THE £20m advanced manufacturing centre in Broughton will provide businesses with a new level of support and be a 'catalyst' for growth and jobs in Deeside, economy minister Ken Skates has said.

During a visit with the Deeside Enterprise Zone Board to see construction progress of the advanced manufacturing research centre, officially known as AMRC Cymru, the minister emphasised the development will support the many high quality small, medium and large enterprises in the area. This is as well as ensuring stronger and more entrepreneurial collaboration between industry and academia.

Construction began on the facility in May 2018 and is scheduled to be completed in the autumn.

Airbus will be the first major tenant at AMRC Cymru which will be a platform to develop next generation wing technologies aligned to the ‘Wing of Tomorrow’ as part of a global Airbus investment in research and innovation.

The Leader:

It is predicted the new centre could increase GVA (gross value added) to the Welsh economy by as much as £4 billion over the next 20 years.

Last month, Mr Skates announced that current Principal of Coleg Cambria and Chair of the Deeside Enterprise Zone, David Jones OBE will chair the Local Advisory Board for six months which will provide oversight on the activities and performance of AMRC Cymru.

The Leader:

Following his visit, Mr Skates said: “I’ve been pleased to see that construction is progressing well on AMRC Cymru which will deliver cutting edge advanced manufacturing research on an industrial scale.

“I have said before the new centre will be a game-changer and I firmly believe that. It’s all set to be a fantastic building which will be a catalyst for driving innovation and productivity across the supply chain and provide a real boost for economic growth.

“The Deeside Enterprise Zone is a hotbed for manufacturing in North Wales and AMRC Cymru will be a feather in the cap for the region. I look forward to seeing further progress over the coming months before its completion later this year.”