Leading-edge engineering test centre planned for Alconbury Enterprise Campus as part of the new Growth Deal

Parliamentary Under Secretary for Communities and Local Government, Stephen Williams MP, announced today (Monday 7 July) that the Government’s Growth Deal will support the launch of a new engineering test centre at Alconbury Enterprise Campus in north-west Cambridgeshire. The planned TWI (The Welding Institute) centre will complement the company’s activities at its headquarters at Granta Park, Cambridge – which includes the National Structural Integrity Research Centre – and its regional offices in Middlesbrough, Rotherham, Port Talbot and Aberdeen, allowing full-scale testing and validation under harsh environmental conditions of large structures and components in support of a range of industry sectors including oil and gas, energy, aerospace and rail transport.The facility will have both regional and global significance in terms of boosting engineering research activity in the County, and meeting the needs of international organisations looking to ensure the safe operation of their complex engineering structures.  Aamir Khalid, Director of Technology at TWI, said:

"The good news about the Growth Deal funding for Alconbury means that we will be able to extend our work in structural integrity on a far greater scale, developing new approaches and test procedures, and presenting opportunities for companies to innovate within a highly specialised engineering test environment."

Nigel Hugill, Executive Chairman of Urban&Civic, the owners and developers of Alconbury Enterprise Campus, said:

"This is wonderful news at every level.  Leading edge advancement, combined with a relentless determination to innovate is what defines the region.  These attributes could not have been articulated more clearly by LEP colleagues in successfully making the Growth Deal case.  In our turn at Alconbury, we will work collaboratively to build the best research and testing facility for TWI and continue to support and develop the growing R&D community at Alconbury Campus.”

The TWI test centre will create around 60 high-value engineering jobs, and will promote development and growth for regional small and medium-sized companies involved in equipment manufacture or in engineering production. The Growth Deal will also see a Technical & Vocational Centre at Alconbury Enterprise Campus focussing on engineering technical expertise and the built environment.

Background Information on TWITWI is one of the world’s foremost independent research and technology organisations, with expertise in solving problems in all aspects of manufacturing, fabrication and whole-life integrity management technologies. Established at Abington, Cambridge, UK in 1946 and with facilities across the globe, the company has a first-class reputation for service through its teams of internationally respected consultants, scientists, engineers and support staff. The company employs over nearly 900 staff, serving 700 Member companies across 4500 sites in 80 countries. TWI also houses a professional institution, The Welding Institute, with a separate membership of over 6000 individuals. For more information visit www.twi-global.com    

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