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You don't have to get a place at Cambridge to study here. ̽»¨Ö±²¥ ̽»¨Ö±²¥ also provides executive education and lifelong learning to lots of different people in lots of different subjects. Moving all this activity online during a pandemic has been both tough and rewarding and has led to the development of a new range of online courses for professionals, Cambridge Advance Online.

Tim Minshall, Dr John C Taylor Professor of Innovation and Head of the Institute for Manufacturing, looks back on the challenges and opportunities posed by the past year.

Manufacturing firms have had a rocky few months, struggling with fractured supply chains, uncertain supply and demand, and shutdowns. Yet some have not only survived but thrived, re-organising and experimenting with their operations during the pandemic. This could be ‘Operational Darwinism’ in action says Jag Srai – and the results could help businesses prepare for future disruptions.

Cambridge researchers are supporting a project to 3D-print face shields and face masks in Malawi. ̽»¨Ö±²¥work is helping them create a 'blueprint' for using digital fabrication technologies in future emergencies.

Universities have stepped up to meet the challenges presented by the pandemic. Tomas Ulrichsen, an expert on universities and their role in innovation systems, argues that the UK must protect its R&D and innovation capabilities in the short term, and build on these strengths for the future.

Two teams of Cambridge engineers have been recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic with the President’s Special Award for Pandemic Service.

Research England has awarded two grants, totalling £1.5 million, to support programmes working to increase the economic value and social impacts from university research, both in the UK and internationally. ̽»¨Ö±²¥funds will be administered by the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge.

Modelling tools originally designed to improve the efficiency of factories are being used by Cambridge engineers to help Addenbrooke’s Hospital manage the COVID-19 emergency.

As countries adopt different approaches, the question remains: how best to enact a lockdown without compromising critical food supply chains in the short and longer term?

Around 90% of the resources we process to create goods are not reaching the person for whom they are made. How can we make manufacturing more sustainable?