Two of the world's leading producers of speciality metals have joined forces with the University of Strathclyde on a multi-million pound research centre which will open in Glasgow later this year.
US-based Titanium Metals Corp (TIMET) and French company Aubert & Duval join Scottish Enterprise, Rolls-Royce, Boeing and Mettis Aerospace as founding partners on the Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) - a purpose-built centre close to Glasgow Airport and managed by the University of Strathclyde.
The project is expected to be valued at £30m by 2014 and around 45 jobs will be created with the goal of developing new technologies in metalforming and forging to improve the efficiency of components for aircraft, automotive and marine projects.
Professor Jim McDonald, principal of the University of Strathclyde, said: “This collaborative approach to research and knowledge exchange will harness the engineering excellence of the University of Strathclyde with that of global companies. The Advanced Forming Research Centre is the perfect example of how educational institutions and businesses can work together for mutual benefit and will position Scotland at the forefront of international engineering technology. We expect other Scottish Universities to be involved in the strategic research programmes of the Centre.”
www.strath.ac.uk/afrc
