Construction milestone for new £20m research facility

Work on a new £20 million industrial research facility in Derby, which will support manufacturers across the region, has reached a key milestone.

Senior figures from the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre were recently joined by their project partners for a topping out ceremony of the new building at Infinity Park Derby.

Once complete, the Nuclear AMRC Midlands facility will provide a permanent Derby base for the University of Sheffield’s Nuclear AMRC and a new home for the University of Derby’s Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Engineering (IISE).

It will help manufacturers across the Midlands win work in growing low-carbon markets and develop new sustainable technologies.

Andrew Storer, chief executive of Nuclear AMRC, said: “It’s fantastic to see the progress that’s been made on our new facility, especially when the UN climate change conference in Egypt is again highlighting the urgency of reducing emissions from all parts of the global economy.

“As a nation, we need to build a new generation of low-carbon power plant, and we need to move industry to more sustainable manufacturing and engineering practices.

“The research that will be carried out in this facility will help tackle both of those challenges, and support manufacturers in Derby and beyond to seize the opportunities of the energy transition.”

The pilot Nuclear AMRC Midlands opened in 2019 in the iHub on Infinity Park Derby, which is now home to the recently opened Nuclear Skills Academy, led by Rolls-Royce and the university.

Mr Storer said: “Our pilot centre at the iHub was a great success and has helped start the snowball effect of creating a real community for industry and innovation at Infinity Park.

“Along with our role in securing the Nuclear Skills Academy on the park, I am really proud of the role the Nuclear AMRC is playing to develop long-lasting support for the supply chain in the Midlands.”

The new 4,300 sq metre facility will build on Nuclear AMRC’s work by expanding the centre’s capabilities in technology areas to help UK manufacturers win work in the nuclear supply chain.

Around 30 researchers, engineers and support staff will work at the new facility when it opens in spring 2023, growing to at least 70 within five years.

It will specialise in emerging technology areas, including digital engineering, control and instrumentation systems, and additive manufacturing.

It will host a flexible range of state-of-the-art manufacturing and research equipment, with 10 metre ceilings and 50 tonne cranes to allow work on large fabrications and assemblies.

Its laboratory facilities will include dedicated space for 3D printing and rapid prototyping, virtual reality and visualisation, and equipment qualification.

The building will also include dedicated space for engaging with local schools and colleges, to help encourage young people to consider careers in science and engineering.

The University of Derby’s IISE, which specialises in developing sustainable life-cycle design and manufacturing processes for products in a range of sectors, from transport to healthcare, will occupy around a quarter of the building.

Professor Warren Manning, the university’s provost for innovation and research, said: “The development of the Nuclear AMRC Midlands facility at Infinity Park builds on Derby’s longstanding heritage linked to the nuclear industry and cements further its reputation as a city at the cutting edge of industrial innovation.

“We are delighted that IISE will be co-located with the Nuclear AMRC, offering huge collaboration potential for organisations to work together to develop the skills and capability required to support government objectives linked to net zero and manufacturing growth, and strengthening the wider D2N2 region’s position as a key advanced manufacturing and innovation hub for the UK and beyond.”

With an initial cost of around £20 million, the Nuclear AMRC Midlands building is supported by Derby City Council (BH), and part-funded by £9 million from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

Councillor Steve Hassall, the city council’s cabinet member for regeneration, decarbonisation, strategic planning and transport, said: “This state-of-the-art facility is a great example of partnership working in action and will offer a huge boost to our local economy and reaffirm our place as a national leader for innovation, manufacturing, and world-class research and development.”

Frank Horsley, head of business and innovation at D2N2, said: “The Nuclear AMRC is a significant opportunity to establish and develop a sustainable net-zero supply chain in our region.”