New hub will support SMEs in Monklands

A new £900,000 manufacturing innovation centre of excellence is being established to support smalland medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in North Lanarkshire.

The hub will include a training facility including state-of-the-art robotic arms and software, plus free workshops and demonstrations to show how new robotics technologies can be used in various manufacturing environments, and facilities for manufacturing companies to meet and share expertise.

North Lanarkshire Council and partners New College Lanarkshire and Strathclyde University successfully bid for more than £290,000 from the Scottish Government’s advancing manufacturing challenge fund, while the council and college are jointly providing funding of £484,000.

There are 585 manufacturing firms in North Lanarkshire employing 11,200 people – accounting for seven per cent of the area’s total business base and generating more than £2 billion for the local economy.

Council enterprise convener Allan Graham described manufacturing as a “key industry sector in North Lanarkshire’s economy”and said:“This new hub will help small and medium enterprises to modernise, digitise and automate to improve efficiency, boost productivity and grow their exports.

“It will also provide learning opportunities for school pupils to encourage an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics as potential careers.”

The innovation centre will be based at the college’s Motherwell campus and will run until December 2022.

A college spokesperson said:“We’re proud to be collaborating with North Lanarkshire Council and Strathclyde University on a project that has the potential to bring about benefits to the region and local SMEs. The support from the Lanarkshire Further Education Foundation will help ensure the advanced manufacturing hub makes a concrete impact on the delivery of skills development for students and businesses.”