Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre
About this good practice
The AMRC is a network of world-leading research and innovation centres working with advanced manufacturing companies of all sizes from around the globe. It seeks to transform industrial and economic performance by making step-changes in productivity, helping manufacturers sharpen their competitive edge; develop new products and processes and train new talent and skills.
Companies come for independent, agnostic advice to de-risk their adoption of advanced manufacturing and digital technologies.
The organisation aims to:
- Inform businesses about opportunities.
- Educate businesses about opportunities for their specific use.
- Convene actors (end users and providers).
- Explore solutions.
- Accelerate uptake of solutions by de-risking by allowing businesses to understand the return on investment with that intervention.
The AMRC is also part of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult network of research centres, playing a core role in bridging the gap and accelerating the activity between technology concept and commercialisation.
Resources needed
- By 2015, the AMRC had received £70 million of funding from the UK Government, the former Regional Development Agency and the University of Sheffield.
- An additional £70 million was also secured from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Evidence of success
- The AMRC has more than 120-fee paying members, including global names such as Boeing, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Siemens and BAE Systems to smaller companies crucial to supply chains.
- Each year about 500 non-member engagements take place – 400 of which are with small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
- In 2020/21 we worked with over 500 companies and supported 360 SMEs.
- It has trained more than 1,700 apprentices since opening in 2013, working with more than 300 companies in the UK.
Potential for learning or transfer
- Focus on the challenge to be addressed and not on the technology.
- Educate about the digital architecture required for adoption and for further development.
- Enable access to skills.
- Articulate the financial, social and environmental value.
- Ensure leaders are bought in.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
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Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre