A consortium, led by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), has secured £22.6m funding for a 5-year innovation initiative, the first for the Advanced Machinery & Productivity Institute (AMPI), which will be based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. This funding has been provided through UK Research and Innovation’s flagship Strength in Places Fund (SIPF).

AMPI will stimulate and support the rapid growth of the UK’s machinery manufacturing sector as it transitions to highly integrated digital solutions with sophisticated automated and autonomous robotic systems. It will enable invention, realise innovation, and increase the adoption of new machinery and robotics through UK equipment manufacturers.

This SIPF funding provides the stimulus for AMPI in its journey to become a pivotal UK intervention, centred around existing capabilities and research excellence across the North of England. The support provided through AMPI and its partner organisations will provide benefit to businesses across the region, positively impacting direct and indirect local employment, as well as UK industry export.

In the longer term, AMPI is expected to grow the UK’s advanced machinery capability to a £2bn export capacity within 10 years establishing over 30,000 high value manufacturing sector jobs.

As the lead partner in the SIPF-funded initiative, NPL will manage the programme on behalf of the consortium and, as the UK’s National Metrology Institute, will deliver world-class metrology to all participants and projects. Read more…