Government grants £40m for manufacturing centre

The government has granted public funding approval for the £40m Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) outside Coventry.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) confirmed a combined capital contribution of £40m from Advantage West Midlands and East Midlands Development Agency (emda).

Founder industrial members of the MTC are Rolls-Royce, Jaguar Land Rover, Aero Engine Controls and Airbus UK. Research partners include the University of Birmingham, University of Nottingham, Loughborough University and TWI Ltd, the operating division of The Welding Institute.

Construction of the MTC will start in the first quarter of 2010 and the centre will open in early summer 2011.