MAKER SPACE
CASE STUDIES
REVIEW 23/24
/ Student Engagement
/ Curriculum Integration
/ Research Communications
/ STEM Outreach
WELCOME
At the University of Salford, we are committed to expanding opportunities for students in their pursuit of STEM education and careers. The Maker Space at the University of Salford stands as a flagship for STEM skills, offering students invaluable hands-on experience across a range of cutting-edge tools and digital fabrication equipment. By integrating, prototyping, and experimentation into the learning process, maker education bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge, practical application, and industry standards.
This innovative maker approach empowers students to develop both the hard technical skills and ‘smart skills’ adding emphasis on creative problem-solving, critical and design thinking, effective communication, and progressive teamwork. Fostering smart skills encourages students to think outside the box, to ask good questions, test ideas while persisting through prototyping setbacks. It also builds resilience in the process of getting their projects done. By learning to fail quickly, cheaply, and safely, and through the rigor of refining designs, students not only gain personal confidence but gain the competencies necessary to become skilled and smart STEM professionals. The Maker Space exemplifies how maker skills are transforming education by fostering a new generation of creative and competent innovators ready to tackle real-world challenges.
The Maker Space thrives thanks to our unique partnership with Morson Group, a global leader in engineering recruitment, consultancy, and training. Morson Group is dedicated to encouraging untapped talent to pursue STEM careers, providing ongoing support through the esteemed Gerry Mason Engineering Scholarships, graduate internships, and work placements.
This is a great space to test my course work. Working in the Maker Space gives me a much better understanding how my study applies to industry.
3rd Year Mechanical Engineering Student
Furthermore, the Morson Group’s STEM Foundation ensures the Maker Space is equipped with cutting-edge technologies, keeping pace with the evolving demands of industry. This significant industry input sets our students on a successful course by connecting the curriculum with industry trends and opportunities. The foundation also supports outreach programmes to encourage young inquisitive minds to learn about STEM and how it can impact their academic pursuits. For their work and commitment to supporting next gen futures, the foundation was awarded the “Community Initiative of the Year” at the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) Awards in 2023.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us this year, providing an incredible facility to inspire students to develop their STEM skills. Special thanks to Ged Mason, the Mason family, and Morson Group for their invaluable support and trust to power the Maker Space. Thanks to Morson Projects for their dedication to students and local schools underpinning the success of the Morson Group STEM Foundation. I would also like to acknowledge our industry mentors, with special thanks to Jon Callahan, Chris Summers, Andy Hassall, Maria Williamson, Chloe Hughes, Anna Davanzo and Claire-Marie Boggiano and many more... who help shape the next generation of engineers and STEM leaders, right here in Salford.
Dr. Maria Stukoff, Maker Space Director
THE POWER OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
Celebrating Women in STEM
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is more crucial than ever. The UK faces a persistent STEM skills shortage, costing the economy billions annually, as highlighted in the CaSE Skills Opportunity Report. This shortage not only hinders economic growth but also presents significant challenges to industries reliant on STEM talent. Addressing the STEM skills gap, which has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, is now a critical priority focusing on inspiring future problem solvers, environmental innovators, engineers, and technologists.
A strong emphasis has also been placed on diversity and inclusion, which is essential to bridge both the skills and gender gaps. Increasing the representation of women in STEM is particularly important, as only 30 percent of the STEM workforce is reported to be female, with even lower representation in engineering and technology at 21 percent, according to HESA and the UK Census 2022/23. Innovative educational approaches are being adopted across the country to encourage more young women to pursue STEM careers. With the combined efforts of education and industry, female representation in engineering is slowly increasing, with employers reassessing new ways to identify and encourage new talent.
Morson Group, a global leader in engineering recruitment, consultancy, and training through its long-term partnership with the University, are tackling the STEM skills crisis head-on. This partnership has led to the creation of the Maker Space and the Morson Group STEM Foundation, key in developing a robust STEM talent pipeline with opportunities for women and underrepresented groups to access STEM learning.
The Maker Space powered by Morson Group implement initiatives to attract a diverse range of students by lowering entry barriers and promoting inclusivity. By fostering a student-centred space, we aim to create a sense of belonging where students can work independently, seek technical support, and acquire valuable skills with a range of technologies and tools from beginner to advanced levels. This approach has been very successful witnessing more female students using the Maker Space over the past two years. Open feedback has highlighted that students value the informal and collaborative setting, supporting their learning and skill development tailored to their needs.
Likewise, initiatives like ‘Go Beyond’ provides mentorship to women pursuing STEM study, while Morson Group STEM Ambassadors engage with local schools and educational charities to enhance STEM outreach. These efforts are instrumental in building a curiosity-driven talent pool from primary school through to graduate levels. By spearheading these early talent strategies, Morson Group not only futureproof interest in STEM but are also creating pathways for future talent to enter their organisation and other businesses.
Claire-Marie Boggiano, an industry consultant for leadership skills and a Chartered Engineer has been a Go Beyond mentor from the get-go, runs our female coaching workshops, and hosts the Go Beyond STEM celebration event. She commented that, “Coming from an all-female grammar school in Belfast to study Electrical & Electronic Engineering in Manchester over 30 years ago, I was shocked to discover I was the only young woman in a cohort of 100 students. I was ‘the only girl in my class’ for the entire four years of my MEng BSc programme. Throughout my career, I frequently met others who were the only girls in the engineering class and discovered there are many hundreds who have been in this position. I have often thought if only we could put them all together to help them feel a sense of belonging, mattering, and community. Something I would have appreciated and benefitted from when I was studying,” It is because of this personal experience that Claire-Marie advocates the Morson Group STEM Foundation and is actively involved in Go Beyond.
I have never been in a room with so many women all studying STEM before. This is an incredible feeling not to be alone...
SEE Postgraduate Student
Launched in 2020 by Dr. Maria Stukoff, Maker Space Director, Go Beyond offers female students studying STEM support as they transition from study into employment. As a result of the programme, students have benefitted from scholarship opportunities, coaching workshops, industry networks and role models, and mentorship. Additionally, we actively support a network of female STEM students through our newly launched Women in STEM conference. This event combines networking, keynote speeches, industry panels, and interactive sessions with students and industry partners. As a first year STEM student commented, “This was a fantastic day. We met students from different STEM courses, heard from researchers, and interacted with industry professionals – I feel excited and inspired about studying science at the University of Salford.”
Powered by the Morson STEM Foundation, the Go Beyond initiative is cultivating a diverse, future-ready workforce and establishing lasting networks for women in STEM. Our strong relationship with industry enables our students to gain valuable insights into high-value STEM careers, encouraging more female students to enrol in STEM courses by showcasing clear employment pathways to future careers. In this way, we are aiming to increase women’s participation in STEM education to help close gender and skill gaps, expand job opportunities, and unlock a diverse pool of talent.
Dr. Maria Stukoff, Maker Space Director
Claire-Marie Boggiano, Director & Coach / Change & Leadership Development, Lurig Ltd
MAKER SPACE AND MORSON ENGINE ROOM
The Morson Maker Space is a digital fabrication facility enabling rapid prototyping with industrial-grade machinery, offering students hands-on experience in design, assembly, and inspection to align their skills with industry needs. It is a unique facility to explore future fit technical skills and creative innovation.
MORSON ENGINE ROOM
/ OMAX Maxiem 1515 Waterjet cutter with a 5-axis head
/ Hass UMC-500 5-axis milling machine
/ AXYZ Flat-bed CNC router for full sheet size timber and light metals
/ Haas ST-15Y CNC lathe with Y axis and live tooling
/ Welding booth
3D PRINT HIVE
/ Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
/ Stereolithography (SLA)
/ Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
/ Metal printing (Metal X ADAM)
/ Bambu Lab X1 Carbon printer for multiple colour printing
/ Mayku Multiplier Pressure Former
LASER CUTTING
/ Epilog Fusion CO2 and fibre laser cutters
CLEAN ROOM
/ Electronics development area
/ Digital and optical microscopes and metrology instruments
/ Nikon Altera Coordinate Measuring Machine
/ EinScan Freescan UE Pro 3D scanner
CAD SUITE
/ 14 x computer terminals
/ Software applications including Fusion 360, Solidworks, Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud
Without this equipment I would have not been able to finish my final year project to such a high standard. It’s made all the difference. MSc Student, Aeronautical Engeering.
MAKING AN IMPACT
Since the relocation of the School of Science, Engineering and Environment in 2022, the Maker Space has become a vibrant hub for innovation, where students and staff can test and prototype ideas, while inspiring visiting community groups and schools to explore STEM skills and careers. Through our partnership with the Morson Group STEM Foundation, our initiatives also highlight the social value that engineering, digital skills, and technical expertise can bring to everyday life and how STEM impacts the world around us.
We’re currently conducting a Maker Space Impact Study to assess its benefits through in-depth interviews and detailed questionnaires to students, teaching staff and external stakeholders. Later in the year, we will report on ways the Maker Space enhances student life, advances the curriculum, builds future-ready skills, and boosts job prospects. Early results show high user satisfaction, with cutting-edge technology meeting the needs of both staff and students. Participants also report significant advances in technical expertise with credit to the Maker Space team who are widely appreciated for their knowledge and support, helping makers succeed in their projects.
SCHOLARSHIPS
STUDENTS
supported by the Gerry Mason Engeering Scholarship since 2015.
WOMEN IN STEM
FEMALE STUDENTS
benefitted from Go Beyond mentoring, coaching and professional networking.
MORSON ENGINE ROOM
TRAINING DAYS were delivered to students and staff to work independently on our industry equipment.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
SCHOOL STUDENTS
took part in maker workshops this year alone from IntoUniversity and Primary Engineer partnerships.
3D PRINTING HOURS PRINTING
designs and objects in various materials since October 2023.
LASER CUTTING
PROJECTS
have been logged throughout the academic year for course work, art to research projects.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
SALFORD RACING TOPS NORTHWEST UNIVERSITIES AT IMECHE FORMULA STUDENT COMPETITION
Salford Racing, the University’s Formula Student team, achieved their best result ever at Silverstone in July 2024. Formula Student, organised annually by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), challenges university teams to design, build, and test a car from scratch.
This year, the team soared to 8th out of 56, making Salford the top Formula Student team in the Northwest UK, after placing 46th out of 63 teams last year. Teams are evaluated on engineering disciplines, including design, cost management, manufacturing knowledge, and safety checks. Salford Racing passed all safety assessments, enabling them to compete in dynamic events. At the famous Silverstone’s Copse Corner, the team excelled in the Sprint event, achieving impressive lap times. They also competed in a 26-lap endurance race, finishing 5th with minimal course deviations. Salford Racing’s success is also credited to their sponsors Morson Projects who provided team mentoring, as well as design and project management support.
Aidan Dunbar, Faculty Advisor for Salford Racing and Maker Space Lead Technician, expressed his pride: “I’m incredibly pleased with the team’s result; they should be very proud of their achievement. Building a car from scratch and making it race-ready is a challenging feat.”
Furthermore, Salford Racing’s Team Director and finalyear Mechanical Engineering student Mustafa Youssef was awarded an MSc Motorsport Scholarship, created with the support of Mission 44, founded by Formula One World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton for individuals from Black or mixed Black ethnic backgrounds. Mustafa commented that, “without the support from the Maker Space team sharing these kinds of opportunities and assisting with the application, I would never have believed such a programme was available to me.” We wish him much luck on his new career endeavour!
I am very proud to be able to continue my passion for motor racing fine-tuned at Salford.
Mustafa Youssef
GO BEYOND WOMEN IN STEM
Establishing Foundations for Success
I am really grateful for the opportunity to learn from the speakers and delve into the fascinating world of women working in STEM. The panels have reignited my passion for my subject and my future research. Physics Undergraduate Student
Launched in 2020 as part of the Morson Group STEM Foundation programme, Go Beyond is an initiative designed to support female students studying in the School of Science, Engineering & Environment (SEE). It offers mentorship, coaching workshops, and networking opportunities. By connecting students with industry mentors, Go Beyond provides valuable guidance, role models, and a supportive environment to help them transition from study to work. We take pride in fostering relationships with industry professionals to support students across all year groups, enhancing their confidence, promoting personal development, and preparing them for future career challenges and opportunities.
Celebrating Women in STEM
The programme’s impact was showcased at the inaugural ‘Go Beyond Women in STEM Celebration’ during International Women’s Week in March 2024. This event brought together students from all academic years to celebrate women in STEM at Salford.
Prof. Simone Buitendijk, Salford’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost opened the event with a poignant message praising women’s perseverance and celebrating their progress towards greater equity. The keynote speaker, Dr. Shini Somara, a distinguished engineer with over 20 years’ experience, encouraged attendees to challenge engineering stereotypes by embracing their uniqueness, resonating deeply with the audience. Panel discussions featured invaluable insights from industry professionals, including Maria Williamson and Chloe Hughes from Morson Projects, Melissa Ahmed from Techwuman, Laura Conroy from United Utilities, and Salford staff members Prof. Chloe James and Paula Courchene from the Careers and Employability team. They offered advice on maximising opportunities and effectively navigating career paths.
The event also provided vibrant networking opportunities. Attendees explored career support services, engaged with industry partners, and gained insights from lightning talks by STEM postgraduate researchers. This interactive element helped students connect and explore STEM career paths.
We look forward to expanding participation in 2025, so watch this space!
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
STUDENT INSTRUCTORS FOSTER PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING
The Maker Space’s Student Instructor Programme launched in the 2023/24 academic year, recruiting nine students from diverse disciplines including aeronautical and mechanical engineering, architecture, prosthetics and orthotics, and art. These students, already proficient with tools like 3D printers and laser cutters, became an extension of the Maker Space team. By promoting peerto-peer learning, they enhanced student engagement, extended facility hours, and developed their own technical and personal skills. As one instructor noted, “While I can get extra hours for my own projects, I can help others with theirs along the way”. The programme has quickly fostered a culture of mentorship and skillsharing, benefiting both new and returning students.
STUDENT BENEFITS
I love working with my hands when it comes to engineering and this way I can help others who want to learn new skills
Students Instructor
The Student Instructor Programme also offers students unique paid opportunities, including work on industry projects. This approach allows students to gain professional experience, develop industry partnerships, and build their portfolios. Students have worked on several paid projects, notably designing and creating the Ordsall Park Tree Trail, showcasing their practical experience and professional growth, as recognised by the Greater Manchester Environment Fund. Additionally, student instructors receive specialist machine training and bespoke sessions tailored to their needs, ensuring they are well-prepared to assist peers and excel professionally. We look forward to supporting our students through this initiative and anticipate many more successful projects and collaborations.
What can I say about the instructor programme? It’s amazing!
Students Instructor
STUDENT INSTRUCTOR LEADS SKILLS WORKSHOP Knowledge for Change Workshop
Sharing knowledge is a fundamental principle of the Maker Space, demonstrating how maker pedagogy significantly enhances teaching, learning, and research. Nowhere else on campus is this more evident than in the Maker Space, where students can lead a variety of projects individually or facilitated by the student instructor programme.
Student Instructors, along with members of our Salford’s Formula Student Team, often step up to support STEM summer schools and workshops as part of our outreach programme. It is an environment where students become an extension of the Maker team, harnessing their skills not only for their coursework and future employment but also to share their enthusiasm and help others develop skills for academic success.
KNOWLEDGE FOR CHANGE KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE FOR CHANGE
A great example of students taking the lead and utilising their maker skills is showcased by Libby Odai, a second-year Prosthetics and Orthotics student. Libby recently secured a position with the Knowledge for Change charity and wanted to share some of her maker skillset by running a unique 3D design, printing, and laser cutting workshop for visiting colleagues from Uganda and Tanzania.
The charity collaborates closely with the School of Health and Society, which aims to enhance healthcare and education standards for the most impoverished communities. This facilitates meaningful academic knowledge exchange between professionals, researchers, and students in these fields.
CURRICULUM INTEGRATION
ENHANCING LEARNING
We are proud to equip our students with high-quality skills in the Maker Space, allowing them to integrate these skills into their coursework and gain valuable practices and knowledge to enhance their learning journey. One such example, is the Physics team collaborating with the Maker Space to create a Fusion 360 software workshop and a prototyping session for the 1st-year Physics in Context module and the 2nd-year Physics Group Project module. Students were tasked with designing a Geneva mechanism, which converts continuous rotation into intermittent rotary motion.
THE GENEVA MECHANISM
In this workshop, students designed 3D printed gears and used laser cutters to create the main frame, demonstrating the advantages of combining these technologies. This workshop aimed to provide students with a foundation in prototyping and manufacturing, equipping them to develop new experiments requiring custom equipment and parts later in their programme.
CAD and prototyping is a very engaging activity for students, and the Maker Space workshops are very effective in giving students the skills to start their projects independently.
Dr
Mark Hughes, Reader in Physics
POSITIVE MAKER IMPACT
Physics students utilising the Maker Space expressed positive learning improvements, acquiring new skills and understanding of the importance of planning functional devices. The impact on teaching and learning is clear - this module wouldn’t run effectively without the Maker Space workshop as students’ progress from having little knowledge of Fusion 360 to becoming confident and proficient by the end of the module.
This module enjoys stronger student engagement compared to others, and we hope that this experience will inform students when they come to their individual 3rd-year projects.
Dr. Stuart Astin, Specialist Technical Demonstrator
STEM OUTREACH
MORSON GROUP: NURTURING FUTURE ENGINEERS
The Morson Group STEM Foundation’s programme is designed to inspire young minds to explore STEM and engineering careers. To support this mission, the foundation partnered with Primary Engineer, a UK-based non-profit dedicated to engaging primary schools in engineering education and challenging stereotypes for the next three years.
Morson Group and Primary Engineer collaborated to host an immersive skills day that went beyond traditional classroom learning. During this event, 20 primary school educators engaged in guided practical sessions with Morson Group STEM Ambassadors, where they crafted, designed, and tested electrified trains. This maker experience equips teachers with the skills needed to integrate the rail project into their curriculum upon returning to their classrooms. As a result, they were prepared to lead their students in building rail vehicles over a seven-week period at their own schools.
This initiative not only enriched hands-on learning but also seamlessly incorporated engineering education into the curriculum, underscoring Morson Group’s commitment to grassroots STEM education. With the new skills and insights gained, teachers were able to confidently design and deliver engaging engineering curricula providing students in Key Stages 1 and 2 with the opportunity to participate in the Primary Engineer Rail Programme. This created a dynamic educational environment where both educators and students benefited from industry practices.
This partnership is set to expand annually over the next three years, offering increasing opportunities for local children and teachers to delve into STEM fields.
Morson Group is impacting local schools by bringing their engineers and engineering directly into the classroom.
Dr. Maria Stukoff, Maker Space Director
ENGINEERING CELEBRATION EVENT
In March 2024, nearly 100 local primary school children visited the Salford campus for the Primary Engineers Rail projects celebration. Their automatic vehicles were tested for speed and cargo capacity, while non-automatic vehicles were rolled down a ramp to reach a target area, adding a real-world dimension to the learning experience. The event ended with an awards ceremony, where students received certificates and medals amid enthusiastic applause from both students and engineers.
The children very much enjoyed the project and watching Year 2 figure out how the braking mechanism worked lifted the quality of their DT work enormously.
RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
PROPELLING INNOVATION THROUGH MAKING TOOLKITS
The University of Salford has a long history of teaching and research in prosthetics and orthotics and hosts the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Prosthetics and Orthotics. By establishing a strong working relationship with our researchers the Maker Space team understands the importance of showcasing exceptional research within academia and the local community. Leveraging our maker expertise and cutting-edge technology, we provide bespoke technical support.
This collaboration allows the centre to experiment with the latest 3D printing and manufacturing tools for research purposes. Prof. Laurence Kenney, Professor of Rehabilitation Technologies and Academic Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Salford shares, “the Centre recently secured Royal Academy of Engineering funding for the HandBuild/HandAssess initiative, part of the Ingenious awards, to support public engagement and inspire the next generation of engineers.” Students working with researchers from Salford and Southampton developed a training programme to effectively communicate advancements in upper-limb prosthetics to young people. This approach ensures that research findings are shared in an accessible, engaging, and understandable way to a broad audience.
MAKING THE BIONIC HAND
Together with CDT PhD student Mike Baldock, the Maker Space created parts for the outreach workshop, including servo motor mounts, electronic parts, and a display cabinet to demonstrate a commercial prosthetic hand. Furthermore, the University’s Widening Participation Team supported a separate workshop for Year 12 (or equivalent) students to design and programme their own prosthetic hands, making it ideal for younger pupils interested in STEM subjects, particularly robotics, engineering, and related fields.
The BBC microbit was used by one group of students to programme servo motors that powered the ‘prosthetic’ fingers using Block-code and Python. The electrical signals generated during muscle contractions were measured using electrodes mounted on the skin surface. By the end of the day, the group had assembled all the coded elements to control a ‘bionic hand’.
Our CDT students have been absolutely pivotal in delivering this public engagement project working together with Maker Space team to develop the resources, and enthusiastically engaging with the public engagement events! Prof. Laurence Kenney.
GALLERY
