Fri, 11 October, 2019
Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry MP visited TWI Technology Centre North East in Middlesbrough to unveil a new £8 million project to build a Centre for Materials Integrity on the Tees Advanced Manufacturing Park (TeesAMP) site.
The minister was joined by TWI’s Director of Innovation and Skills, Professor Tat-Hean Gan, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, and Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston.
The new research facility will build on TWI’s existing expertise to provide specialist knowledge, equipment and laboratory space to support regional SMEs and other companies to develop, validate and commercialise new inspection technologies and apply advanced inspection techniques to new applications.
The facility will focus on the safe use and inspection of materials for industrial applications, and will offer materials testing and research to underpin this work while also developing new technologies to create a sustainable regional research resource.
The project is receiving £4,054,821 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund, along with £500,000 from the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s Local Growth Fund allocation. The rest of the funding for the project will come from private sector contributions.
Speaking on the project, Mayor Houchen said, “I’m delighted to be helping launch this brilliant new facility for TWI. It is a world-class organisation that contributes significantly to the Tees Valley’s formidable reputation for research and innovation.”
TWI’s Prof Tat-Hean Gan added, “We are delighted to be able to announce this project for the expansion of our facilities here in the Tees Valley. The research and innovation that we’re able to carry out here is already world-leading and that’s down to the knowledge and highly skilled workforce available to us. The investment in our new facility will allow us to expand further, creating more high value research led jobs.”
The Centre for Materials Integrity is receiving up to £4,054,821 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, The European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations.
For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding