Greater Manchester low carbon industry training facility partners with UK universities and research consortium

A new skills training facility set to open later in 2024 to support Greater Manchester’s low carbon economy has announced a partnership with a consortium of over 30 UK universities and research organisations.

Due to open in May 2024, the Manchester Innovation Activities Hub (MIAH) is a £4 million net zero industrialisation and electrification skills training centre that will is support Greater Manchester SMEs in the green tech sector to bring new innovations to market and upskill the local workforce.

MIAH, based at Manchester Science Park near the University of Manchester’s Oxford Road campus, has ahead of its launch, agreed a partnership with DER Industrialisation Centres (DER-IC), a UK-wide network of over 30 universities and research organisations, which is supporting Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD) technology which is essential to low carbon industrial activity.

As one of DER-IC’s network partners, MIAH will support the PEMD supply chain in Greater Manchester and across the North West to access collaborative industry-led projects and funding opportunities. Greater Manchester businesses will also be able to use DER-IC network equipment and capabilities to verify new low-carbon processes, reducing the cost and risk of investment in bringing new products to market.

Dr Marilyn Comrie OBE, CEO of MIAH and member of the Greater Manchester Business Board, said:

“Our collaboration with the DER-IC network is the first step in supporting Greater Manchester to become a leader in the low carbon economy, through the design, development, and manufacturing of Power Electronics, Machines and Drives.

“We look forward to working closely with the DER-IC consortium to unlock the economic benefits from PEMD manufacturing for local companies wishing to decarbonise.”

Professor Matt Boyle OBE, Executive Chair of DER-IC, said:

“I am thrilled to welcome Manchester Innovation Activities Hub to the Consortium of Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centres. Its commitment to innovation aligns seamlessly with our mission to drive the electric revolution forward. Together, alongside the rest of the DER-IC network, we will help shape the future of electrification, supporting the growth of the UK’s PEMD manufacturing industry.”