Ken Skates, Welsh Minister for the Economy, recently announced that the new Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre currently under construction in Broughton will be officially known as AMRC Cymru (www.amrc.co.uk/facilities/amrc-cymru-wales).

He said: “AMRC Cymru will ensure a thriving industry base that will be a catalyst for economic growth across
the supply chain, increasing productivity and supporting the competitiveness of Welsh industry — at home and around the world.

"As we prepare to leave the EU, developments such as AMRC Cymru are more important than ever. I’m pleased to see the good progress that has been made to date, and I look forward to the completion of the centre later this year.”

The Welsh government has invested £20 million in AMRC Cymru, which will have a strong focus on advanced-manufacturing sectors. It is scheduled to be completed in the autumn, and Airbus has been confirmed as the first major tenant.

Keith Ridgway, dean of the University of Sheffield AMRC, said: “It is great to see the new AMRC Cymru R&D facility in Broughton taking shape. Our mission is to drive world-class manufacturing innovation for Wales.

"The focus will be to extend open access to our research expertise and capabilities in automation, digitalisation, design for manufacture and product and process verification to help Welsh industry develop new capabilities.

“Airbus is a long-standing partner of the AMRC in a key sector of the Welsh economy. By building on the research relationships we have with them, we will ensure that the company remains at the forefront of aerospace development, supporting skills in the area and up-skilling its manufacturing supply-chain partners.”