In reaction to the £360m announced by UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt this month, aimed at bolstering the UK’s life sciences and manufacturing sectors, Professor Derrick Holliday, Centre Lead, Driving the Electric Revolution Centres (DER-IC) North East said:
“This investment in British manufacturing and research and development is positive news for the industry and will help to connect the UK research and development (R&D) landscape with the UK manufacturing sector. The UK is a global leader in engineering innovation. Investments such as this support UK industry to capitalise on these strengths and anchor high value engineering in the UK. A strong industrial strategy will support the UK to compete with competitor markets in Europe, America, and Asia.”
About Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centres
Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centres (DER-IC) are a UK-wide network of over 30 Universities and Research and Technology Organisations (RTO).
DER-IC’s mission is to grow UK manufacturing in Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD).
PEMD forms the foundation of critical control and motion technologies across all sectors. From aerospace, to automotive, bulk electrical power transfer, consumer electronics, heating and lighting, marine, off-highway, rail, renewable energy and robotics, PEMD plays a vital enabling role.
By using DER-IC network equipment and capability, supply chain partners can develop and verify manufacturing process and product performance ahead of committing to capital investment, reduce cost and risk of new product introduction (NPI), and achieve a faster time to market.
DER-IC can facilitate targeted introductions to expedite access to the most relevant researchers, engineers, and capability across the partner network, and enables partners to highlight PEMD capability, and link with the national DER-IC network and industry to promote business to business collaboration.
DER-IC was established in 2020. The funding was provided through UK Research and Innovation’s Challenge Fund delivered by Innovate UK. Part of this investment established the UK-wide DER-IC network, led by Newcastle University and operating from regional centres in the North East, the Midlands, the South West and Wales, and Scotland.
The UK-wide DER-IC network, led by Newcastle University, operates from regional centres in the North East, the Midlands, the South West and Wales, and Scotland.
DER-IC supports industry with capabilities that include:
- Product and Manufacturing Process Equipment Design
- Manufacturing Process Development and Optimisation
- Prototype Manufacture and Scale-up Support
- In-Process and End-of-Line Test and Validation
- Material and Component Characterisation
- Electrification Skills Learning and Development
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