Photo caption: Photo: Dr Alan McLelland (left) and Professor Keith Ridgway
The National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC) is joining the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) to better promote innovation and competitiveness among UK manufacturers.
The move will provide significant benefits. The combination of NAMTEC's supply chain support programmes with the AMRC's research capabilities and high level industrial collaborations will provide a stronger and broader base to share innovative technologies and increase competitiveness across the UK manufacturing community.
NAMTEC has supported the manufacturing supply chain since 2002, delivering an extensive range of training and consultancy programmes to a base of 20,000 manufacturing companies. A closer relationship with the AMRC's research facilities and findings will allow it to cascade innovative technologies and ways of working through the supply chain. The opportunities for NAMTEC within the AMRC setting are significant. Initial plans include extending its core training and consultancy programmes, developing a new hub for metals and materials research, and expanding the membership offer.
Professor Keith Ridgway, co-founder of the AMRC, enthused: “We are delighted to welcome NAMTEC into the AMRC. The nationwide contribution of NAMTEC in developing SMEs, outstanding training and technology transfer is well known and complements our existing work with manufacturing companies. Bringing those strengths into the AMRC matches our ambitions to continue to transform our economy through a true collaboration between world-class research and manufacturing industry.”
Dr Alan McLelland, CEO of NAMTEC concurred: “This is a unique opportunity for both organisations which will directly benefit the UK manufacturing supply chain. The AMRC is at the forefront of manufacturing developments, driving forward manufacturing technologies which can provide the UK, including the SME supply chain, with significant commercial advantage in a global marketplace. NAMTEC, with its access to this supply chain, provides a fantastic conduit to flow these developments into our manufacturing companies, encouraging growth and helping lead the UK manufacturing renaissance.”
The supply chain development programmes of NAMTEC and the existing AMRC research centres will be combined to improve the offering to both full and community member companies. A merged Manufacturing Forum will provide members with high quality intelligence on technology and markets to facilitate investment, growth and diversification and in turn improve competitiveness.
NAMTEC
www.namtec.co.uk
AMRC
www.amrc.co.uk
