Crucial advanced manufacturing and engineering centre to take step forward

27 Jan 2025

A state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing and engineering (AME) centre is set to be delivered by West Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council.

The two councils are funding the construction of the AME centre at Suffolk Business Park in Bury St Edmunds, with the scheme set to benefit businesses across Suffolk.

This innovative £15 million project is a significant step forward in bolstering Suffolk’s reputation as a national leader in advanced manufacturing. Advanced manufacturing is the largest of the growth sectors in the Suffolk Economy, with £1.9bn gross value added in 2022.

West Suffolk Council have over the last 24 months developed a proposal to construct a 40,000 square feet advanced manufacturing facility. This proposal was originally supported by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), however with the closure of the LEP Suffolk County Council has taken over their responsibilities, with the support of the Suffolk Business Board.

The proposed AME centre will deliver self-contained, flexible workshop units, as well as meeting rooms and conference facilities to support business growth, collaboration, and networking for the wider AME community. The centre aims to stimulate economic growth by creating high-skilled jobs and supporting the development of new businesses and technology.

The centre will be funded from locally retained business rates derived from the Enterprise Zone at Suffolk Business Park. West Suffolk Council will be investing £12.1 million of the funding available to them to support the project, with Suffolk County Council also allocating £250,000 to ensure the plans are robust for the centre to go forward for planning and construction.

On Thursday 16 January, the Suffolk Business Board agreed to contribute a capital grant of up to £2 million and £166,000 annually over 15 years from Enterprise Zone funding, further securing the future development of the centre.

While this funding agreement marks a significant milestone, several key steps remain before the AME centre can become a reality. These include finalising the detailed design, securing planning consent, completing a subsidy control review, and entering into contractual agreements.

Cllr Indy Wijenayaka, Cabinet Member for Growth for West Suffolk Council, said “The AME centre promises to play a transformative role in the local economy, supporting new and existing businesses to grow and creating opportunities for skills, training and employment for the benefit of our local communities.

"We are grateful for the collaborative efforts of our partners, Suffolk County Council and the Suffolk Business Board, in ensuring this vital project moves ahead to support sustainable growth."

Oliver Paul, Acting Chair of Suffolk Business Board, said “By investing in this project, the Suffolk Business Board acknowledges the crucial role of advanced manufacturing and engineering (AME) in our economy. As Suffolk's leading growth sector, contributing £1.9bn annually, AME is ripe for innovation and development.

“AME has a particular role to play in tech convergence, by acting as a bridge between emerging technologies and their practical applications. This will lead to higher-skilled jobs and higher-value products that will benefit not only the AME sector but industries across Suffolk."

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