A new Lightweight Manufacturing Centre is to be established in Renfrew as the first step towards creating a National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland.

The £8.9 million facility, which will be housed in the former Doosan Babcock facility in Westway, will be part of the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) (www.strath.ac.uk) in Inchinnan.

The AFRC will allow Scottish companies to develop new manufacturing processes, using lightweight materials such as titanium and carbon fibre, which are increasingly used in the aerospace, automotive, oil and gas and renewable-energy industries.

The proposed National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland is being set up to help Scottish manufacturers compete in future international markets and to support the industry’s transformation through innovation to create high-value and highly skilled jobs.

The Scottish government, which said that developing lightweight materials will also increase efficiency and performance and help to reduce carbon emissions, is providing £3.9 million in funding support for the new centre, backed with £3.4 million from Scottish Enterprise and £1.6 million from AFRC.

The University of Strathclyde’s AFRC is a globally recognised centre of excellence in research and development, manufacturing technologies, metal forming and forging. It was established in 2009 with 12 members of staff and now employs 133 highly skilled engineers, researchers and business professionals.

Sir Jim McDonald, principal of the University of Strathclyde, said: “Scotland has a track record of world-class research and innovation, and it is committed to setting new standards in manufacturing and design. The new centre is a crucial step towards transforming Scotland’s manufacturing industry, creating new opportunities and sustainable high-value jobs. We have a long history of bringing together academia, business and industry, and government. This announcement will enable companies of all sizes and across various sectors to get involved in leading-edge lightweighting research and expertise to help Scotland compete on the world stage.”