Another £20m announced for Scottish manufacturing institute

An additional £20 million has been announced for the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), bringing total government investment to £75 million.

The investment in the facility, which includes the existing Lightweight Manufacturing Centre which opened last year as a specialist technology centre, will help develop the future of Scotland’s manufacturing sector as the economy rebuilds Covid-19.

The announcement comes as a contract is signed between University of Strathclyde and Morrisons Construction to build the new National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) facility.

Operated by the University of Strathclyde, NMIS will be an industry-led international centre of manufacturing expertise, aiming to attract investment and make Scotland a global leader in advanced manufacturing.

Construction will begin later this year and is anticipated to take 18 months, supporting more than 200 jobs.

Additionally, £15.8 million of investment has been announced as the successful bidders to the Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund (AMCF) are confirmed. The 12 projects, which include universities, colleges, third sector organisations and local authorities, will offer free services across the country to help small and medium-sized enterprises develop their manufacturing capabilities.

Both NMIS and the AMCF will help Scotland’s manufacturing sector to transform skills, productivity and innovation.

The NMIS facility, next to Glasgow Airport, will be the anchor tenant for the Renfrewshire Council-led Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland, which also includes the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre, another specialist technology centre.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, said: “The award of the contract to Morrison Construction and the appointment of John Reid as CEO are both significant milestones as we continue to develop the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland group of world-class industry-led manufacturing research and development facilities.

“As the anchor University for NMIS, Strathclyde is working with partners to bring together industry, academia and the public sector to help transform the future of manufacturing in Scotland. This is now more important than ever as we collectively work to recover from the impact of COVID-19.”

Earlier this week, it was announced that John Reid has been appointed as the CEO of the NMIS group after successfully leading the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc in Dundee.

NMIS is operated by the University of Strathclyde and supported by Scottish government, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Funding Council and Renfrewshire Council.

The flagship NMIS facility will house a fully digitalised factory of the future, skills academy and collaboration hub that will bring manufacturers together to work on the development of innovative new manufacturing technologies and products. It will support manufacturing and engineering firms of all sizes and from all sectors across the country, and internationally, to innovate and grow their businesses.

The new centre, along with the NMIS specialist technology centres: Lightweight Manufacturing Centre and Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre; the only High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre in Scotland, are key facilities in the manufacturing innovation district being developed next to Glasgow Airport, with Netherton Campus also home to the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre.

NMIS www.nmis.scot

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