University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) is setting up a new facility in the North West of England to boost Lancashire’s reputation as an innovative region for advanced manufacturing and attract inward investors. The facility will have a focus on vehicle electrification, battery assembly and lightweighting technologies.
Planners at South Ribble Borough Council and Ribble Valley Borough Council granted permission to the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) to build and equip a £20 million state-of-the-art facility in the heart of the Samlesbury Aerospace Enterprise Zone, one of four zones that make up the wider Lancashire Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Cluster.University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) is setting up a new facility in the North West of England to boost Lancashire's reputation as an innovative region for advanced manufacturing and attract inward investors. The facility will have a focus on vehicle electrification, battery assembly and lightweighting technologies.#
James Hughes, research director at the University of Sheffield AMRC North West, said: “We are delighted that work can now begin on an applied research facility that will equal the best in the world, consolidating the reputation of Lancashire and the wider Northern Powerhouse as the go-to-place for innovation expertise and skills in advanced manufacturing.”
The new facility, which will have a focus on vehicle electrification, battery assembly and lightweighting technologies, is being built with capital funding provided through the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP)’s Growth Deal. In addition, a £2.5 million revenue grant from the European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) matched with £1.6 million from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVM Catapult), will secure the creation of a high-performing technical R and D team that will enhance the manufacturing base of Lancashire, working with manufacturing companies and their supply chains.
The AMRC will play a key role in helping the county’s aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors to maintain their leading position in the UK, by driving growth, productivity and innovation and supporting Lancashire firms to compete nationally and internationally.
Dave Petley, vice-president for Research and Innovation at the University of Sheffield, said: “The University of Sheffield has a long-standing reputation of developing specialist regional hubs providing valuable engineering expertise and access to advanced capabilities tailored to the needs of local industry sectors. The new facility in the North West will be the catalyst for manufacturing growth, supporting the supply chains in the region to drive up productivity and attract inward investment to create a sustainable future for advanced manufacturing in the region.”
Melissa Conlon, commercial director for University of Sheffield AMRC North West, added: “Our mission is to ensure that Lancashire and the North becomes the engine room of the fourth industrial revolution, harnessing the latest digital technologies, from robotics and automation to artificial intelligence and augmented reality, to support the transition to a low carbon economy, accelerate the move to transport electrification, drive up productivity, improve the competitiveness of indigenous industries and make the region a magnet for global manufacturing brands to invest.”
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