Manufacturing is important to Scotland’s economy, employing over 185,000 people and accounting for over half of our international exports and business research and development. We are establishing the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) as part of our commitment to support and grow our diverse manufacturing base, and to make Scotland a recognised producer as well as consumer of goods.

We want the NMIS to be an industry-led international centre of manufacturing expertise. Industry, research and the public sector will work together to transform skills, productivity and innovation. This will attract investment and make Scotland a global leader in advanced manufacturing. 

The core facilities will be located in Renfrewshire close to Glasgow Airport and the existing Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC). The NMIS will comprise:

• a digital factory to develop the processes and technologies to address companies’ manufacturing challenges or opportunities
• a skills academy to provide advanced manufacturing training and upskilling for individuals at all levels of their career
• a collaborative space to enable companies and their supply chain to work on new projects without disrupting their existing production lines

We have committed £48 million investment in NMIS, which will be managed through Scottish Enterprise, with the University of Strathclyde, who will host the Institute, contributing £8 million. This is in addition to £8.9 million for a Lightweight Manufacturing Centre (LMC) which is the first step in developing NMIS. Companies are able to engage with NMIS through the LMC which is housed in temporary facilities near the NMIS site and through early skills activity like the NMIS Industrial Doctorate Programme.

Underpinning the A Manufacturing Future for Scotland: action plan, NMIS will be at the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS), which will also house the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre. 

NMIS will also connect across Scotland and beyond through outreach agreements with academic institutions. This activity will sit alongside the services and influence delivery partners will bring in ensuring NMIS is accessible to manufacturing businesses of all size and sector in Scotland.