Professor Andy Levers awarded OBE in New Year Honours list

Photo of Professor Andy Levers standing

Professor Andy Levers, Executive Director of the University’s Institute of Digital Engineering and Autonomous Systems (IDEAS), has been awarded an OBE for services to industry and the economy in the 2025 New Year Honours list.

Professor Levers has made a major contribution to the region’s research and innovation capabilities, facilitating industry and academic collaborations in the area of manufacturing and digital technologies to support economic development and business growth.

Professor Levers joined the University from industry in 2016. Through his stewardship of IDEAS, and its subsidiaries, the University’s Digital Innovation Facility (DIF) and the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC), Professor Levers has delivered economic impact and boosted productivity and competitiveness through the successful design and delivery of a suite of cross-sector regional innovation programmes.

These include the Liverpool City Region Horizons programme and the ERDF-funded LCR 4.0 project, which supported manufacturing companies adopt Industry 4.0 technologies.

LCR 4.0 was cited as an exemplar by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), featured in the Top 100 European Digital Champions list by the Financial Times and was influential in shaping the national “Made Smarter” programme. Its success led to follow-on projects LCR HOLISTIC, LCR START and Cheshire and Warrington 4.0 programmes.

To date, these projects have supported over 800 businesses, delivered £275 million in GVA to the regional economy and created 2,305 jobs.

In addition, Professor Levers is working with local civic partners on the development of Meta-Liverpool, an innovative, city-scale digital asset and policy modelling tool which looks set to unlock new opportunities in science, research, business, and investment.

Commenting on his OBE, Professor Andy Levers said: “I am hugely pleased and privileged to be recognised in this way. Throughout my career, I have endeavoured to deliver innovation and industrial impact. It has been very rewarding to see the value that academic and industry collaborations bring to the regional and national economy.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do my work without the support of colleagues across the University and all the partner organisations I’ve worked with to deliver such exemplary innovation programmes that support industry and drive economic growth.”

Alongside his role with IDEAS, Professor Levers is also responsible for the University’s Digital Innovation Facility (DIF), the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC) and is Associate Pro Vice Chancellor: Place and Innovation for the University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering.