Skip navigation

Professor Martin Birkett

Professor

Department: Mechanical and Construction Engineering

Professor Birkett joined the Mechanical Engineering Department at Northumbria University in 2011. Prior to this he worked in the manufacturing industry for sixteen years, where he completed a Craft Apprenticeship before moving on to work as a Manufacturing Engineer and then a Senior Research and Development Engineer, primarily working on the development of new thin film materials and processes. During this period, he also studied on a part-time basis for a BEng (Hons) degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering and a PhD degree in the area of thin film materials and coatings.  

Professor Birkett currently leads the Engineering Materials and Mechanics Group (EM2G) and he mainly teaches on the Mechanical Engineering degree programmes in the areas of materials and manufacturing technology and systems. His research is focussed on the development of new thin film materials and coatings for mechanical, electrical and biomedical applications and has been funded by the European Commission, The Leverhulme Trust, EPSRC, The British Academy, The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 and several industrial collaborators.

Professor Birkett is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE), a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a member of the EPSRC, UKRI FLF/Talent and Leverhulme Trust Peer Review Colleges.

Martin Birkett

  • Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
  • Emergence of near-zero temperature coefficient of resistance in the Mn3CuN antiperovskite thin film structure, Cherian Lukose, C., Zoppi, G., Birkett, M. 15 Jan 2025, In: Applied Surface Science
  • Enhancing mode I fracture resistance of aluminium-carbon fibre-reinforced polymer hybrid composites via boehmite crystallisation and through thickness reinforcement, Raja Adzhar, R., Blacklock, M., Birkett, M. 1 Feb 2025, In: Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials
  • Boosting photocatalytic activity in ternary lamellar hierarchical structured ZnFe2O4/polymeric carbon nitride by constructing an electronic bridge, Zhao, Y., Guo, Z., Wang, Y., Birkett, M., Xiang, X., Zhang, C., Jin, Y., Che, G., Wang, H., Liu, C., Liu, T., Qi, J. 1 Jun 2024, In: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
  • Characterisation of print path deviation in material extrusion, Blacklock, M., Sherugar, S., Birkett, M. 1 Aug 2024, In: Progress in Additive Manufacturing
  • Nanomechanical and Microstructural Characterization of Biocompatible Ti3Au Thin Films Grown on Glass and Ti6Al4V Substrates, Cherian Lukose, C., Anestopoulos, I., Panayiotidis, M., Birkett, M. 13 May 2024, In: ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering
  • Optimisation of Printing Parameters of Fused Filament Fabrication and Uniaxial Compression Failure Analysis for Four-Point Star-Shaped Structures, Wambua, J., Mwema, F., Akinlabi, S., Birkett, M., Xu, B., Woo, W., Taverne, M., Ho, D., Akinlabi, E. 17 May 2024, In: Rapid Prototyping Journal
  • Precision depth-controlled isolated silver nanoparticle-doped diamond-like carbon coatings with enhanced ion release, biocompatibility, and mechanical performance, Zia, A., Anestopoulos, I., Bowen, L., Panayiotidis, M., Birkett, M. 15 Oct 2024, In: Surface and Coatings Technology
  • Recent Progress in Sputtered Metal-Based Thin Film Coatings for Biomedical Applications, Birkett, M., Cherian Lukose, C. 29 Dec 2024, Micro and Nanomanufacturing Volume II, Cham, Switzerland, Springer
  • Adatom controlled emergence of high hardness in biocompatible beta-Ti3Au intermetallic thin film surfaces, Cherian Lukose, C., Anestopoulos, I., Bowen, L., Panayiotidis, M., Birkett, M. 1 Aug 2023, In: Surfaces and Interfaces
  • Biocompatible Ti3Au–Ag/Cu thin film coatings with enhanced mechanical and antimicrobial functionality, Cherian Lukose, C., Anestopoulos, I., Panagiotidis, I., Zoppi, G., Black, A., Dover, L., Bowen, L., Serrano‐Aroca, Á., Liu, T., Mendola, L., Morrone, D., Panayiotidis, M., Birkett, M. 25 Sep 2023, In: Biomaterials Research

  • Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
  • Northumbria University Scanning Electron Microscope Picomechanical Indenter (NU-Pico), Birkett, M. (Principal Investigator), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, 03/01/25 - 03/07/26, £449,990.00
  • Advanced Thin Film Sputtering Fabrication Facility (TF-FAB), Zoppi, G. (Principal Investigator), Birkett, M. (Co Investigator), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, 01/04/23 - 31/03/26, £971,033.00
  • Wear performance of Ti3Au coatings for biomedical implants, Cherian Lukose, C. (Principal Investigator), Birkett, M. (Co Investigator), RIS Internal Funding, 01/04/23 - 31/07/23, £8,400.00
  • Advanced Bioactive Diamond-like Carbon-based Coatings for Next Generation Orthopaedic Implants, Birkett, M. (Principal Investigator), British Academy, 23/12/21 - 17/03/22, £9,892.00
  • High-Performance Biocompatible Ag-DLC Coatings - Precise and Localized Silver Doping Through Novel Helium Pulse Injections, Birkett, M. (Principal Investigator), European Commission, 01/10/20 - 30/09/22, £191,270.00
  • Super Hard Biocompatible Coatings of Beta Ti3Au, Birkett, M. (Principal Investigator), The Leverhulme Trust, 01/03/19 - 28/02/22, £224,630.00
  • Development of Advanced Polymers for Subsea Applications, Birkett, M. (Principal Investigator), Technip Umbilical Systems (TUS), 01/02/18 - 31/01/21, £141,811.00
  • Development of Ultra-Precision Thin Film Resistive materials, Birkett, M. (Principal Investigator), TT electronics plc, 02/03/14 - 02/03/17, £37,250.00
  • Development of 5W, 4-terminal Metal Strip Shunt Resistor, Birkett, M. (Principal Investigator), Welwyn Components Limited, 01/03/14 - 31/03/14, £6,000.00

  • Mohamed Abduelmula An investigation into the barriers to lean implementation in Libyan manufacturing companies and development of a framework for its utilisation Start Date: 05/11/2014 End Date: 26/07/2019
  • Maria Alafogianni An investigation of varying laser trim pattern characteristics on the performance and reliability of discrete resistive components Start Date: 01/10/2014 End Date: 07/11/2018
  • Cecil Cherian Lukose An investigative study of Manganese-based Antiperovskite structures as a thin film resistive material system Start Date: 02/04/2014 End Date: 10/10/2018
  • Osama Elgadi Investigation into the Barriers to Six Sigma in Libyan Manufacturing Companies and Development of a Framework for its Implementation Start Date: 03/02/2014 End Date: 10/10/2018
  • Siti Nabilah Misti Development of a Precision Trimming Process for Manganin Shunt Resistors Start Date: 15/10/2012 End Date: 15/06/2017
  • Darkam Al Janabi An Investigation into the Relationship Between Organisational Culture and Maintenance Implementation in Iraqi Power Plants Start Date: 09/12/2013 End Date: 27/02/2017
  • Chinyere Okolo Investigation of Thermal Conductivity and Mechanical Properties of Polyurethane Urea Nanocomposites for Bend Stiffener Application Start Date: 01/08/2018 End Date: 26/04/2024
  • Raja Muhamad Hafiz Raja Adzhar Investigation into the effect of varying aluminium surface pre-treatments on the mechanical properties of hybrid aluminium-carbon fibre reinforced plastic joints Start Date: 01/03/2020

  • Manufacturing Systems BEng (Hons)
  • Engineering PhD
  • Chartered Engineer (CEng)
  • Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE)
  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)


Latest News and Features

Images shows the logo of Northumbria University's Aerospace Medicine and Rehabilitation Laboratory
Eating Disorder Research Animation Still
Dr Henrik Melin pictured with a life-sized replica of one of the Webb telescope’s 18 individual hexagonal mirrored panels. Image credit: Barry Pells/Northumbria University.
Professor Arlene Astell
Dr David Littlefair and Dr Joanne Atkinson, Deputy and Head of Department for Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing at Northumbria University are joined by public policy researchers, Professor Matthew Johnson, Dr Howard Reed, Dr Elliott Johnson and Dr Graham Stark.
The IDEAS-NET Team (L-R), Dr Eduwin Pakpahan, Professor Tracy Finch, Dr Sebastian Potthoff, Professor Katie Haighton, Professor Angela Bate (Co-Director), Professor Sonia Dalkin (Co-Director), Professor Joanne Gray, Professor Tom Sanders, Dr Jason Scott (Deputy Director), Professor Darren Flynn, Jamie Taylor (Project Manager)
More news
More events

Upcoming events

Back to top