Henry Brothers’ scope of work includes construction of an engineering hall, a clean room, laboratory spaces, an auditorium and office accommodation as well as external landscaping and mechanical and electrical services.
The Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) is a £100m project led by Queen’s University Belfast in partnership with Ulster University and Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, with support from industry and the UK government and the Northern Ireland Executive.
It is a Belfast Region City Deal project, with 80% of the funding coming from the UK government.
The building itself, to be on the Global Point Business Park in Newtownabbey, is being called the Factory of the Future, while AMIC is the organisation that operates within it.
The aspiration is that AMIC will invigorate Northern Ireland’s industrial potential by offering a specialised environment for advanced manufacturing, materials, and engineering sectors to access the digital, automation and robotics technology.
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Planning permission for the building was given in May, and it’s hoped that construction work at the site can start next spring, with completion in 2026.
Henry Brothers managing director David Henry said: “As one of Northern Ireland’s leading construction companies, we understand how important facilities like these are in addressing the industry-wide skills shortage. Having previously delivered the redevelopment of McClay Library and David Bates buildings at the University, we have an established relationship with Queen’s that we look forward to building on.”
Stuart Elborn, deputy vice-chancellor, Queen’s University, said: “As part of our City Deal programme AMIC will create jobs by supporting local companies to be more competitive on a global scale, attract new investment and ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed for the future.
“Through City Deal we are committed to delivering inclusive growth benefits right across Northern Ireland in terms of productivity, jobs and skills and for the AMIC project we’re delighted to be working with Henry Brothers, a company which shares this ethos.”
The mayor of Antrim & Newtownabbey, Mark Cooper, said: “The appointment of a contractor for AMIC is great news bringing the development a step closer. The council is delighted to support this project with a £10m investment which will see this flagship facility, the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, set for Global Point Newtownabbey. This state-of-the-art centre will act as a catalyst for advanced manufacturing in our borough and will further strengthen the council’s plans to transform Global Point into a world-class hub of advanced manufacturing excellence.”
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