Unimaker Salford 2025 – Agenda
Unimaker showcases innovation in higher education makerspaces, fostering open exchanges on best practices through two days of speakers and panels on maker culture, pedagogy, and future skills.
The event is kindly sponsored by the Morson Group STEM Foundation, RS, Additive-X and the University of Salford.
AGENDA & TIMETABLE
Day 1 – Thursday 26th June
| 09:30 – 10:30 | Arrival / Refreshments. A Marketplace showcase will be open throughout Thursday 26th. Maker Space tours. |
| 10:30-10:40 | Welcome. Dr. Maria Stukoff, The University of Salford. |
| 10:40 – 10:50 | Why on earth did we build a makerspace? Prof. Neil Currie. Professor in Structural Engineering Practice & Director at Woolgar Hunter. |
| 10:50 – 11:00 | Unimaker Introduction: Dr. Peter Mylon, The University of Sheffield + iForge |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Keynote Speaker: Prof. Corrina Cory, The University of Exeter. |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Panel 1. Unlocking MakerSpace Impact 1. Charlotte Palmer, King’s College London 2. Dr. Peter Mylon, University of Sheffield + iForge 3. Dr Will Newton, Swansea University 4. Ollie Kanjoo-Parson, Rolls-Royce SMR |
| 12:00 – 13:30 | Visit the Marketplace. Kindly supported by RS. Enjoy our buffet lunch and join a Maker Space tour. |
| 13:40 -14:10 | Lightning talks. Hear from invited guests to share makerspace insights. – Chris Summers, Head of Engineering Delivery, Morson Projects, UK – Dr Meghna Nag Chowdhuri, Senior Research Fellow, UCL (Making Spaces Project) 3-STEP approach for equity in makerspaces |
| 14:10 – 14:40 | Keynote Speaker: Dr. Alejandro Veliz Reyes,The University of Plymouth. |
| 14:45 – 15:15 | Panel 2. Makerspace Communities. Our Community strand is kindly supported by Additive-X 1. Rachael Turner, Director MADLAB 2. Prof. Chloe James, University of Salford 3. Sohaib Hussain, EDF / iMechE |
| 20min discussion groups 15:15 – 15:40 15:40 – 16:05 16:05 – 16:30 | Facilitated roundtable discussions exploring conference themes including: 1. Health and Safety & Training Students to be Operators 2. Student Instructors & Volunteers as Makerspace Delivery Team 3. Starting a Makerspace: Equipment & Costs 4. Integrating Maker Skills and Pedagogy into Curriculum 5. Equity and Inclusion Strategies Welcoming Makerspaces 6. Formal Teaching vs Informal Learning: Alternative Accreditation Paths 7. Running Community Makerspaces 8. Rethinking the Staffing Model to Boost Student Innovation |
| 16:30 – 17:00 | Facilitated feedback. Shared summary from roundtable discussions. |
| 17:00 – 18:00 | Drinks / Networking |
| 18:00 – 20:00 | Hot Food Buffet. Served at the School of Engineering, Science and Environment. |
| 20:00 | Close |
Day 2 – Friday 27th June
| 09:15 – 09:45 | Arrival / Refreshments. Maker Space tours. |
| 09:50 – 10:00 | Welcome and recap |
| 10:00 – 10:40 | Inspirational Speaker: Navjot Sawhney, Founder. The Washing Machine Project A conversation on maker culture and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset. |
| 10:45 – 11:20 | Panel 3. The Student Experience. How do makerspaces enrich the student experience, and how does this add value? Speakers include makerspaces student reps and alumnus sharing their experiences. 1. Josephine Riani, University of Manchester 2. iForge, University of Sheffield 3. Elizaveta Krasnova, Makerspace Technician at Kings College London 4. Faraz Falahi, The University of Salford |
| 11:20 – 11:35 | 15min Lighnting talk Makers United, Chemnitz, Germany – Lianne van de Laar, Project Leader Maker Residence Programme – Katrin Hoffmann, Managing Director of the Saxony Industrial Association |
| 11:35 – 12:35 | Refreshment break leading into a facilitated workshop THE PYRAMID WORKSHOP – This is a collaborative exercise to visually rank and organise ideas and makerspace priorities. |
| 12:35 – 13:00 | Lunch Boxes will be provided for a working lunch |
| 13:00 – 13:15 | Special Announcement – Whats next? |
| 13:15 – 13:45 | Take Aways and closing remarks! |
| 14:00 | Conference goodbyes |
| 14:30 | Join us for a drink at the Salford Fire Station. |