The £20m AMRC Cymru in Broughton will raise productivity in the region and along with the North Wales Growth Deal and Welsh Government investment in infrastructure, will allow the region to fulfil its economic ambition, Minister for North Wales Lesley Griffiths said today.
The Minister was addressing an audience of businesses attending a Digital Factory Showcase event at the state-of-the-art centre where Welsh manufacturers were invited to see new Product and Process Verification (PPV) equipment, funded by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI).
The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Cymru, which was funded by the Welsh Government and is managed by the University of Sheffield, opened in November 2019 and was set up to boost the region’s existing reputation for manufacturing excellence. At the start of the covid-19 pandemic it played a significant role in the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium, with Airbus employees manufacturing 2,000 ventilators a week there.
Minister for North Wales Lesley Griffiths said:
AMRC Cymru will boost productivity by driving innovation in design, manufacturing and skills to secure and sustain high value manufacturing jobs for future generations to come.
It is enhancing North Wales’ reputation as a place to invest and do business.
It provides businesses, including SMEs, with a focus for future proofing their manufacturing capability, identifies and supports the next steps to develop a resilient, high-value and highly skilled flexible workforce, which in turn is able to help deliver the products, services and technologies necessary for the future economy.
The AMRC can support businesses in addressing climate change and the need to decarbonise.
As we look ahead towards the recovery following the pandemic we know that the investment made in AMRC Cymru places the region in a strong position for the future. We have already seen impressive work carried out here, and I know we will see many more examples over the months and years to come.