A new £43m centre dubbed Factory 2050 is to be built at Sheffield Business Park after planning permission was approved by the city’s council.
The centre has been designed as a centre of excellence for Advanced Manufacturing, combining technologies including advanced robotics, 3D printing from flexible automated systems and new programming and training tools.
It will be built by Sheffield University and is to be situated behind the AMRC and AMP, solidifying the academic institution at the site.
Since the first university building opened there in 2004, four further new buildings and two extensions have been added to provide a current total of around 30,000m2 of accommodation.
A university spokesperson said: “The new location, sited directly opposite the existing developments on the other side of the Parkway, will help to secure Sheffield’s place at the heart of advanced manufacturing in the UK and as a key player on the global stage.”
Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts said in a statement: ‘Over the last decade we’ve seen the enormous impact of the University’s active involvement in advanced manufacturing, creating high quality jobs and hundreds of new opportunities for apprenticeships, as well as attracting some of the world’s best known aerospace and engineering companies to work and invest here.
He continued: “The planning approval represents a real step forward in moving this vital activity to the next level, and giving the City Region the opportunity to further its reputation as a leading force in advanced manufacturing, not just at UK level, but on the global stage.
