Member Article

University of Nottingham opens advanced manufacturing centre

The University of Nottingham have opened their Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, as the Minister for Universities and Science cut the ribbon.

Airbus, Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems are among the major global stakeholders in the Institute, which has received £2m from the University’s Capital Investment Fund.

The facility will centralise activity, encompassing an international team of academics from the UK and the University’s campuses in Malaysia and China.

£550,000 has been provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for the Institute to invest in specialist equipment.

A further £979,000 of ERDF money will support business engagement and knowledge transfer activities with local SMEs.

At the opening, David Willetts said: “As set out in the Government’s industrial strategy, it is vital that business benefits from the very best and latest technologies in order to compete in the global marketplace and be a driving force for growth.

“That’s why I am very pleased to be opening the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at The University of Nottingham today, which has benefitted from significant Government funding.

“It will complement our £140 million investment in the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre, which also brings business and the research base together to commercialise new technologies.”

Professor Svetan Ratchev, Director of the Institute, said: “We are looking forward to working with our industrial partners to establish a real centre of excellence for advanced manufacturing here in Nottingham.

“The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing will drive the development of cutting-edge technologies in one of the University’s key research areas, with the aim of radically improving all aspects of advanced manufacturing.”

The University was one of the founding partners in the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, which subsequently formed part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, said: “We are lucky to have such reserves of expertise in the area of manufacturing research here at the University. The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing will enable us to further build our capacity in this area, benefitting manufacturing businesses based locally, nationally and internationally.

“The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing is focusing on next generation knowledge driven manufacturing methods, technologies, systems and services and will support numerous regional companies of all sizes. I would encourage any manufacturing businesses that feel they could benefit from the Institute to get in contact with us.”

Professor David Delpy, Chief Executive of the EPSRC, which has provided funding for the Institute, added: “The new Institute for Advanced Manufacturing will build on our earlier investments in The University of Nottingham, which includes £16 million support for the Nottingham Innovative Manufacturing Centre.

“It will also be one of our strategic training centres for the next generation of engineers through the EPSRC funded manufacturing EngD programme.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .