Work has started on a new nuclear research facility which will create a combined total 164 jobs in the East Midlands
Around £15 million is going into building the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) Midlands, at Infinity Park Derby.
It will bring industry and academia together to help companies develop new ways to win work in the nuclear sector.
Some 94 jobs will be created during the construction phase with a further 70 in the first five years of operation.
Infinity Park Derby is being built as part of a partnership between Derby City Council, Wilson Bowden Developments, Peveril Securities, the Harpur Crewe Estate, and Rolls Royce.
It is getting more than £9 million of funding from the D2N2 local enterprise partnership and it is hoped will support 100 companies in its first five years through the Fit For Nuclear supply chain development programme.
The near 47,000 sq ft research facility is set for completion within a year and will benefit from its proximity to Rolls-Royce – which is working on mini-nuclear power stations around a tenth of the size of conventional nuclear plants, which could one day generate enough power for around one million homes.
It is also within 20 minutes’ drive of global manufacturers Toyota, Alstom and JCB, and will benefit from a proposed new £60 million junction on the A50, speeding up routes leading to the M1 and neighbouring towns and cities.
Development of the new Nuclear AMRC Midlands facility within an Enterprise Zone follows a successful pilot programme at Infinity Park’s Connect iHub, which is now home to 15 engineers and support staff collaborating between the University of Derby and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire companies.
Nick Richardson is IPD development partner with the Barratt Developments commercial property subsidiary Wilson Bowden.
He said: “Based on current levels of interest in the Nuclear AMRC Midland’s facility, it is highly likely to make Infinity Park Derby the preferred location for future manufacturers seeking close proximity to a research and development hub, a thriving local economy and a skilled workforce.”
Elizabeth Fagan CBE, who chairs D2N2, said: "Our region has a long and proud history of powering the nation.
“Our investments into Infinity Park and the Nuclear AMRC will play a critical role in developing clusters of highly productive and sustainable businesses that will drive the UK's green revolution.
“Developing energy technologies, like nuclear, will play a crucial role in delivering the UK's zero-carbon ambitions and ensuring we generate clean and sustainable energy for our future generations."
