£6.85m nuclear win for Derby

The Government has agreed a £6.85m investment to help create a new permanent home for the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre on Infinity Park Derby, creating 70 new roles.

The scheme was submitted by Bondholder Derby City Council and supported by fellow Bondholder D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership as a priority for the area and the investment follows yesterday’s announcement of £12m towards the creation of the SmartParc.

Nuclear AMRC helps companies develop new techniques and processes to win work in the nuclear sector and tackle manufacturing challenges in automotive, rail, aerospace, renewable energy and other high-value sectors.

The site will also become a base for Bondholder the University of Derby’s Institute of Innovation in Sustainable Engineering.

Derby City Council Leader, Chris Poulter said the Government’s funding commitment was a huge vote of confidence in the city’s economic recovery strategy: “Throughout the past four months we have been doing all we can to support existing businesses but also looking at opportunities for the future – to diversify our economy, to improve our environmental credentials and to make Derby a brilliant place to live and work.”

The £20m initiative follows the success of a pilot project run by NAMRC over the past 18 months after it took space at fellow Bondholder Connect Derby’s iHub on Infinity Park in February last year. It has since worked on projects with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Sellafield nuclear plant and has collaborated with East Midlands universities on renewable energy and decarbonising transport initiatives.

It is part of the Government-supported High-Value Manufacturing Catapult, which bridges the gap between industry and academia to bring innovative ideas into commercial reality.

The University of Derby’s Institute of Innovation in Sustainable Engineering, has developed an international reputation for innovation in design, manufacturing, product lifecycle management and the application of new and smart materials. It has built a successful track record of delivering projects to businesses, both regionally and nationally, and has also established a number of strategic partnerships with institutions across Europe, the USA and Asia.

Bondholder D2N2 Local Enterprise Parnership helped secure the funding for the project. Interim Chair, David Williams, said: “We are delighted to contribute towards the development of both the Smartparc and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre via the Getting Building Fund as part of the wider Covid-19 recovery plan for Derby. We will work closely with Derby City Council in the coming months as a final business case is brought forward.”