The Coventry-based MTC is to open a new manufacturing technology centre in Liverpool to support manufacturing growth and innovation in the region.
The MTC will be establishing its new facility, with a staff of more than 60 at Liverpool Science Park (LSP), which sits within Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool). It will be one of the biggest lettings for the science park in more than five years.
The MTC has had a presence on the Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) campus for the last four years but following a significant expansion of its operations it is moving to a larger 4,750 sq ft facility on the LSP campus.
Dr Charlie Whitford, associate director for strategic development at the MTC, said: “We are excited to be expanding our footprint in Liverpool and broadening our services and support for the wider North West, supporting skills, productivity and growth in the region.”
He added: “For the past four years we have been located on the LJMU campus. We are looking forward to continuing our work with Liverpool John Moores, as well as working with the University of Liverpool and other regional stakeholders to help manufacturers in the North West region stay competitive, improve product development and processes, and benefit from new technologies, taking academic research and translating it into innovative manufacturing solutions for industry.”
Mark Power, vice-chancellor at Liverpool LJMU, said, “As soon as we heard that the MTC was looking for additional space we knew that Knowledge Quarter Liverpool – and more specifically Liverpool Science Park – was the perfect place for them. In previous years lettings of this calibre would have gone to a competing city, but Liverpool’s Knowledge Economy is going from strength to strength and this deal with the MTC absolutely confirms that.”
The MTC’s Liverpool team is already working on a wide range of projects and a new laboratory is planned for the LSP facility. This will allow businesses to test processes in a de-risked environment. Among other areas it will specialise in measuring human physical and emotional responses and behaviour when working with technology and advanced manufacturing processes.
Founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI Ltd, the MTC’s industrial members include some of the UK’s major global manufacturers.
The MTC aims to provide a competitive environment to bridge the gap between university-based research and the development of innovative manufacturing solutions, in line with the Government’s manufacturing strategy. The MTC is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK.
