Backed by a £4.2 million funding award from UK Research and Innovation’s building a secure and resilient world strategic theme, the University team will drive a Research and Coordination Hub in confronting pressing risks and threats both online and in the world around us.  

Led by Dr Richard Kirkham, Deputy Director of the  at ����ֱ��, the project known as (Secure And ResiLIENT), will bring Manchester academics together with partners from the universities of Bath, Exeter and Sussex, to catalyse, convene and conduct research and innovation in support of the UK's national security and resilience. 

will drive interdisciplinary research to tackle some of the UK's most challenging security problems. Their focus will be on robust and secure supply chains, global order in a time of change, technologies used for security and defence, behavioural and cultural resilience, and strengthening resilience in our natural and built environments.  

This ambitious five-year investment, following a highly competitive selection process, will enable the SALIENT team to build strong connections across a broad group of stakeholders in central and local government, the devolved administrations and crucially, the public.

Dr Kirkham continued: “Our approach will promote a culture of genuine interdisciplinarity, co-production and citizen engagement, ensuring that the research we do is relevant, timely and represents value for money.” 

Duncan Shaw, Professor of Operational Research and Critical Systems at ����ֱ��, added: “Enhancing the resilience of systems and society is an epic ambition, one that has challenged the UK for years. SALIENT amasses an impressive multidisciplinary team that we will expand with policy and practice subject matter experts. Together we will pursue an exciting endeavour to make a real difference to resilience at home and create transferable lessons of global significance.” 

The , which will be based at the University, is a unique partnership that draws on the combined reputations, knowledge and experience of ����ֱ�� and the Health and Safety Executive. 

The Institute will act as a hub for risk and regulatory excellence, reaching out globally via its educational activities and acting as an authoritative source of health and safety knowledge and expertise.

Health and Safety practitioners from around the world will benefit from the knowledge and learning opportunities available at the Institute, returning to their own countries with enhanced understanding and competence, which can be used to improve local safety and health.

One of the Institute’s key aims is to take the lessons learned from four decades of incident investigations and research and make them accessible to industry. The work will help ensure that mistakes are not repeated as new technologies and industries emerge. Both partners are keen to bring new technologies to fruition safely and more quickly by addressing safety, health and regulatory barriers before they occur.

Professor Neil K. Bourne, Director of ����ֱ�� at Harwell, and Co-Director of The Thomas Ashton Institute said: “Ashton is a ground-breaking Institute that will allow the world to transform health and safety, mitigate risk and fortify resilience through world-leading research and innovation, fundamental to industry and national economies.

“The Institute will be formally launched in April 2018, one hundred years since the University and HSE first worked together. It will act as a global focal point, conducting world–class science with international partners to minimise risk, maximise outputs and wellbeing in the workplace.”

HSE Chief Executive, Dr Richard Judge said: "We are excited by the opportunities that establishing this new Institute brings, and by the opportunity to cement and strengthen our long running partnership with the University of Manchester. This directly supports our regulatory activities. In creating an international centre of excellence for risk and regulatory research, we are also providing a focal point for working with others. As part of that, we will invite forward-thinking contributors to work with us on the Institute's future programmes to prevent work-related death, injury and ill health."

����ֱ�� President and Vice Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, added: “This is an excellent partnership that has the ability to develop, transform and shape Health and Safety research and policy and expertise for years to come. Partnering with such a reputable organisation such as the HSE is testimony to the University’s growing reputation in this area and is a reflection of the research expertise and practitioner-led excellence here at Manchester.”

The Institute will transform industry to deliver a safer, happier workplace and make Ashton a recognised and respected international brand.