Advanced machinery innovation centre launched in Rochdale

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has secured £50,000 early-stage funding for the Advanced Machinery and Productivity (AMP) Institute.

The funding has been awarded through the UK’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Strength in Places Fund (SIPF).

The AMP Institute aims to create the new machines and engineers needed to manufacture tomorrow’s technologies.

The institute will be centred on existing capabilities and research excellence across the North of England and reaching across the wider UK, to establish and develop economic growth in the design, development and manufacture of advanced machinery and robotic systems.

Providing a safe space, technical resources and the skills pipeline needed for advanced machinery innovation to flourish, the AMP Institute will fulfil a presently unaddressed, yet critical aspect, of the UK’s manufacturing innovation infrastructure.

Through partnership between NPL (the UK’s National Metrology Institute), industry, local government and higher education institutions, the AMP Institute will deliver a sustainable programme of innovation and skills directly impacting its own local economy and that of UK industry export.

The AMP Institute will engage with over 40 companies across the region, with more being added nationwide, and work in partnership to improve the resilience of UK Advanced Machinery Manufacturing innovation and supply chains.

It will initially create 7 new jobs at the Institute and c.20 at the partner higher education institutes, generating approximately 660 new direct jobs and 530 indirect jobs across the region.

The Institute’s skills focus will provide a channel for local education providers to develop a sustained cohort of skilled staff. They, in combination with the more resilient and innovative supplier base, will make the region a more attractive place for inward investment.

National Physical Laboratory’s (NPL), Head of Engineering, Paul Shore stated: ““The AMP Institute is a direct response to the need for the UK to improve its productivity. AMP will support UK companies in developing machinery and automation products. It is these intelligent production systems that will facilitate UK productivity improvement through greater digitisation and automation within our future manufacturing landscape

Holroyd and Precision Technologies Group CEO, Tony Bannan stated: “Our ambition is for AMP Institute to become a practical, accessible and potentially transformative resource for regional and national manufacturing companies – of all sizes. If your company needs machines, new technologies, advanced processes or integrated systems to make your products, or if you need targeted innovation and skills to improve productivity and competitiveness, then AMPI will help you.”

NPL www.npl.co.uk