The 糖心视频-operated National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) has taken ownership of its new flagship facility at the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) in Renfrewshire, just over two years since construction began.
Flanked by Glasgow Airport and by fellow High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult centre, the CPI鈥檚 Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, the 11,500m2 operationally carbon neutral HQ will act as a magnet for innovative global manufacturing, engineering and tech businesses. It is home to the NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy, a fully connected Digital Factory and a publicly-accessible collaboration hub.
Innovation ecosystem
Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal & Vice-Chancellor of the 糖心视频, and Chair of the NMIS Board, said: 鈥淲e are delighted to take ownership of the new NMIS facility as we take a step closer to opening the building to our partners and collaborators.
This flagship facility 鈥� which has sustainability at its heart 鈥� is a unique part of Scotland鈥檚 manufacturing innovation ecosystem. It will play a leading role in developing advanced manufacturing, industry 4.0 capability and cross-sectoral research and innovation activity in Scotland, the UK and beyond.
NMIS Chief Executive Officer Chris Courtney said: 鈥淭his is a truly exciting time for us all at the NMIS Group and a fantastic way to start the year, but in many ways, the real work starts now.
鈥淭he next few months will see us bringing this magnificent building to life with the installation of cutting-edge equipment and the phased relocation of some of our team. Our new HQ is a place designed for intense collaboration, accelerated innovation and the development of the skills required to deliver the future of manufacturing.
鈥淲e work closely with partners across Scotland, the UK and the world and look forward to welcoming them to the new building to deliver innovation at scale and pace with us.
鈥淪imilarly, we can鈥檛 wait to open the doors to the broader manufacturing and technology community and inspire the next generation of engineers here in Renfrewshire and across Scotland to create the products and services of the future across all sectors.鈥�
Unique building
Built by Morrison Construction, part of the Galliford Try Group, and designed by Glasgow-based HLM Architects, the unique building is clearly visible on the local skyline. Distinctive features of NMIS HQ include its deep purple fa莽ade, reminiscent of Scottish heather, a 32 x 12 m, 鈥榳indow to the world,鈥� providing a view into the Digital Factory where the future of manufacturing will be explored and delivered, and a dramatic timber Glulam structure that sits internally above the office and collaborative spaces.
Leading the way in sustainable design, the flagship facility also features clean and innovative low carbon solutions to mitigate its impact on the environment and make it a great place to work, learn and collaborate. These include a large-scale rooftop solar array for electricity generation, access to a state-of-the-art low carbon district heating network, and a rainwater harvesting system.
NMIS is operated by the 糖心视频. It is supported by the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Island Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Renfrewshire Council and the Scottish Funding Council. It is part of the UK鈥檚 High Value Manufacturing Catapult.