FAST STEP 3 Project a Focus of the Royce Hub Building Opening
Carol Holden, NAA, presented on the role of Royce in the development of the FAST STEP 3 project, with focus on the importance of light-weighting for the Automotive Industry.
FAST STEP 3 attended the formal opening of the Royce Hub building, at the University of Manchester, on 7th September 2021.
The role of the Henry Royce Institute in the development of the FAST STEP 3 project was a key discussion point of the event, with Carol Holden, of Northern Automotive Alliance, presenting on the FS3 vision. The importance of light-weighting for the Automotive Industry was highlighted through keynote speeches which took place on the day.
The formal opening of the 拢105million Royce Hub Building at The University of Manchester was by Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, CEO of .
Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor at The and Dame Julia King, the Baroness Brown of Cambridge and Chair of the , welcomed guests to Royce鈥檚 flagship building at the university and set out the capabilities of the new UK centre for materials research and meeting place for the advanced materials community.
Following a tour of the building鈥檚 laboratories and meeting researchers, Dame Ottoline unveiled a plaque marking the official opening of the Royce Hub Building, which will be the hub to 400 researchers, PhD Students and professional services staff driving research and innovation in advanced materials.
The event also saw an important keynote video message from, The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Secretary of State for , who highlighted the importance of Government investment in innovation and technology translation. The Business Secretary noted that Advanced Materials & Manufacturing is a key technology family of 鈥淯K strength and opportunity鈥, as highlighted in the Government鈥檚 recently announced UK Innovation Strategy: Leading the future by creating it.
The building hosts 拢45million of new state-of-the-art equipment, alongside existing facilities in Manchester for biomedical materials, metals processing, digital fabrication, and sustainable materials research, including the new part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Alongside this is a variety of collaboration spaces for industry engagement, helping to accelerate the development and commercialisation of advanced materials.
During the event, Carol Holden OBE, from the Northern Automotive Alliance presented on the Royce role in industrial innovation and Mia Maric, winner of IOM3 Young Person鈥檚 Lecture Competition talked about her Manchester PhD experience and the benefits of using Royce鈥檚 equipment and expertise in her research.
The Royce Hub Building in Manchester sits at the centre of the Institute鈥檚 national Partnership with eight other leading institutions 鈥 the universities of Cambridge, Imperial College London, Liverpool, Leeds, Oxford, 葫芦影业, the National Nuclear Laboratory, and UKAEA.
Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive said:
鈥淭he Henry Royce Institute will play a key role in the UK鈥檚 research and innovation ecosystem, bringing together industry and academia to connect innovation and discovery in advanced materials, and develop the material science skills needed for the innovation economy.
鈥淭his Institute will deliver impact across the UK 鈥 from the new materials needed to realise our Net Zero ambitions to novel biomaterials for personalised medicine.鈥
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:
鈥淭he UK has a globally competitive advantage in advanced materials and manufacturing and our new Innovation Strategy sets out our ambition to capitalise on our unique capabilities to fire up our economy.
鈥淏acked by government, this new multi-million-pound centre at the Henry Royce Institute will provide state-of-the-art facilities for the UK鈥檚 most innovative researchers to drive forward advanced materials research and commercialise new technologies and products that could help transform whole industries 鈥 from life sciences to renewable energy.鈥
Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor University of Manchester said:
鈥淲e were delighted to welcome Dame Ottoline to the new Royce Hub building, to officially mark its much anticipated opening and to cement the building鈥檚 role as a centre of scientific excellence and a key asset for Manchester and the UK鈥檚 industrial prosperity and success.鈥
Baroness Brown of Cambridge (Julia King), Henry Royce Institute Chair, said:
鈥淩oyce was delighted to welcome the Government鈥檚 recently announced Innovation Strategy, which sets out Advanced Materials and Manufacturing as a key technology, and we stand ready to play a role in its delivery. This new flagship building will not only provide a centre for advanced materials research, critically it will help industry to translate such research into ground-breaking applications for commercial use.鈥
Professor David Knowles, Henry Royce Institute CEO said:
鈥淭he Royce Hub offers a unique combination of materials science expertise, state-of-the-art laboratories and fantastic collaboration space. We can now start working with the whole UK community, developing the next generation of materials scientists, driving innovation with industry and engaging with the public 鈥 supporting the UK in sustainable growth and development.鈥
Professor Philip Withers, Henry Royce Institute Chief Scientist said:
鈥淩esearch and innovation in advanced materials are critical to tackling today鈥檚 global challenges; from decarbonising the energy sector, to delivering major advances in healthcare. This fantastic new Royce Hub Building will be a flagship for the UK, bringing together academia and industry. The research conducted here and across the national Partnership will play an important role in the development of game-changing products and components across a range of UK industries including aerospace, life sciences, chemicals, automotive, next generation nuclear and renewable energy.鈥
The Royce Hub Building and new equipment totalling 拢150 million forms part of the wider 拢235m investment by the part of across Royce鈥檚 national partnership. Investment has also be made by The to support the biomedical materials facility within the building, alongside ERDF funding for the SMI Hub, representing a wider investment of C. 拢330 million.
Royce鈥檚 presence in Manchester extends well beyond the new building; it also has substantial space and equipment in the Alan Turing Building, along with facilities in the National Graphene Institute, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology and at the Dalton Nuclear Institute. Soon it will also extend its reach into the new Manchester Engineering Campus Development 鈥 the MECD 鈥 which is the single largest home for engineering in any UK university.