The University of Sheffield has signed a deal to secure 50 acres of land at Sheffield Business Park – a move which will support the progress of exciting plans to create a critical mass of hi-tech, advanced manufacturing businesses along the Parkway corridor.

The first development on the new site will be Factory 2050, a stunning circular building which will combine a range of technologies, including advanced robotics, flexible automation, unmanned workspace, off-line printing in virtual environments linked to plug-and-play robotics, 3D printing from flexible automated systems, man-machine interfaces, and new programming and training tools.

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The planned developments will build on the success of the University of Sheffield's investment in the original Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Catcliffe. Since the original building opened in 2004, four further new buildings and two extensions have been added to provide a current total of around 30,000 sq. m of accommodation.

The new location – sited directly opposite the existing developments on the other side of the Parkway – will help to secure Sheffield's place at the heart of advanced manufacturing in the UK and as a key player on the global stage.

Plans for Factory 2050 were submitted to Sheffield City Council at the end of January and a decision is expected by April. A detailed master plan for the entire 50 acres will be submitted to Sheffield City Council's planning department in the Spring.

(CD)