Aston University and Metal Assemblies Limited KTP 24_25 R3

A car parts supplier is installing sensors and software to track exactly how much energy each manufacturing step uses and what carbon emissions result. This matters because automotive supply chains are notoriously opaque—manufacturers and customers have little visibility into the carbon footprint of individual components. Without that data, companies cannot make informed choices about which parts to buy or how to improve their own processes. The project addresses a gap in real-time, granular energy monitoring for mid-sized suppliers. If successful, Metal Assemblies Limited will become a carbon-conscious supplier that can give customers precise emissions data alongside each part. That transparency could ripple through the supply chain: carmakers could select lower-carbon components, and other suppliers would face pressure to measure and reduce their own footprints. The work focuses on manufacturing processes and supply chain data systems—things most people never see, but which collectively account for a large share of industrial emissions. The project is applied and commercially driven, not fundamental science.