The Government's £22.6m boost for Rochdale's "game changing" Advanced Machinery and Productivity Institute (AMPI) has been described as "fantastic" news.
The funding for the scheme set to create over 1,000 jobs and transform the borough into a major centre of activity for advanced machinery was announced yesterday as part of the Government's Innovation Strategy.
Announced by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, the strategy sets out the plan to make the 海角视频 a world-leader in science, research and innovation.
READ MORE: $8m raised by California AI firm Zone7 back by Manchester United's Phil Jones
The Kingsway Business Park-based AMPI, which received a further £23.6m from the Towns Fund earlier this year, will create "the new machines, technology and people needed to manufacture tomorrow's products" - and employ more than 1,000 people.
Juergen Maier, Joanne Roney and Councillor Neil Emmott all welcomed the news.
Mr Maier, chair of the Greater Manchester Graphene, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Alliance (GAMMA) and Innovation Greater Manchester steering group member, said: “We welcome the plans outlined by the Government, which recognise innovation must be at the forefront of our plan for growth.
“It is fantastic to see the AMPI receiving further support. The AMPI will create a centre of manufacturing excellence in and around Rochdale, and will be a major asset for the manufacturing sector in the wider North. It is a prime example of what can be achieved when partners from industry, academia and local and national government work together.
Most Read
“The Prime Minister said in his Levelling Up speech that areas should come forward with a plan underpinned by strong, accountable leadership – that is exactly what we are doing through AMPI and the wider Innovation Greater Manchester vision.”
Don't miss a thing - sign up for your free North West newsletter - and follow us on LinkedIn
Email newsletters
BusinessLive is your home for business news from around the North West- and you can stay in touch with all the latest news from Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria through our email alerts.
You can sign up to receive daily morning news bulletins from every region we cover and to weekly email bulletins covering key economic sectors from manufacturing to technology and enterprise. And we'll send out breaking news alerts for any stories we think you can't miss.
Visit our email preference centre to sign up to all the latest news from BusinessLive.
For all the latest stories, views, polls and more - and the news as it breaks - .
Ms Roney, Greater Manchester Combined Authority's lead chief executive for economy, added: “Supporting innovation will be crucial to our national ambitions of levelling up the country and sustaining the economic recovery beyond the pandemic.
“To fulfil the ambitions it has set out, the Government must commit to working closely with regional partners to ensure places can reach their full potential. Innovation Greater Manchester is our blueprint for harnessing the innovation that already goes on – a dynamic partnership driving benefit from the research excellence of our universities and creating new high-quality employment across the city-region.
“From the Industrial Revolution through to the development of graphene, Greater Manchester has been a global centre for advances in science and technology. Today we have world-class assets in areas like health innovation and advanced materials, as well as digital and low carbon, and stand ready to support the jobs and industries of the future.”
Latest Greater Manchester Business News
Describing the AMPI project as "game changing", Cllr Emmott, leader of Rochdale Council, said: “These types of projects are often the preserve of big cities, but from our days as a global leader in the textile trade, we’ve always liked to do things differently here.
"That’s why we’re working hard through our growth plan to futureproof our economy and keep bringing those new and rare opportunities into the borough.
Don’t miss
“I’m proud that the council, Rochdale Development Agency, local businesses and education partners have worked together with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the National Physical Laboratory to make this project a reality.
"It has been an incredible boroughwide effort, but its impact will be felt on a regional and national scale.”