcoming culture, with experienced and supportive lecturers and experts, and a focus on practical skills and employability. We've got a proven track record of producing sought after graduates - 95% of our previous students are in work or further study 6 months after graduation (DLHE, 2017).
Teaching
We run undergraduate and postgraduate courses in mechanical engineering, manufacturing, product design, industrial design and innovation engineering.
Many of our courses are accredited by professional bodies allowing our students to progress to become Chartered or Incorporated Engineers. Through our close ties with local industries, national organisations and international businesses, our students get the chance to work in industry through placements and industrial projects. We have a £2,000 fund to support small businesses taking on our placement students.
We support our students to achieve their goals through weekly drop-in sessions with academic staff, support workshops, the Maths Cafe, the Manufacturing Club and student-led software classes. Many of our students also take part in the Formula Student Team where they build a car that's raced competitively against other universities.
To browse all of our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, visit our engineering subject area page.
Partnerships
Our partnerships with organisations around the world benefit from our teaching and research. Organisations we've working with include Cartier, the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), Queen Alexandra Hospital, Diamond Light Source, Glaxo Smith Klein, and the Lung Institute.
Research
We're driven to make the world a better place through smarter thinking and design. Our leading experts and postgraduate researchers produce innovative, results-driven research to improve technology. Our REF 2014 results prove we're moving in the right direction - 61% of our research was rated as internationally excellent.
We take part in collaborative, cross-disciplinary research. We're part of a team working on a project called FLOWERS, funded by the European Regional Development fund to use plant fibres to produce more sustainable plastics that can be recycled.
We've also received funding from Innovate UK, the Leverhulme Trust, the Royal Academy of Engineering, Interreg, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Our areas of expertise
Explore the work we're doing across our areas of expertise in Mechanical Engineering research.
Our research groups
Much of our exceptional research takes place within the following cross-disciplinary research centres – find out more below.
We're creating new materials to improve manufacturing and sustainability.
We're researching how to better understand the body through imaging and biomechanics.
We're researching the competence of biological structures, biomaterials, and bio-inspired engineering materials using advanced X-Ray microscopy.
Dr Jovana Radulovic
- Job Title Senior Lecturer and Interim Head of the School of Mechanical and Design Engineering
- Email Address Jovana.Radulovic@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Mechanical and Design Engineering
- Faculty Faculty of Technology
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor
Dr Giles Tewkesbury
- Job Title Principal Lecturer and Associate Head (Student Experience)
- Email Address Giles.Tewkesbury@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Mechanical and Design Engineering
- Faculty Faculty of Technology
Dr Andrea Bucchi
- Job Title Senior Lecturer and Associate Head (Research and Innovation)
- Email Address andrea.bucchi@port.ac.uk
- Department School of Mechanical and Design Engineering
- Faculty Faculty of Technology
- PhD Supervisor PhD Supervisor
Explore our faculty
Explore the other Schools and Departments that make up the Faculty of Technology.
Contact us
To get in touch, please contact our Faculty office.
University Coronavirus Information Line
We're preparing to reopen the campus ready for the new academic year starting on 5 October 2020.
We have set up an information line to manage enquiries from students, parents and guardians, as university life will be a little different in 2020/21 due to the Coronavirus.
Email: infoline@port.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)23 9284 5588
The phone line is open Monday–Thursday 8.30am–5.00pm, Friday 8.30am–4.00pm and Saturday–Sunday 10.00am-4.00pm.