The money will paid over four years to Laing O’Rourke’s Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI). This is a £104m project to develop modular design and manufacturing. The money will go towards new manufacturing facilities and training.
“This grant comes at a critical time for the construction and engineering sector and its supply chain,” said Stephen Harley, director of advanced manufacturing at Laing O’Rourke.
“We estimate that it will create over 600 new, direct jobs and as many as 1,000 across the diverse supply chain. Our consortium of 22 partners integrates the design, manufacturing and assembly construction supply chain with leading research institutions to create a new platform for collaborative innovation.”
Business secretary Vince Cable said: “To have any chance of meeting the demand for affordable homes, the industry must embrace the latest house building technologies and techniques. That’s why I’m delighted to grant £22.1m worth of funding to help the sector do just that. Whether through smart digital design or off-site manufacturing, it’s excellent to see firms like Laing O’Rourke leading by example and laying the foundations for growth.”
Working with Laing O’Rourke on the project are engineers Arup Associates, WSP, Hoare Lea and Fulcro and suppliers Airedale, Armstrong, Beckhoff, Crane, Apex, Grundfos, Hamworthy, British Gypsum (part of the Saint-Gobain group), SIG and Thorn. Also involved are the University of Cambridge, the University Of Sheffield and the Building Research Establishment (BRE).
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