Susan Postlethwaite

Professor Susan Postlethwaite is a Professor of Fashion Technologies and Director of the Robotics Living Lab (RoLL) at the Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University. She holds a MA Fashion Curation from London College of Fashion. Her research focuses on integrating robotics and automation into sustainable fashion manufacturing, with a particular emphasis on circular economies and workforce development.

Key roles include leadership of the £3.9M AHRC-funded Robotics Living Lab, policy advisory work with the Royal Academy of Engineering, and AHRC Peer Review College membership. She contributes to international initiatives like the Coronation Challenge Think Tank and the Youth Earthshot environmental mentorship program.

Recent publications address automation's role in sustainability, workforce skill development, and regional textile industry challenges. She actively advises on exhibitions such as the Future Observatory at London's Design Museum, reaching 0.5 million visitors. Her work bridges academia and industry through collaborative projects with firms like Nike, Burberry, and the Manufacturing Technology Centre.