The University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), which already works closely with space and communication pioneers such as BAE Systems, Boeing and Airbus, has drawn together a team of high-tech engineers to drive improvements in the UK manufacturing base that will be critical to the success of the Government’s space age mission.

John Baragwanath, executive director of the AMRC (www.amrc.co.uk), said: “The new capability will be led by Craig Roberts, whose team has a brilliant track record of innovation in space technology; one of this team only recently returned from NASA after inventing a patent-pending additive-manufacturing technology that the agency is keen to progress.”

While Mr Roberts and his team will form the core of the new AMRC/Space capability, this initiative will facilitate collaboration across not only the whole of the AMRC — including the Nuclear AMRC — but also the University of Sheffield.

Mr Baragwanath said: “This will give government and our partners access to an unrivalled range of expertise and technology to accelerate the creation of a manufacturing base that can sustain and support successful space missions, including satellite technologies that will be critical to the growth of digitally connected industries and communities here in the UK.”

The AMRC/Space capabilities include: thin-walled and precision machining technologies; additive manufacturing, including multi-material and hybrid machining; joining technologies, including automated adhesive and robotic welding; assistive technologies for batch production and mass customisation; augmented reality and virtual reality for right-first-time and training purposes; light-weighting; metrology and quality control, including inspection techniques driven by Artificial Intelligence.

Adrian Allen, co-founder and executive director of the AMRC, said: “The Sheffield City Region now has a cluster of high-value high-technology engineering companies with an interest in — and the ambition to support — the Government’s vision for the space industry post-Brexit.

"The formation of AMRC/ Space gives the region the opportunity to attract new investors at the forefront of smart technologies, consolidating our reputation as a global centre of excellence for high-value manufacturing based on high-quality research and innovation.”