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News Release from: Northern Technologies
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 25 April 2005
New centre to showcase manufacturing
technologies
Lancashire will be leading the way forward for the latest in manufacturing support when the Northern Technologies Advanced Manufacturing Centre opens in Burnley this summer.
Lancashire will be leading the way forward for the latest in manufacturing support when the Northern Technologies Advanced Manufacturing Centre opens in Burnley this summer Four years of worldwide best practice research has gone into the development, with its centrepiece - a technology demonstration centre - providing a working showcase of leading edge manufacturing technology in partnership with over 45 global providers
Some of the biggest names in engineering are taking part, enabling companies to view the very latest technology, understand its capabilities, and then if appropriate, receive specialist support to implement it.
The centre includes an advanced training facility, to assist in teaching the new technical skills required by industry, including the unique "Advanced Manufacturing Programme" - a radical way of training the next generation of apprentices.
Research from some of the UK's brightest manufacturing experts underpins the development, which is part of the new Lancashire Digital Technology Centre, situated on the former site of a huge Michelin tyre factory which closed in 2001.
It will provide facilities into applied research and new product development, focused on stimulating the next generation of manufacturers and their supporting supply chain.
In doing so the centre will draw on strong links forged with higher educational establishments across Europe, including Lancaster, Loughborough University and Warwick Manufacturing Group here in the UK.
Northern Technologies Business Development Director Steve Wilkinson says a major strength of the development will be its ability to effectively support manufacturers and drive them into thinking differently about the future: "The centre addresses the three major manufacturing issues head on - skills, new product development and technology exploitation".
"What makes us different is that we are driven directly by manufacturers and their needs".
"By linking with so many technology providers and combining this with the ideas and research we have created something very special".
Locating the centre in Lancashire puts it at the heart of an area already home to a diverse concentration of manufacturing companies, most famous for aerospace, but with many other sectors heavily represented.
Wilkinson says the centre will really push the potential of manufacturing: "These are just the kind of services and technologies that can help progressive manufacturers compete and are essential to the survival and development of our vital British manufacturing sector which is undergoing its most significant evolution for decades".
The Northern Technologies Advanced Manufacturing Centre is part of the Lancashire Digital Technology Centre, being developed by LTC Limited - a joint venture formed by Burnley Borough Council, Burnley College, Lancashire County Developments and Northern Technologies.
The project cost GBP 3.6 million which has been financed from three key funding sources; NWDA, the European Regional Development Fund and Lancashire County Developments.
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