Sheffield University research campus set for take off

The three research facilities will form part of an advanced manufacturing campus being planned by Sheffield University on the former Sheffield City Airport.

The Faculty of Engineering has submitted plans for a Translational Centre specialising in 3D printing, the Integrated Civil and Infrastructure Research Centre which will focus on robotics and construction and The Laboratory for Validation and Verification, for structural research.

The plans will go before Sheffield City Council’s planning committee on June 29.

If approved, the buildings are set to go next to the university’s £46m Factory 2050 research building which is itself set to have an extension.

The proposals also include an Energy Centre to power the campus.

University plans state it could create 1,800 jobs, and pump £74.2m annually into the local economy.

Dubbed AMRC2, it will be the latest in a line of research centres, following the original Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre on the other side of the Parkway, which now sits within the Advanced Manufacturing Park, home to more than 40 hi-tech companies.

Together they will form the nucleus of an emerging Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District, Europe’s largest research-led cluster of businesses and science research facilities.

A university spokeswoman said: “Like the other Sheffield University research buildings, these proposals started with a vision to create a world-class community where research, design and training interact to put technology into practice.

“This would result in an environment which attracts and develops the best personnel bringing with it jobs, wealth and prestige for the UK.

“The aims are to increase interaction between the university sector and manufacturing businesses, as well as securing further inward investment on Sheffield Business Park and surrounding area resulting from the concentration of R&D facilities.”