The Repair Shop is a new initiative from Midlands Innovation, bringing together technical professionals from across the partnership to develop skills, share expertise and build new connections.
Delivered as a series of free, themed workshops, the Repair Shop aims to build practical capability across the Midlands Innovation community, giving technicians the skills, confidence and knowledge to service, maintain and repair specialist equipment in-house. The inaugural Repair Shop, held in June, focused on Edwards pumps, bringing together technical colleagues from across the partnership for a day of hands-on learning and knowledge exchange. Edwards vacuum pumps are used extensively across research and laboratory environments to create and maintain the vacuum conditions required for a wide range of scientific instruments and experimental processes. As a common piece of equipment found in universities across the partnership, they provided an ideal focus for the first workshop, offering practical skills that participants can take back and apply in their own facilities.
More than just a training workshop, the event provided an opportunity for technicians from different disciplines and institutions to connect, share experiences and explore new ways of working together to support world-class research across the Midlands.
“It was fantastic to see so many different technical disciplines come together to tackle a surprisingly common challenge. It was great to hear from Dave, whose expertise really shone through in both his presentation and the way he handled the wide range of lab-specific questions from the group.
One of the key takeaways for me was how valuable it is to share knowledge between our different technical spaces. I’m grateful to Midlands Innovation for bringing technicians together, and I’m looking forward to taking part in more of these Repair Shops in the future. “
Rainer Fernandes, Laboratory Technician (Physics), Loughborough University.
From the moment the workshop began, the room was buzzing with enthusiasm. Participants had the opportunity to get hands-on with equipment while learning directly from experts and peers. The atmosphere reflected exactly what the programme is designed to achieve: sharing expertise, building confidence and creating stronger connections across the technical community.
Building Skills and Saving Costs
A key objective of the session was to help technicians develop the practical skills needed to clean, service and maintain several types of Edwards pumps. By increasing in-house capability, institutions can reduce reliance on external servicing, improve equipment uptime and work towards greater cost efficiency.
Beyond the technical training itself, attendees shared a wealth of ideas and experiences. Discussions explored opportunities such as establishing central pump repositories within universities to minimise departmental downtime, identifying ways to generate value from legacy equipment, and strengthening engagement with industry partners.
More Than Technical Training
One of the most valuable outcomes of the day was the network that began to form. Colleagues connected not only with peers from other Midlands Innovation universities but also with individuals from different departments within their own institutions.
These new relationships will help create a support network that extends well beyond the workshop itself, enabling participants to continue sharing knowledge, solving problems collaboratively and driving this agenda forward together.
Looking Ahead
The success of this first workshop demonstrated the significant value of bringing technical communities together to learn, share and collaborate. As the Midlands Innovation Repair Shop grows, it has the potential to deliver lasting benefits across the partnership by developing skills, reducing costs and unlocking new opportunities for collaboration.
A huge thank you goes to Richard Wilson and Dave Litchfield from the University of Nottingham, whose excellent sessions helped launch the programme in style.
Keep an eye out for future Repair Shop workshop announcements. And if you have an idea for a theme or would like to deliver a session as part of the programme, we would love to hear from you. Please email ellen.mcghee@midlandsinnovation.org.uk
