The National Physical Laboratory has secured £50,000 in early stage funding for a new Advanced Machinery and Productivity Institute to be sited in Rochdale.
The institute will create an estimated 1,200 new jobs in the area and provide a non-competitive space for small and medium companies and engineers to come together and collaborate on new manufacturing technologies.
The funding has been awarded through the UK’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund’s “Strength in Places” fund, with the aim of improving the global resilience of the UK’s manufacturing industry.
The AMP Institute will be centred around existing capabilities and research excellence in the north of England and the wider UK, to establish and develop economic growth in the design, development and manufacture of advanced machinery and robotic systems. It aims to fulfil what its backers say is “a presently unaddressed yet critical aspect of the UK’s manufacturing innovation infrastructure”, providing a space, technical resources and the skills needed for advanced machinery innovation to flourish.
Through partnership between the NPL, industry, local government and higher education institutions, the AMP Institute will deliver a programme of innovation and skills. Operating under a type of Chatham House rule – where ideas can be freely aired and developed without competition for intellectual property rights – the institute will increase the production efficiency and quality of British manufactured goods, not only in the area but nationwide, says the NPL.
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.
Gareth Edwards, NPL’s strategy lead for industrial digitalization, said “This seedcorn funding is a welcome injection of support that enables us to accelerate our plans to develop AMPI as a sustainable business model. Those plans are in development as we speak.” The institute hopes to secure a full SIPF grant in due course. Ultimately AMPI is intended to have a sustainable operating model – not for profit, but also not a financial burden – to make the greatest impact on industry.
The funding will initially create seven new jobs at the institute and around 20 with the higher education partners, but ultimately the venture is expected to generate approximately 660 new direct jobs and 530 indirect jobs in the region, and providing “a channel for local education providers to develop a sustained cohort of skilled staff”, helping to make the region a more attractive place for inward investment. National Physical Laboratory head of engineering Paul Shore said: “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.”