Work has begun on a new manufacturing district in Renfrewshire — next to Glasgow airport — that will create thousands of new jobs for the sector.

Pupils from Inchinnan Primary School attended the ground-breaking ceremony at the end of August to plant a time capsule containing local manufacturing mementos, together with their ‘dream inventions’ — ranging from glasses that can see emotions to a self-navigating bike.

The Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) (www.paisley.is/invest/amids) is the brainchild of Renfrewshire Council, which is leading the district’s development in partnership with the Scottish government and Scottish Enterprise.

It is expected to create up to 6,000 jobs and to boost Scotland’s manufacturing sector by around £535 million in GVA a year.

The construction of new roads, bridges, cycling routes and pedestrian walkways — funded through the £1.13billion Glasgow City Region City Deal — is already under way.

This work — scheduled for completion in early 2021 — will also strengthen connections to nearby Westway Park, which is Scotland’s largest fully enclosed industrial distribution and office park, and to Inchinnan Business Park, which is home to more than 30 businesses (including Rolls-Royce, Peak Scientific and the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre).

Derek Mackay, the Scottish government’s Finance Secretary, said: “Building on our rich and diverse manufacturing heritage, AMIDS will help Scotland develop the clean, green, technologically advanced industries of the future.

“The first tenants of this new district will be the £65million National Manufacturing Institute Scotland and the £56 million Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, which will both provide an attractive proposition for further inward investment.

"Manufacturing is vitally important to the Scottish economy.

"AMIDS and the companies it will attract will help to realise our ambitions for Scotland to become a global leader in advanced manufacturing.”

Scottish Enterprise chief executive Steve Dunlop said: “This site represents one of the most exciting and important developments for Scotland's manufacturing community in a generation.

“Once completed, it will significantly enhance Scotland’s excellent world-wide reputation for attracting inward investors.”