The University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) (www.amrc.co.uk) received international recognition for its outstanding research and development when it was named a Supplier of the Year by Boeing at an awards ceremony in the USA earlier this month.

The AMRC, which was co-founded with Boeing 16 years ago, was honoured in the Innovation category of the company’s annual Supplier of the Year awards, which acknowledged its instrumental role in the introduction of new products that meet Boeing’s current and future business needs.

This is the second time the AMRC has received global recognition from Boeing; in 2011, it won an award for developing new technologies and processes that Boeing could use for machining high-performance metal alloys.

Last month, Boeing announced that it will open a new manufacturing facility alongside the AMRC in Sheffield; this will allow it to bring in-house the manufacture of key high-tech actuation components and systems for the Next Generation 737, 737 MAX and 777 aircraft, thereby enhancing production efficiency and reducing costs.

Professor Sir Keith Burnett, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: “We are deeply proud of the vision and talent of our engineers, who have a global reputation for advanced manufacturing research.

“It is increasingly clear that what has been at the AMRC is unique, and the reason Boeing decided to open its first production facility in Europe to work with us; we will also be working with the company in the USA.”