Centre brings advanced manufacturing back home

THE Advanced Manufacturing Park Technology Centre is proving a hit with some of the UK's fastest growing and most innovative companies. Ian Briggs reports.

WITH occupancy levels having grown by 240% over the last three years, the Advanced Manufacturing Park Technology Centre (AMPTC) is enjoying success in what for many business hubs is a difficult climate.

And those behind it believe it can reach even greater heights as more facilities are constructed at the Advanced Manufacturing Park near Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

AMPTC centre manager John Palframan described the location as a centre of excellence. It boasts 47 companies, a 17% increase over the last 12 months.

Toby Hyam, managing director of Creative Space Management, which operates the AMPTC, said the centre was a fine example of the formation of an advanced manufacturing cluster.
"We see companies growing and growing and then moving on and we see those that grow within the building," he said.

"It's of global importance. We're getting people visiting here to set up clusters of advanced manufacturing businesses."

The centre is owned by the Homes and Communities Agency and based on the AMP, which is also home to Boeing, Rolls Royce and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.
"The collaboration going on here is important," said Mr Palframan. "It's the Park Lane address for advanced manufacturing."

Mr Palframan praised the impact of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership.
"The LEP is very supportive," he said. "We're part of the enterprise zone. Our LEP is one of the most effective in the UK. Advanced manufacturing is very much recognised by the LEP."
Mr Palframan said centres like the AMPTC were helping to promote the UK as a leader in advanced manufacturing over places like China.

CASE STUDY:
ONE of the tenants at the AMPTC is Iceotope, one of few companies in the world to invent, design and manufacture eco-friendly, liquid cooled computer servers.
Iceotope’s unique next generation liquid cooling system was developed in conjunction with 3M and the University of Leeds; a major reason why Iceotope chose AMP as its base for operations in April 2012.

Iceotope’s product, the Iceotope Solution, is comprised of two components – the Iceotope Platform and the Iceotope Module. It can be configured as a single supercomputer, as multiple server cabinets or scaled out to create an entire data centre. Its unique patented design of liquid encapsulation of electronics is the only of its kind in the world.

Iceotope is driven by an ambition to reduce the environmental footprint of IT by reducing the costs associated with power and cooling in data centres and other high-performing computing environments.

Behind the company’s success is a passionate team. Both the original inventor and lead designer are Sheffield graduates.

Iceotope has two work spaces at the centre, as well as flexible office space, where its technology is designed, assembled and tested. Currently marketing its product throughout the UK and EU, Iceotope is specifically targeting the data centre and high performance computing industries.