The new Nuclear AMRC Midlands site progresses at Infinity Park

Stephen George + Partners (SGP) is pleased with the progress of the new 46,904 sqft research and development design and manufacturing centre at Infinity Park Derby (IPD), for Nuclear AMRC Midlands.

Infinity Park Derby is a unique collaboration between Derby City Council, the Harper Crewe Estate, Rolls-Royce and developers IPD LLP, Wilson Bowden and Peveril Securities. The high-quality employment park is located next to the world headquarters of Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace and is located within 15 minutes of OEMs such as Toyota, JCB and Alstom. SGP have been involved in the development of the masterplan for Infinity Park Derby since 2001.

Working closely with March Developments, who are developers within Infinity Park Derby LLP, as well as Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC), SGP designed a bespoke operational facility to suit the end user’s research and development and advanced manufacturing requirements.

Situated on an approximately 2.4 hectares (6 acres) site, the 21,528 sqft manufacturing centre, with a haunch height of 10m, provides the best layout for flow, positioning of equipment and maximum use of space. The two storey 25,210 sqft office and welfare facility contains laboratories, testing and prototyping facilities along with technical development offices. A double height atrium marks the entrance to the facility and provides exhibition space to showcase the work carried out at the facility.

This new facility for advanced manufacturing is expected to add £52 million to the local Derby economy across a five-year period, supporting SMEs in the area to grow by creating opportunities for research and development.

The elevational treatment creates a striking presence in the landscape, using a combination of profiled built-up cladding alongside carefully proportioned flat panel rain screen cladding to create distinctive dark ‘framed boxes’ to define the three volumes. A subtle colour palette enhances the composition whilst the large, glazed volume of the main reception area is set behind projecting brise soleil, which knits together the office and industrial unit.

A new, multifunctional green infrastructure has been designed for the site to provide long term environment enhancement and a potentially strategically important area for wetland habitats. The planting of new broadleaved trees and species rich hedgerows will improve biodiversity across the site.

The design of the building – a high quality contemporary development reflecting the high technology aspiration for Infinity Park Derby – is an important element in establishing IPD as a key manufacturing base for the East Midlands.

The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) awarded Derby City Council over £9m in funding – £6.875m from its Getting Building Fund and £2.2m from its Growing Places Fund – to support the development of a Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at Infinity Park in Derby.

The Nuclear AMRC Midlands facility will deliver 70 direct jobs. Nuclear AMRC Midlands will work with companies of all sizes to help them win work in carbon-neutral supply chains as part of the global drive to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Nuclear AMRC Midlands will support 100 businesses through collaborative research and supply chain development projects within the first five years, in high-value sectors such as aerospace, automotive and rail as well as nuclear and other low-carbon energy technologies.

Cllr Steve Hassall, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Decarbonisation, Strategic Planning and Transport at Derby City Council said: “We’re pleased to see construction progressing on the new Nuclear AMRC. Construction of this state-of-the-art research and development centre is great news for Derby’s SME businesses.  Not only will it offer a huge boost to our local economy, but also cement our place as a national leader for innovation, manufacturing, and world-class research and development.”

Andrew Storer, CEO of the Nuclear AMRC said: “The new Nuclear AMRC Midlands facility will play a vital role in helping manufacturers seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges of the national transition to net zero emissions.

“As the first High Value Manufacturing Catapult facility in the East Midlands, we will continue to work closely with local industry, academic and government partners to deliver sustainable growth for decades to come. The coming years will see increasing investment into clean energy and low-carbon technologies, and the region is well placed to capitalise on the opportunity thanks to its wealth of experience, innovation, and engineering expertise.”

The facility will bring together Nuclear AMRC and the University of Derby’s Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Manufacturing (IISE), to carry out research, innovation, supply chain development and teaching with the purpose of developing the skills and capability of businesses in the region and nationally. Professor Warren Manning, Provost – Innovation and Research at the University of Derby, said: “Co-locating our Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Engineering with the Nuclear AMRC opens up new possibilities for our academics, who are already engaged in work to help achieve the UK’s decarbonisation and Net Zero goals in sectors such as rail and logistics.”