Industry minister cuts ribbon on AMRC's Samlesbury site

Government minister Lee Rowley has officially opened AMRC North West's new £20m research and development facility in Samlesbury.

The applied research centre sits at the heart of the Samlesbury Aerospace Enterprise Zone and was built using a £20m grant from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal.

The state-of-the-art research centre combines office workspace with a flexible high-tech workshop facility. Core R&D capabilities include additive and digital manufacturing, batteries and automation, 5G for manufacturing, robotics, autonomous manufacturing processes and systems, and low-carbon technologies.

The opening of the facility was conducted by Lee Rowley, minister for industry at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, who was accompanied by Professor Koen Lamberts, president and vice-chancellor at the University of Sheffield, and Debbie Francis, chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership.

Lee Rowley said: "This world-leading hub of research and development is precisely what will keep the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector ahead of the pack. Not only will it help businesses unlock key productivity and sustainability gains, it will also drive our ambition to level up across the North West by supporting economic growth and jobs.”