About Us

Virtual Engineering Centre - driving digital adoption and delivering solutions across industry and the public sector since 2010.

The UK’s original Digital Engineering Impact Centre

The combination of the knowledge, experience, and world-class research we offer helps our clients explore the adoption of digital technologies to solve complex industry problems in a safe, neutral and friendly environment.

Established in 2010 by the University of Liverpool, supported by EU funding and in partnership with BAE Systems and the National Nuclear Laboratory. The Virtual Engineering Centre sits within the University’s IDEAS (Institute of Digital Engineering and Autonomous Systems) and works to bridge the innovation gap between academic research and new product and process development. With our expertise and knowledge, we will work with you to address your industry challenges by applying emerging research and disruptive technologies with standard low cost digital tools.

We provide access to digital test-beds and the latest scientific infrastructure. Through our partnerships and networks, we inform future government policy in the area of applied digital technology to support future research for impact.

LCR 4.0

Since 2010, we have been delivering solutions to our clients across sector in industrial digital transformation using; Digital Twin, AI and Data Analytics, Advanced Visualisation, Modelling, Simulation and Robotics and Autonomous Systems technologies.

More information on the ERDF funded projects we have previous led: LCR4.0, LCR4 START and LCR4.0 Holistic.

Click here for more info
Cheshire & Warrington - CW4.0

CW4.0

Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, CW4.0 helped manufacturing SMEs in Cheshire & Warrington accelerate opportunities for growth and investment using digital technology.

Through hands-on support and expertise we enabled hundreds of manufacturers to develop smarter processes and products and solve their problems.

Click here for more

VEC Timeline

Our innovation and collaboration highlights over the last 10 years

2010

  • VEC established at Daresbury campus in partnership with the aerospace sector.
  • VEC launches the first digital engineering centre of excellence and best practice demonstrator in the North-West.

2011

  • VEC introduces the collaborative sandpit methodology for digital innovation.

2012

  • Creation of first digital test-bed to validate new autonomous systems software for aerospace.
  • Provides digital engineering expertise to enhance digital tools adoption across 40 North-West manufacturing organisations.

2013

  • Development of a digital supply chain for Bentley Motors through STRIVE R&D project.
  • VEC robotics and simulation laboratory opens at Daresbury.

2014

  • VEC supports digital skills development in industry and across schools, colleges and higher education.

2015

  • VEC @ Liverpool established in School of Engineering, University of Liverpool.

2016

  • Launch of VEC @Alder Hey children's hospital to support innovation in healthcare.
  • VEC awarded technical lead for nationally recognised LCR4.0 industrial digitalisation programme.

2017

  • Strategic partnership agreement with and move to the Hartree Centre, Daresbury.
  • VEC enters the nuclear sector providing the collaborative digital framework for BEIS Digital Reactor Design programme.

2018

  • VEC forms joint study agreement with IBM Research.
  • VEC announced as the management team for new Digital Innovation Facility at University of Liverpool.
  • LCR4 industrial digitalisation programme supports 300 Liverpool City Region manufacturing organisations.

2019

  • VEC become founding members of IDEAS (Institute for Digital Engineering and Autonomous Systems) at the University of Liverpool.
  • N-VEC, Nuclear Virtual Engineering Capability project announced.
  • VEC awarded lead partner of LCR4 START and LCR4 Holistic

2020

  • VEC celebrates the 10th anniversary.

2021

  • New Digital Innovation Facility developments take place ahead of opening in 2022

2022

  • The VEC hosted the UK's first Digital Heritage Symposium

Access to world-class research & expertise

Our expert multi-disciplinary team includes specialists in engineering, computer science, visualisation and manufacturing technology, and is underpinned by the University of Liverpool and specialist centres of excellence.

VEC Team

Professor Andrew Levers

Executive Director

Jim Mooney

Head of Enterprise and Investment Programmes

Aye Chan Zay Hta

Serious Game Developer

Laurence Levers

Metaverse Developer

Wiktoria Ploch

Metaverse Developer

Andrew Borland
Andrew Borland

Chief Innovation Officer

Dr. Konstantin Vikhorev

Head of Digital Engineering

Matt Butcher

Digital Project Manager

Dr. Simon Campion

Virtual Reality and Immersive Environment Specialist

David Gibson

Project Manager & Standards Officer

Clare Bruder

Innovation Project Coordinator

Peter Greggs

Creative & Digital Producer

Emma Green

Marketing and Communications Manager

Giuseppe Bellantuono

Software Engineer Lead

Dr. Georg Meyer

Industrial Innovation and Human Factors Research Lead

Associates

Debbie Rogers

Honorary Finance and Operations

Sally Purdie FIMMM C.Eng

Technology Communicator

Dr Mike Jump

Senior Lecturer in mechanical, Materials & Aerospace Engineering

Professor Claire Dixon

Professor of Computer Science

Professor Eann Patterson

Professor of Mechanical, Materials & Aerospace Engineering

Professor Richard Koeck

Professor of Architecture

Professor Katie Atkinson

Professor of Computer Science

Dr Peter Green

Lecturer in Uncertainty and Engineering

Professor Simon Maskell

Professor of Autonomous Systems

Professor Michael Fisher

Professor of Computer Science

Our Key Partners

As part of the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Digital Engineering and Autonomous Systems (IDEAS) we have direct links with the University of Liverpool and other academic institutions in the UK and nurture long-term key partnerships with influential industry bodies and strategic partners.

As we build and develop stronger relationships, we create impact for the businesses we work with, for the university, and the UK – on both an economic and societal level.

Growth Platform is Liverpool City Region’s economic enabler and works in partnership with the VEC to support people and businesses to realise […]

The Science and Technology Facilities Council is part of UK Research and Innovation, which works in partnership with the VEC, universities, research […]

XJTLU is an independent Chinese University established in partnership between the University of Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong University in 2006. The University […]

CFMS

Similar in size and ambition, both CFMS and the Virtual Engineering Centre, are dedicated to the creation of a stronger national resource […]

The University of Liverpool is a pre-eminent research-based university with 18,000 students pursuing over 400 programmes spanning 54 subject areas.  The VEC is […]

Client opinion

"The VEC helped us validate our augmented reality supply chain technology and has subsequently been a great help to us in understanding the capabilities and limitations of virtual prototyping and connected factories."

Irma Gilbert,
CEO
Connect 4.0 LTD

Irma Gilbert