Interserve Construction has won a contract to build the £43M Factory 2050 project for the University of Sheffield, with work expected to begin on site this month.
The project will see construction of a circular building, housing the UK’s first fully reconfigurable assembly and component research factory for the aerospace industry.
This will be located at the Sheffield Business Park and is expected to create around 162 engineering jobs during the construction phase and additional 60 roles when fully operational.
Completion of the project is scheduled for Autumn 2015 at which point Factory 2050 will be the first building on a new University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Campus.
This site could see up to a million square feet of new research facilities built over the next seven to 10 years.
The new factory’s advanced design means it will be capable of rapidly switching production between different high value components and one off parts.
The factory will have various capabilities and combine a range of technologies, including advanced robotics, flexible automation, unmanned workspace, 3D printing from flexible automated systems, man-machine interfaces, and new programming and training tools.
Sheffield City Council approved plans for Factory 2050 in April this year.
Interserve’s Yorkshire divisional director John Gittins said: “This isn’t just another project for Interserve, it is the opportunity to work on a truly world class project that will help to ensure the region remains at the forefront of the advanced manufacturing sector.
“The building design is unique and the completed project will provide a superb environment for both researchers and engineers."
