A major new state-of-the-art research and development facility that is set to be a game changer for the economy in the North West of England, has officially opened .

The new £20 million applied R&D centre is based on a model for academic and industry collaboration pioneered by the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), which has been hugely successful in driving innovation and attracting investment into the South Yorkshire region.

The AMRC North West, situated to the east of Preston, will play a major role in driving innovation in the UK’s advanced manufacturing sectors including aerospace, digital manufacturing, clean energy technologies and additive manufacturing.

Close to a BAE Systems facility, the AMRC North West has already been described by local leaders as a ‘game changer’ for the economy of the region, and will play a key role in helping businesses grow, creating high value jobs, closing the skills gap and helping level-up the region.

This model for academic and industry collaboration at the University of Sheffield AMRC, a facility on the border of Sheffield and Rotherham, played a crucial role in attracting Boeing to open its first European production facility in South Yorkshire and supercar manufacturer McLaren to open a new manufacturing facility in the region. It’s hoped the AMRC North West can help to attract similar investment to Lancashire whilst also supporting existing businesses in the region, from SMEs to some of the world’s biggest manufacturers.

The new facility will be an open-access technology demonstrator, a 5G testbed, and will set the standard for low carbon smart factories to drive inward investment to the region. Lancashire has a strong manufacturing base and the AMRC North West will further build on this, driving world-class research and expertise across the supply chain.

The AMRC North West has been operating from an interim facility provided by the University of Central Lancashire in the centre of Preston since forming in 2018 – to date, it has supported more than 200 of Lancashire’s manufacturing SMEs.

Its new facility, on the Samlesbury Enterprise Zone, was officially opened by Lee Rowley MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, accompanied by Professor Koen Lamberts, President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Sheffield, and Debbie Francis OBE, Chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP), during a tour of the new building, which was built using LEP Growth Deal funding.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here