AMRC marks 10th anniversary at Westminster
Our University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing celebrated its tenth anniversary by taking the manufacturing message to Westminster. The AMRC's MANTRA lorry, a mobile showcase for advanced engineering, parked within the grounds of Parliament, and welcomed a stream of MPs and other visitors.
AMRC member Rolls-Royce positioned the front fan assembly from a large Trent aero engine in front of Parliament. The Trent fan assembly contains a number of key components developed using new manufacturing methods pioneered at the AMRC.
The AMRC also presented its work at an exhibition within the Palace of Westminster alongside Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Boeing, and other research centres which are working with the AMRC, as part of the new High Value Manufacturing Technology Innovation Centre.
The event was aimed at highlighting the importance of high value manufacturing to the UK economy.
Professor Keith Ridgway OBE, co-founder and research director of the AMRC, said: "We were delighted to have the opportunity to visit Westminster and showcase the high value manufacturing which is going on in the Sheffield city region. We were grateful for the strong support of our industrial partners, local MPs and Sheffield and Rotherham Councils who attended the seminar and made the event such a tremendous success."
Professor Keith Burnett, Vice-Chancellor of our University, said: "We're very proud of how the University of Sheffield, through the AMRC, is contributing to the advanced manufacturing expertise in the Sheffield city region. Not only are we finding innovative ways to manufacture, we're also developing the skills of young people through our apprentice scheme. It was fantastic to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the AMRC by showcasing its fantastic work to key policy makers and I look forward to the next ten years.”
Mr Paul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central, added: “I believe the AMRC’s work is the future of UK manufacturing and it should be at the centre of our future economy. In setting up the AMRC, the University of Sheffield has made a massive contribution to the development of high-value manufacturing in Sheffield and the UK. I’m delighted that these events have shown off the AMRC’s work and the potential of high value manufacturing to the country’s key decision makers.”
AMRC directors and industrial partners also attended a reception at 10 Downing Street to mark the tenth anniversary of the centre.
Members of the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee tabled an Early Day Motion applauding the AMRC's success in promoting the development and expansion of high value manufacturing in the UK.
The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing is a world-class centre for advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It is a partnership between industry and academia, which has become a model for research centres worldwide.
The AMRC identifies, researches and resolves advanced manufacturing problems. Researchers work with individual companies on specific projects, and collaborate on generic projects for the benefit of all members. Over 60 companies have signed up as members of the AMRC.
Since its launch in January 2001, the AMRC has grown to employ around 200 highly qualified researchers, engineers and support staff from around the globe, in two purpose-built centres on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in South Yorkshire. It recently won Boeing's Supplier of the Year Award in the International (Technology) category. The AMRC is supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.
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or more information, please visit http://www.amrc.co.uk