Technology and Innovation Centres will 'stimulate rebalancing of economy'

Technology and Strategy Board aims to create thriving UK manufacturing industry as first new centre opens its doors

The first of the government's new Technology and Innovation Centres will help to create a “thriving UK manufacturing industry”, the Technology Strategy Board has said.

The first Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC), dedicated to high value manufacturing, opened its doors to business this week. Speaking at the Technology Strategy Board's Innovate 11 exhibition and conference in London, Clive Hickman, chief executive of the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry, said the centres would help to achieve the government's aim of rebalancing the economy in favour of manufacturing. “The balance of the economy needs a new stimulus – this is it.”

He added: “The result [of the TIC] will be a thriving UK manufacturing industry built on world-leading technology and innovation.”

Hickman's organisation is one of seven making up the new high value manufacturing TIC. The others are the Advanced Forming Research Centre (University of Strathclyde); the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (University of Sheffield); the Centre for Process Innovation (Wilton & Sedgefield); the National Composites Centre (University of Bristol); the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (University of Manchester and Sheffield); and Warwick Manufacturing Group (University of Warwick).

The concept of TICs was developed in the wake of the Dyson and Hauser reports into innovation published by the Conservatives and the previous government respectively. They are modelled on Germany's Fraunhofer Institutes, which have been instrumental in commercialising research and innovation in that country since the Second World War. The TSB will be investing £140 million over a six-year period in the centre, which it said would “stimulate manufacturing in the UK, reduce the risk of innovation for new and established UK manufacturing businesses and attract international business to the UK”. The new centre in high value manufacturing is the first of at least six TICs which are expected to be established by April 2013.

Manufacturing makes up some 12% of GDP but 20 years ago it had twice the share. It is hoped the TICs will help stimulate manufacturing in key high value-added areas such as nuclear new-build, civil aerospace engines, plastic electronics, composites and electric vehicles. The centres will have a “strong business focus and look to bring products to market”, Hickman said. Business would fund development project and programmes in collaboration with the TICs, which will retain a core of public funding. In Germany, about 70% of the research work carried out by the Fraunhofers is funded by business. Funding would be used to develop the capital assets of the centres such as new advanced machinery.