Prof. Winifred Ijomah
Leading research in Remanufacturing and the Circular Economy. Shaping sustainable industrial systems for a resource-efficient future.
One of the first researchers in the world to hold a PhD in remanufacturing.
About
Professor Winifred Ijomah — known to colleagues as Winnie — holds a rare distinction: she is among the very first researchers worldwide to have earned a PhD specifically in remanufacturing, awarded by the University of Plymouth in 2002. Before joining Strathclyde in 2007, she held a research and teaching position in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath. She was promoted to full Professor at Strathclyde in 2020, where she is based in the Department of Design, Manufacturing and Engineering Management.
Her work sits at the intersection of sustainable design, industrial practice and environmental policy. She leads the Sustainability and Remanufacturing Research Group and serves as Director of the Scottish Institute for Remanufacturing, a pan-Scotland industry-academia hub she established. Her academic output spans more than 150 journal papers, book chapters, conference publications and white papers, and she has supervised over 18 doctoral researchers in remanufacturing and related fields.
Prof. Ijomah has played a formative role in building remanufacturing as a recognised field. She founded Springer's Journal of Remanufacturing in 2011 and served as its Editor-in-Chief for a decade. She organised the first International Conference on Remanufacturing (ICoR) in 2011, now a regular biennial event. Elements of her research have been codified into British Standards, and she advises governments, professional bodies and industry globally — including serving as Senior Special Adviser on remanufacturing to the Nigerian Society of Engineers, as visiting professor at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria (since 2025), and as international visiting professor at the University West, Sweden (since 2026). She has also co-authored position papers on remanufacturing for the G20, including Accelerating The Transition To A Functional Circular Economy By Mainstreaming Remanufacturing.
20+
Years of Research
150+
Publications
18+
PhD Students Supervised
10
Years as Journal Editor
Research Interests
Design for Remanufacture
Developing product and process design protocols to maximise remanufacturing potential. This work has been embedded into British Standards, including BS 8887-220 on design for manufacture, assembly and disassembly.
Circular Economy & Net Zero
Analysing the economic, logistical and policy pathways to industrial circularity — with a focus on closing material loops to advance net zero manufacturing goals.
Product End-of-Life Recovery
Strategies for product recovery, disassembly optimisation and high-value component reclamation across a range of industrial sectors.
Industrial Policy & Standards
Translating research into practice: contributing to national and international standards bodies, advising governments, and helping industry respond to environmental legislation on product recovery.
Key Milestones
-
2002
PhD in Remanufacturing — University of Plymouth
Among the first researchers in the world to hold a doctoral qualification specifically in remanufacturing.
-
2007
Joined University of Strathclyde
Following a post in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath, joined Strathclyde's DMEM department, where she initiated and grew the Remanufacturing Research Group.
-
2011
Founded the Springer Journal of Remanufacturing
Established the field's first dedicated academic journal; served as Editor-in-Chief for a decade, shaping the direction of scholarly discourse in remanufacturing globally.
-
2011
Founded the International Conference on Remanufacturing (ICoR)
Initiated and chaired the inaugural ICoR — originally conceived to bring the community together and promote the new journal, it gained wider recognition and was subsequently adopted by ReMaTec as a biennial event.
-
2012
Contribution to British Standards — BS 8887-220
Research and definitions codified into the British Standard on design for manufacture, assembly and disassembly, influencing industry practice at a national level.
-
2020
Promoted to Full Professor
Promoted to Professor at the University of Strathclyde, recognising her sustained contribution to research, education and the remanufacturing field.
Selected Publications
Full List →-
2024
Evaluation and validation of Damage Assessment Tracking Criteria models within the UK automotive remanufacturing. Harris, R.S., Ijomah, W.L. and Windmill, J. Journal of Cleaner Production, 414, 137494. ISSN 0959-6526.
-
2023
Risk assessment for circular business models: a fuzzy Delphi study application for composite materials. Tuni, A., Ijomah, W.L., Gutteridge, F., Mirpourian, M., Pfeifer, S. and Copani, G. Journal of Cleaner Production, 389, 135722. ISSN 0959-6526.
-
2022
Exploring the application of lean best practices in remanufacturing: empirical insights into the benefits and barriers. Pawlik, E., Ijomah, W., Corney, J. and Powell, D. Sustainability.
-
2021
Hierarchical Analysis of Factors Influencing Acceptance of Remanufactured Medical Devices. Akano, D., Ijomah, W.L. and Windmill, J. Cleaner and Responsible Consumption.
-
2020
Bi-objective optimisation of remanufacturing decisions with component commonality under different reworking scenarios. Sitcharangsie, S., Wong, A.T.C. and Ijomah, W. International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing.
-
2019
Improving the efficiency of remanufacture through enhanced pre-processing inspection – a comprehensive study of over 2000 engines at Caterpillar Remanufacturing, UK. Ridley, S., Ijomah, W. and Corney, J. Production Planning and Control.
-
2018
Elastic constant determination of unidirectional composite via ultrasonic bulk wave through transmission measurements: A Review. Paterson, D., Ijomah, W. and Windmill, J. Progress in Materials Science, Vol. 97, pp. 1–37.
-
2017
Factors Influencing a Firm's Decision to Conduct Remanufacturing: Evidence from the Thai Automotive Parts Industry. Chaowanapong, J., Jongwanich, J. and Ijomah, W. Production Planning and Control, 28(14), pp. 1139–1151.
Media & Public Engagement
The Long Interview: Winifred Ijomah
A 33-minute in-depth conversation on BBC Radio Scotland's flagship programme — covering remanufacturing, its environmental case, and what Scotland can contribute to a more circular industrial economy.
Listen to Archive
Glasgow Conference Raises Profile of Remanufacturing
BBC News covered the International Conference on Remanufacturing, quoting Prof. Ijomah as conference organiser and as the author of the BSI's standard definition of remanufacturing.
Read Article
Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow — Extended Public Lecture
An extended public talk explaining the principles of remanufacturing, its environmental and economic advantages, and the policy context needed to scale it — accessible to general audiences and industry alike.
Watch on YouTube
Inspiring Women in STEM — International Women in Engineering Day
Featured by WMG at the University of Warwick as a guest speaker in their Inspiring Women in STEM series, marking International Women in Engineering Day 2023.
Read More