Work will start next month on a £43m advanced manufacturing facility in Sheffield that aims to become the “world’s most advanced factory” on its 2015 completion.
Factory 2050 — to be built on a new Advanced Manufacturing Campus at Sheffield Business Park — is the latest trans-Atlantic collaboration between the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and the American aerospace group Boeing.
The project is backed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Higher Education Funding Council for Englan, which brings together Government, business and academics to create the state-of-the-art research facility.
Reading-based construction firm Interserve has now been appointed to build the circular Factory 2050 which will ultimately combine several technologies including advanced robotics, flexible automation, unmanned workspace and off-line programming in virtual environments linked to plug-and-play robotics.
“Our ambition is for Factory 2050 to be the most advanced factory in the world,” explained Professor Keith Ridgway, executive dean of AMRC.
“The start on site for Factory 2050 represented an important milestone in the continuing development of cutting edge technology in the region,” he said. “Over the last 10 years, our initial vision of creating a centre where engineering research is translated into real practical applications for world-leading industries has been hugely successful.
“Factory 2050 is a vital next step in ensuring we can maximise the opportunities and benefits to the Sheffield city region and secure our place as an international centre for excellence in advanced manufacturing, and it will be very exciting to see the development take shape over the coming months.”
John Gittins is Yorkshire divisional director at Interserve. “This isn’t just another project for Interserve, it is the opportunity to work on a truly world class project that will help to ensure the region remains at the forefront of the advanced manufacturing sector,” he commented.
“The building design is unique and the completed project will provide a superb environment for both researchers and engineers. During the construction phase we will adopt a considerate approach as always to minimise disruption and keep all stakeholders updated in respect of project progress.”
One of the company’s policies is to use and involve local firms throughout the project. “We plan to enlist as many small and medium-sized local businesses as we can on the project and generate as many employment and training opportunities as possible to provide a real legacy for the surrounding area,” said Interserve’s managing director for UK Building, Gordon Kew.
Situated directly opposite Sheffield Business Park’s existing developments, the University of Sheffield has already signed a deal to secure a total of 50 acres of land at the park, a move it hopes will create a critical mass of high-tech, advanced manufacturing businesses along the city’s Parkway corridor.
