National Manufacturing Institute Scotland

The National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland (NMIS) will provide support for manufacturing businesses, help to attract investment and connect all of Scotland’s engineering Universities and Colleges.

The vision is for the NMIS to be an industry-led centre of manufacturing expertise where research, industry and the public sector work together to transform skills, productivity and innovation to attract investment and make Scotland a global leader in advanced manufacturing. This will include the establishment of a new joint Centre for Manufacturing Excellence and Skills Academy to provide businesses with access to expert services, advanced demonstrator facilities and training programmes focused on innovative manufacturing. It will also create an investment sector hub and develop strong connections with Scotland’s engineering universities and colleges; helping to develop manufacturing skillsets in the local industry.

The NMIS facility will comprise four principal elements:

• Digital Factory 2050 (DF2050) – Industry led centre for collaborative manufacturing research, technology and solution development,

• Innovation Collaboratory (IC) – Industry-led centre for manufacturing technology application and process development,

• Manufacturing Skills Academy (MSA) – Scotland’s hub for manufacturing skills and education linking to existing and future providers,

• The “Forum” –  NMIS interface with the wider GAIA site plus access to on-site financial advice, business support and links to external organisations.

At the very core of the building “The Forum” plays three distinct roles: First, it will be the NMIS interface to associated business support services and will be the gateway through which NMIS’s specialisms can interact with external groups. Second, it will host providers of on-site financial advice and business support through providing links to external organisations such as schools, Zero Waste Scotland, Scottish Institute for Re-Manufacture and the One Scotland Partners. Third, it will provide a “meeting point” for residents of the AMID site, where they can collaborate, meet and network with each other and with NMIS staff. It will have a work café, bookable meeting spaces and other network supporting facilities.

In essence, this facility is about creating an open and collaborative environment where knowledge and creativity can be shared. It should be an exemplar project for the best of Scottish construction technology and engineering, demonstrating new technologies and methodologies. Located at the heart of the new Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS), it should act as a catalyst for future development attracting world leading companies and institutions involved at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing.

External visuals by Dalgety Design