National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS)

NMIS is driving the future of manufacturing through innovation. We’re accelerating productivity to grow our economy, develop a vibrant workforce, and create happier, healthier, greener communities.

From our growing network of world-class manufacturing R&D facilities, at the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) just 34 miles from Prestwick Aerospace, we work with businesses of all sizes and sectors across Scotland, the UK and beyond to find technology solutions to help them succeed.

We turn brilliant ideas into reality, and we do it at industry speed. Coming from diverse backgrounds, our passionate team works alongside industry, academia, and the public sector to solve problems, train the next generation of makers, engineers, and inventors, and generate creative ideas that will change how we make things and protect our planet.

NMIS grew out of the University Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) and includes the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre, Digital Factory, Manufacturing Skills Academy and soon to be opened Digital Process Manufacturing Centre.

We are operated by the University of Strathclyde and proudly part of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult.

ADVANCED FORMING RESEARCH CENTRE (AFRC)

The University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) is a world-leading metallics research centre with a specific focus on metal forming and forging.

We help businesses of all sizes to look at productivity improvements, testing and trialling new technologies and ideas before turning them into a commercial reality. Among our members and partners are some of the world’s leading manufacturing firms operating in a range of sectors, particularly aerospace.

TRANSFORMING THE GLOBAL FORGING SECTOR

This year, we officially opened the world’s most advanced research and innovation hot forging platform, connecting the $75 billion global forging sector with our Scotland-based team and industry-scale testbed no matter where they are.

FutureForge is a world-unique platform for hot forging innovation with advanced industry 4.0 capabilities. It enables companies from overseas to connect in real time with the AFRC remotely and benefit from its people’s skills and expertise and ground-breaking R&D equipment.