Abstract: Since their invention just over 20 years ago, optical traps have emerged as a powerful tool with broadreaching applications in biology, physics and now potentially engineering. Capabilities have evolved from simple manipulation to the application of calibrated forces on—and the measurement of nanometer-level displacements of optically trapped objects. The newly formed North West Laser Engineering Consortium (NWLEC), a strategic alliance between the Universities of Liverpool and Manchester in the North West of England UK, has an ongoing research programme to demonstrate the engineering capabilities of this non-contact micromanipulation technique for micro-assembly and manufacture. In this paper the principle of operation, the current capabilities and current work in optical trapping for engineering manufacture by NWLEC are detailed.