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.

 

Recent Research Projects:

  • Advanced Thin Film Sputtering Fabrication Facility (TF-FAB)
    Martin Birkett (Co Investigator)
    EPSRC / 2023 – 2026 / £971,032

  • Wear Performance of Ti3Au Coatings for Biomedical Implants
    Martin Birkett (Co Investigator)
    RIS Internal Funding / 2023 / £8,400

  • High-Performance Biocompatible Ag-DLC Coatings - Precise and Localized Silver Doping Through Novel Helium Pulse Injections
    Martin Birkett (Principal Investigator)
    European Commission / 2021 – 2023 / £191,270

  • Advanced Bioactive Diamond-like Carbon-based Coatings for Next Generation Orthopaedic Implants
    Martin Birkett (Principal Investigator)
    British Academy / 2021 – 2022 / £9,892

  • Super Hard Biocompatible Coatings of Beta Ti3Au
    Birkett, M. (Principal Investigator)
    The Leverhulme Trust / 2019 – 2022 / £224,630

  • Development of Advanced Polymers for Subsea Applications
    Martin Birkett (Principal Investigator)
    Technip Umbilical Systems (TUS) / 2018 – 2021 / £141,811

  • Development of Ultra-Precision Thin Film Resistive materials
    Martin Birkett (Principal Investigator)
    TT Electronics PLC / 2014 – 2017 / £60,000

  • Cu-Al-Mo Thin Film Resistive materials
    Martin Birkett (Principal Investigator)
    Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 / 2006 – 2009 / £73,000
Martin Birkett

  • Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
  • 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. 22 Aug 2024, In: Surface and Coatings Technology
  • 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
  • Biomechanical Characteristics of Silver Enriched Diamond-like Carbon Coatings for Medical Applications, Zia, A., Anestopoulos, I., Panagiotidis, M., Bowen, L., Birkett, M. 5 Oct 2023, In: Journal of Alloys and Compounds
  • Characterisation of Print Path Deviation in 3D Printed Continuous Carbon Fibre Composites, Sherugar, S., Birkett, M., Blacklock, M. Aug 2023, Proceedings of the 2023 International Conference on Composite Materials, Belfast, Queens's University Belfast
  • Multi-functional bioactive silver- and copper-doped diamond-like carbon coatings for medical implants, Birkett, M., Zia, A., Devarajan, D., Soni, B., Panayiotidis, M., Joyce, T., Tambuwala, M., Serrano-Aroca, A. 1 Sep 2023, In: Acta Biomaterialia

  • Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
  • 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
  • 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

  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Siti Nabilah Misti Development of a Precision Trimming Process for Manganin Shunt Resistors Start Date: 15/10/2012 End Date: 15/06/2017
  • 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

  • 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)


a sign in front of a crowd
+

Northumbria Open Days

Open Days are a great way for you to get a feel of the University, the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the course(s) you are interested in.

Research at Northumbria
+

Research at Northumbria

Research is the life blood of a University and at Northumbria University we pride ourselves on research that makes a difference; research that has application and affects people's lives.

NU World
+

Explore NU World

Find out what life here is all about. From studying to socialising, term time to downtime, we’ve got it covered.


Latest News and Features

A person going into an MRI scanner
Partition
magnetic waves from the solar corona are visisble
Professor John Woodward at the North East Business Awards
Commonwealth conference
More news

Back to top