AMRICC Centre aims to put UK Midlands region at the heart of global advanced ceramics
The new facility will enable companies to take innovative ideas and place them on the fast-track into commercial products.
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Currently housed in Stone, Staffordshire, the site is taking delivery of a wide range of next-generation, high-value equipment, to bring together cutting-edge technology under one roof.
This includes adaptable pilot lines, which offer end-to-end capability through all the steps involved in ceramics and advanced ceramics manufacturing, with users of the facility able to access the technology with the support of onsite technicians and scientists.
The centre will also help train the next generation of material scientists by developing new skills and talent in an industrial setting, in conjunction with key university partners.
Eventually, the facility will be moved to the proposed Advanced Ceramics Campus in North Staffordshire’s Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone. It is a key output from the Midlands Industrial Ceramics Group’s (MICG) £18.27mln four-year research programme - funded by UK Research and Innovation.
AMRICC CEO, Dr Cathryn Hickey, says, 'The AMRICC Centre is a landmark project, which will help industry develop, prove and deploy advanced materials much faster and more effectively to meet changing market needs. It will deliver a real competitive advantage for the Midlands and UK economy overall by enabling companies to commercialise new innovation through access to the latest pilot and scale-up capabilities, coupled with the highest level of support to solve key technical challenges.'
Under its remit to provide the ‘go-to centre’ for ceramics commercialisation and give organisations unprecedented opportunities to enter global markets, the facility will operate an open-access model, enabling companies to join through membership of the AMRICC Centre, or on a ‘pay-as-you-go’ basis.