Cardiff University is recognised in independent government assessments as one of Britain's leading teaching and research universities. Founded by Royal Charter in 1883, the University today has more than 25,000 students and 5,500 staff. The Manufacturing Engineering Centre (MEC) at Cardiff University was founded in 1996 to conduct world-class research and development in all major areas of Advanced Manufacturing and use the output to promote the introduction of new manufacturing technology and practice to industry. Since its establishment the Centre has gained an international recognition for the carried out applied research in Intelligent Control, Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing and more recently in Micro/Nano Manufacturing. The MEC has been a Centre of Excellence for Technology and Industrial Collaboration (CETIC) in Wales since the start of this programme in 2001 and a Centre for Manufacturing Excellence within the DTI Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) since July 2002. Recently, in recognition of its research achievements and state-of-the-art facilities in Micro and Nano Technology (MNT) the Centre became one of the main nodes within the UK MNT Network. It provides contract research and contract manufacture services that are industry facing and a route to commercial exploitation of new technologies and the results of the Centre’s research programmes.