The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, a University of Sheffield and High Value Manufacturing Catapult research centre in South Yorkshire that helps manufacturers adopt automation and new technology.
The AMRC is a network of research and innovation centres that helps manufacturers try new technology without taking on all the risk. It works on additive manufacturing (3D printing of metal parts), assembly, automation, castings, composites, digital manufacturing, machining and sustainability. Nearly 100 industrial partners use it, from large firms such as Boeing, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Airbus to small suppliers. It is part of the University of Sheffield and of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, a group of UK centres supporting manufacturing.
The AMRC was founded in 2001 on the site of the former Orgreave colliery and coking works. Professor Keith Ridgway and local businessman Adrian Allen set it up with Boeing and the university, starting with a team of eight. Ridgway said the aim was always to use machining research to create wealth in a depressed region. Chief executive Professor Ben Morgan says its role is to take high-risk research and development off industry so manufacturers can start, scale and stay in the UK. Its current focus areas are aerospace, defence, and nuclear and clean energy.
In the UK, its main site is the Factory of the Future at the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Catcliffe, Rotherham, in South Yorkshire, next to firms such as Boeing, Rolls-Royce and McLaren. It also runs AMRC Cymru in Broughton, Flintshire, and AMRC North West at the Samlesbury Enterprise Zone near Blackburn in Lancashire, plus a training centre at the Rotherham site. It has more than 570 researchers and manufacturing specialists according to a 2026 anniversary article, or more than 500 on the Catapult page. Automation is a listed capability, although we did not find a specific robotics project.
The AMRC has a strong link to skills: its anniversary article reports that its work has led to 2,200 apprentices being recruited through around 400 businesses. Its own staff come from around the world. The article does not describe workplace culture, so we make no claims about that. The mix of university research and real factory projects suggests people who like solving practical problems.
Roles include research engineers, machinists, automation and digital specialists, materials scientists, project managers and training staff, along with business and support teams. If you like the idea of working with real machines on real manufacturing problems, this is one of the best-known examples in the UK. It does not make drones or robots itself, but robots and automation are tools it helps companies use.
Website: www.amrc.co.uk
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