Structures and Building Materials Lab
We are creating a state-of-the-art Structures and Building Materials lab, to create space to teach larger groups of students, accelerate existing research and improve the student experience and accreditation.
Exeter Engineering 2030
Harnessing the power of engineering and innovation to create a sustainable and healthier future
Our Department of Engineering aims to be ranked among the UK’s top 20 for research quality and power, top 10 for teaching quality, and within the world’s top 150 by 2030.
The University’s investment in Exeter Engineering 2030 will support in further developing our long tradition of remarkable achievements in engineering education and research at Exeter.
We are strengthening our teaching curriculum and research activities with new research and teaching laboratories, developing new postgraduate taught (PGT), undergraduate (UG) and Degree Apprenticeship (DA) programmes and a focusing on key growth areas driven by industry needs, including computational engineering, robotics, and biomedical engineering.
Our education and student experience
We prepare our students to be critical and innovative thinkers, through project-based learning, research-inspired teaching and close involvement with industry, and we launched new UG and PGT programmes in 2025 to support this.
Our curricula deliver a broad-based engineering education with a strong foundation across engineering disciplines, with flexibility after the first year. All UG programmes include innovative entrepreneurship modules, supported by entrepreneurs and designed to facilitate creativity and innovation.
Investing in our facilities
As part of Exeter Engineering 2030, we are investing in our state-of-the-art facilities, preparing our students for a thriving career and creating opportunities to widen the global impact of our research:
Construction of the new facilities began in summer 2025 and is due for completion in autumn 2026. We will continue to develop and expand our facilities in the future to support the Exeter Technologies Group, new biomedical engineering and robotics facilities.
Our recent investments in Engineering
Our investment in Exeter Engineering 2030 continues our long tradition of remarkable achievements in engineering education and research, particularly building on the great work we’ve done to deliver Engineering 2020 and our achievements such as the Exeter Hip, the world-renowned Centre for Water Systems, and excellent research in auxetic and meta-materials. Engineering 2020 delivered:
Vehicle Assembly Area
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Our fully equipped Vehicle Assembly Area supports the thriving Formula Student programme, where students can design and build a race car and compete nationally with other University teams.
The team brings together more than 150 members from Engineering, the Business School, Physics, and beyond.
MakerSpace
Our MakerSpace facility supports support creative and collaborative project work, from entrepreneurial students striving to be innovators of the future to projects to create quick prototypes for testing and exploring ideas.
Fabrications Lab
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Our new Fabrications Lab contains programmable equipment such 3D printers, 3D Scanners and laser cutting facilities. Our students are able to explore and experiment in this space to develop and enhance creative engineering skills.
Mechanical Workshop
We remodelled our Mechanical Workshop to mimic what students will find in many modern industrial settings, with up-to-date, programmable equipment, such as semi-automated milling machines and lathes, guillotines and bandsaws.
General Purpose Lab
Our optimised General Purpose Lab (GP LAB) has new, modern equipment that is used across Engineering disciplines to demonstrate and reinforce the knowledge gained during degree programmes. This space also provides general test facilities to support student projects.
Exeter Digital Enterprise Systems Lab (ExDES Lab)
Our newly developed and extended Exeter Digital Enterprise Systems Lab (ExDES Lab) gives our students access to advanced robotic and digital simulation equipment. The lab supports students to generate and implement multi-disciplinary, advanced, and smart engineering applications.
Academic Opportunities
We are focused on enhancing our department culture to support and empower our colleagues, improve satisfaction in the department and strengthen equality, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. As Exeter Engineering 2030 continues, we will continue to develop academic positions in existing and new areas of research. So far, we have recently recruited in:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Smart Manufacturing and Advanced Materials Technology
- Water and Environmental Engineering
For enquiries, please contact: ExeEng2030@exeter.ac.uk