Celebrating 25 years of manufacturing impact, from local communities to global innovation.
Our first chapter - 2001
What started with a brave and bold idea - to build a bridge between the research happening in university labs and the practical needs of production lines - has become a global model for how research-led innovation can regenerate communities and use advanced manufacturing as an economic engine to create wealth and jobs.
In 2001, Professor Keith Ridgway and local businessman Adrian Allen formed an audacious partnership between the University of Sheffield and Boeing on the site of the former Orgreave Colliery and coking works, which then was little more than a scar of industrial decline synonymous with striking miners.
From a slag heap, one SME and the backing of Boeing, a world-class innovation cluster was built that has become a national asset and jewel in the crown of UK innovation.
We started with a team of eight people. The aim was always to use the research in machining as a way of creating wealth in a depressed region.
From one SME, a slag heap and the backing of Boeing, we have built a world-class innovation cluster that has become a jewel in the crown of UK innovation, bringing together academia, global industry leaders and supply chains to collaborate and solve complex challenges that are transforming manufacturing and driving economic growth.
Great manufacturing does not happen in isolation. You need collaboration.
Our deep, long-term partnerships last the distance and connect global giants, national research networks, local supply chains and talent pipelines to make things better UK manufacturing.
As a proud founding member of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, we collaborate with industry leaders to de-risk innovation and investments and trial cutting-edge technologies before they touch the shop floor.
More than 1,000 businesses directly benefit from our collaborations every year.
Innovation transforms bold and brilliant ideas into industrial reality.
At the AMRC, it has helped rewrite the story for South Yorkshire.
The innovation ecosystem we have built over 25 years persuaded McLaren to invest £50m in a new Composites Technology Centre here, convinced Boeing to invest £40m putting its first European factory in Sheffield, and helped a local hand tool maker save 150 work days a year and keep production in the UK.
Our success is measured by the prosperity we create. Our mission for 25 years has been to improve productivity, attract inward investment, nurture the next generation of talent and boost regional economies. And not just in South Yorkshire but across Wales and Lancashire too.
Great manufacturing does not happen in isolation. You need collaboration.
Our deep, long-term partnerships last the distance and connect global giants, national research networks, local supply chains and talent pipelines to make things better UK manufacturing.
As a proud founding member of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, we collaborate with industry leaders to de-risk innovation and investments and trial cutting-edge technologies before they touch the shop floor.
More than 1,000 businesses directly benefit from our collaborations every year.
Innovation transforms bold and brilliant ideas into industrial reality.
At the AMRC, it has helped rewrite the story for South Yorkshire.
The innovation ecosystem we have built over 25 years persuaded McLaren to invest £50m in a new Composites Technology Centre here, convinced Boeing to invest £40m putting its first European factory in Sheffield, and helped a local hand tool maker save 150 work days a year and keep production in the UK.
Our success is measured by the prosperity we create. Our mission for 25 years has been to improve productivity, attract inward investment, nurture the next generation of talent and boost regional economies. And not just in South Yorkshire but across Wales and Lancashire too.
Our stories
Hear from some of the brilliant people who make the AMRC what it is today.
“I saw a whole other world at the AMRC and instantly knew I wanted to be part of it.”
"When I get on a plane I often think: I was potentially involved in this."
"Whether it’s small modular reactors, defence, or aerospace, there’s a huge opportunity around the corner. We’re ready to lead on the next big breakthrough."
Impact
Our research, collaboration and innovation doesn’t just change products or processes, it transforms lives. This is how our 25 years of the AMRC translates into real-world economic growth, job creation and talent development.
The evidence
Here’s some of our most significant project and technology achievements the past 25 years.
Our partners
Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what our partners say.
“I saw a whole other world at the AMRC and instantly knew I wanted to be part of it.”
"When I get on a plane I often think: I was potentially involved in this."
"Whether it’s small modular reactors, defence, or aerospace, there’s a huge opportunity around the corner. We’re ready to lead on the next big breakthrough."
Our future
Beyond
For 25 years, the AMRC has proven that when academia and industry unite, boundaries disappear.
As we look to our next quarter-century, our new COMPASS facility will drive the UK's modern Industrial Strategy, cementing our role as the trusted partner for national growth and sovereign capabilities.
