Ground-breaking for flagship manufacturing research facility starts on site

A ground-breaking ceremony on Thursday 10 November marked the start of work to build a pioneering Advanced Manufacturing Building for The University of Nottingham that will help to shape the future of the UK manufacturing sector. Midlands-based G F Tomlinson has been awarded the contract to build a state-of-the-art 9,011m2 training and research facility on a former brownfield site located within the University's Jubilee Campus. The new building will be an expansion of the University's Faculty of Engineering, creating teaching spaces, laboratories, modern workshops and offices for research activities, including nano-scale production, robotics and large-scale aerospace demonstrator components. Professor Andy Long , Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Engineering at the University, said: "The new facility will host several world-leading research groups and accommodate some of the most advanced manufacturing technologies related to automation, precision manufacturing, 3D printing and light weight composite materials. "It will also house our flagship Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre in Manufacturing Technology. This faculty will allow for diverse engineering and science disciplines to collaborate and contribute to pioneering developments for a range of sectors including aerospace, automotive, marine, energy generation, food and drink, chemical products and pharmaceuticals, helping to underpin the economy at both a regional and national level." Andrew Sewards, managing director for G F Tomlinson, said: "This scheme truly demonstrates the University of Nottingham's position as a beacon in manufacturing research.