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The University of Birmingham, in partnership with Willmott Dixon , have celebrated the start of development of a new School of Engineering building. The ground breaking ceremony of the building, designed by Associated Architects , marked the first step in the creation of the facility is being developed alongside the new UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) Centre of Excellence for Digital Systems. Completing in 2020, the building will bring together many different engineering disciplines into one state-of-the-art space. It will provide different and more flexible ways of working for both staff and students, training the next generation of engineers. Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Birmingham Professor Andy Schofield carried out the ceremonial duties. He said: "It is an honour to be able to break ground on this project, which underlines our commitment to providing a first class education to engineering undergraduate and postgraduate students in the context of a cutting-edge research environment. The connection with industry, exemplified by the UKRRIN Centre of Excellence for Digital Systems, will enhance the impact of our research and contribute to the development of new discoveries.