The Manchester Innovation Activities Hub (MIAH), a pioneering, state-of-the-art innovation and electrification skills training facility to power our region’s low carbon economy, has joined forces with DER Industrialisation Centres (DER-IC), a UK-wide network of over 30 Universities and research and technology Organisations
DER-IC, play a vital role in growing UK manufacturing in Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD). PEMD forms the foundation of critical control and motion technologies across all sectors, and next-generation PEMD is essential to the decarbonisation of industrial activity in the UK.
Opening in May 2024, The Manchester Innovation Activities Hub is a £4 million net zero industrialisation and electrification skills training centre. Based in Manchester Science Park, the MIAH aims to support innovative SMEs in Greater Manchester to commercialise and deploy net zero innovations at speed. It can also support the rapid upskilling and reskilling of the workforce SMEs need to scale up including fast-tracking homegrown talent into hard-to-fill occupations in the green tech sector.
To reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, industries of all kinds must move to clean technologies and electrification, The Manchester Innovation Activities Hub will support this by helping businesses in our region to scale, pivot and future-proof their organisation, as well as connecting them with collaborative R&D projects.
Using DER-IC network equipment and capability will allow Greater Manchester businesses to develop and verify new manufacturing processes and product performance ahead of committing to capital investment, reducing the cost and risk of new product introduction (NPI), and achieving a faster time to market. DER-IC can facilitate targeted introductions and open access to the most relevant researchers, engineers, and capabilities across the partner network.
As one of DER-IC’s network partners, MIAH will support the PEMD supply chain in Greater Manchester and across the North West to access collaborative industry-led projects and funding opportunities.
Dr Marilyn Comrie OBE, CEO of MIAH and member of the Greater Manchester Business Board, explains: “Our collaboration with the DER-IC network is the first step in supporting Greater Manchester to become a leader in the low carbon economy, through the design, development, and manufacturing of Power Electronics, Machines and Drives.
“We look forward to working closely with the DER-IC consortium to unlock the economic benefits from PEMD manufacturing for local companies wishing to decarbonise.”
Professor Matt Boyle OBE, Executive Chair of DER-IC, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Manchester Innovation Activities Hub to the Consortium of Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centres. Its commitment to innovation aligns seamlessly with our mission to drive the electric revolution forward. Together, alongside the rest of the DER-IC network, we will help shape the future of electrification, supporting the growth of the UK’s PEMD manufacturing industry.”
