World-leading manufacturing research centre opens in Preston
1 April 2022
AMRC North West, an expansion of the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) first announced in 2018, will provide SMEs with R&D, net zero and 5G support.
AMRC North West, an expansion of the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) first announced in 2018, will provide SMEs with R&D, net zero and 5G support.
The state-of-the-art centre, which sits at the heart of the Samlesbury Enterprise Zone in Preston, offers manufacturers of all sizes a range of R&D capabilities including additive and digital manufacturing, batteries and automation, 5G, robotics, autonomous processes and systems, and low carbon technologies.
AMRC North West engineers had been operating from an interim facility at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) since 2018 and have already supported hundreds of businesses with innovation and productivity.
With the dedicated facility now open, AMRC North West said it would “lead the way” in supporting businesses to adopt more energy efficient operations through a Low Carbon Smart Buildings Demonstrator. The initiative will show manufacturers how to install low carbon digital technologies into legacy facilities to put them on the path to net zero carbon emissions.
The centre is also the primary site for the 5G Factory of the Future project, a government-funded programme that aims to drive the adoption of 5G technologies in manufacturing.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on 10 March, Business Minister Lee Rowley said:
“This world-leading hub of research and development is precisely what will keep the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector ahead of the pack. Not only will it help businesses unlock key productivity and sustainability gains, it will also drive our ambition to level up across the North West by supporting economic growth and jobs.”
Prof Koen Lamberts, President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Sheffield, added:
“The AMRC has a strong 20 year history of working with manufacturers of all sizes to develop greener, more efficient products and processes, and we look forward to working with our partners in Lancashire to support the region’s economic growth.”