An engine room to power innovation

The final touches are being made to AMRC North West, the £20m research centre set to make Lancashire a leader in manufacturing innovation and act as an engine room for the region’s sustainable economic growth.

The flagship facility, which sits at the heart of the Samlesbury Aerospace Enterprise Zone close to Preston, is run by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and has been built using a £20m grant from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal.

Construction on the 4,500 sqm research and innovation facility began in late 2020 and is almost complete, with work underway to install state-of-the-art equipment and get the building ready for staff to move in ahead of an official opening planned for early 2022.

The cutting-edge centre combines sleek, modern office workspace with a flexible high-tech workshop, and a triple-height atrium forms a hub where staff can interact and exchange ideas. A ‘social heart’ space overlooks the workshop area where innovation-led R&D will focus on digital and additive manufacturing, vehicle electrification, battery assembly and lightweighting technologies.

Melissa Conlon, commercial director for AMRC North West, said the new centre will keep Lancashire at the forefront of advanced manufacturing and technologies, and support the region’s regeneration and economic growth.

“Our new building will enable us to scale-up our work with regional stakeholders to help manufacturers in the North West to improve processes, speed up product development and stay competitive by benefitting from new technologies,” she said.

“Our strengths lie in demystifying and derisking the process of adopting Industry 4.0 technologies through research, collaboration and knowledge. By having this fantastic facility rooted in Lancashire, the region’s manufacturers will be able to take advantage of world-class pioneering academic research and translate it into innovative industry-transforming solutions that make a real difference to their businesses.

“Not only will our new home in Samlesbury be a manufacturing research centre but it will also be an open-access technology demonstrator, a 5G testbed, and set the standard for low carbon smart factories to drive inward investment to the region.”

The centre will be equipped with a suite of cutting-edge machines, the first of which have already begun to make their way onto the workshop floor.

Research director James Hughes is delighted to be moving into the state-of-the-art facility, and says its size and scale matches that of the ambitions of the AMRC North West team.

“The journey from concept to reality has been a challenge, however we’re looking forward to a new chapter in the AMRC North West story,” he said. “The new building will allow us to fully showcase the breadth and depth of our research and development technology portfolio in a way that just wasn’t possible previously.

“The team and I are hugely excited that we have the opportunity to show the region exactly what we can do to help manufacturers meet their future challenges.”

AMRC North West has been operating from an interim facility provided by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in the centre of Preston since forming in 2018. The AMRC North West team’s new home is now a gateway development on the Samlesbury Aerospace Enterprise Zone, which is part of the wider Lancashire Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Cluster.

Iain Martin, senior engagement manager for AMRC North West, said: “Completion of the facility brings to a close a long and challenging development period, during which time we have been able to establish our Lancashire presence thanks to the generosity of the University of Central Lancashire playing host to us on their Preston campus.

"Having this base in Preston has enabled us to support more than 200 of Lancashire’s manufacturing SMEs to date through our diverse range of fully-funded support programmes.

“We are now incredibly excited to move into our facility which represents the next step in our journey and a real step-change for manufacturing support in the region.”

Enjoyed this? Read more from Lancashire Business View

Latest news

1

PM urged not to retaliate over tariffs Manufacturing

PM urged not to retaliate over tariffs

03 Apr 2025

2

CMAC Group appoints Matthew Ratcliffe as chief operating officer Matthew Ratcliffe CMAC

CMAC Group appoints Matthew Ratcliffe as chief operating officer

03 Apr 2025

3

For sale signs at The Villa Villa Wrea Green has been brought to market (Image credit: The Villa Wrea Green)

For sale signs at The Villa

02 Apr 2025

4

Montane group expands with new Lancashire hub Anthony Rae Scott Murcott And Adam Lee

Montane group expands with new Lancashire hub

02 Apr 2025

5

Trio of wins for Lancaster brand and digital consultancy Tom Grattan MD and Daniel Wallace

Trio of wins for Lancaster brand and digital consultancy

02 Apr 2025

Pc Prestonmacan Gif980x120 March
Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
Lancashire Net Zero Carbon Conference
Net Zero Carbon Social 1200px
Networking
18 Jun 2025

Lancashire Net Zero Carbon Conference

Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort, Burnley, BB12 0RT

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

RISE - The Academy for Female Leaders and Managers
WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion copy.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
02 Apr 2025 - 08 Oct 2025

RISE - The Academy for Female Leaders and Managers

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:00 - 15:30

Lancashire Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880395853-4862066883-1-original.20241022-091152-2.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
04 Apr 2025 - 04 Apr 2025

Lancashire Business Expo 2025

Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre, Preston, PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
24 Apr 2025 - 24 Apr 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

People Power: Exclusive Event Series
Stay ahead in 2025.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
29 Apr 2025 - 29 Apr 2025

People Power: Exclusive Event Series

People's History Museum, Manchester, M3 3ER

17:00 - 21:00

Planning for the future + navigating Inheritance Tax changes
Planning for the future + navigating Inheritance Tax changes for website.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
01 May 2025 - 01 May 2025

Planning for the future + navigating Inheritance Tax changes

Stanley House Hotel, Mellor, Blackburn, BB2 7NP, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

08:00 - 10:30

A night at the races
1.png.png
LBV Hub Dinners / Balls
02 May 2025 - 02 May 2025

A night at the races

Morecambe FC, Morecambe, LA4 4TB

19:00 - 23:59

Amber River True Bearing quarterly investment seminar
LBV Hub Seminars
22 May 2025 - 22 May 2025

Amber River True Bearing quarterly investment seminar

Cottons Hotel & Spa , Knutsford, WA16 0SU

16:00 - 18:00

Liverpool Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-881365363-4862066883-1-original.20241023-085714.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Awards
23 May 2025 - 23 May 2025

Liverpool Business Expo 2025

Aintree Racecourse , Liverpool , L9 5AS

09:00 - 15:00

National Centre for Remote and Rural Medicine Conference 2025
Remote and Rural 3.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Awards
05 Jun 2025 - 05 Jun 2025

National Centre for Remote and Rural Medicine Conference 2025

North Lakes Hotel and Spa, Penrith, CA11 8QT

09:30 - 17:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more Lbv121 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin