One of the world’s most prestigious R&D groups has been given ‘the green light’ to build a dedicated facility that will boost Lancashire’s reputation as one of the UK’s leading regions for advanced manufacturing and help to attract inward investors.

Council planners have granted permission to the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) to build and equip a £20 million ‘state of the art’ facility in the Samlesbury Aerospace Enterprise Zone — one of four zones that make up the wider Lancashire Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Cluster.

James Hughes, AMRC North West research director (www.amrc.co.uk), said: “We are delighted that work can now begin on an applied research facility that will equal the best in the world, consolidating the reputation of Lancashire and the wider Northern Powerhouse region as the ‘go to’ place for innovation expertise and skills in advanced manufacturing.”

The new 4,500m² facility, which will focus on vehicle electrification, battery assembly and lightweighting technologies, is being built with funding provided through the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Deal.

In addition, a £2.5 million grant from the European Structural Investment Fund plus £1.6 million from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult will secure the creation of a technical R&D team that will assist the manufacturing base of the region, working with companies and their supply chains.

Currently operating from interim facilities provided by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in the centre of Preston, the rapidly growing AMRC North West team is already working with more than 65 small- and medium-size manufacturing firms in the region.

The new AMRC North West building will include machine tools, additive and hybrid manufacturing, automated assembly, robotics and autonomous manufacturing processes and systems.