Tatton Estate and Manchester Met sign MoU to create new tech facility
Cheshire’s Tatton Estate and Manchester Metropolitan University have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a 3D printing facility in Cheshire.
Tatton Estate and the university unveiled their plans at the world’s foremost property and investment event taking place in Cannes, France to create a multi-million pound 3D printing facility in derelict buildings between Altrincham and Knutsford and close to Manchester Airport.
The two parties sealed their partnership at MIPIM at an event on the Cheshire and Warrington exhibition stand to create jointly the Cheshire 3D Print Hub (C3D).
Tatton Estate, the largest private landowner in Cheshire East and represented by the Tatton Group, is driving investment opportunities.
Henry Brooks, Tatton Group managing director, said: “When Cheshire East Council began its local plan process five years ago, it established two key priorities.
“The first was at Crewe and the hub around HS2 and the other was the Cheshire Science Corridor which has also come on a long way in the last 12 months in terms of the scale of opportunity and what’s needed to deliver it.
“The M56 motorway links the Liverpool and Manchester city regions and there’s a huge nexus of existing science facilities, but there is very little space for any more, so we have been thrilled to collaborate with Manchester Metropolitan University and now to announce a 3D print hub facility using the existing brownfield site and find a fantastic new use that will help drive innovation in the North West.
“We are very grateful for the support of the Local Enterprise Partnership and the Department of Communities and Local Government. C3D is now through to the second stage of ERDF Funding, the MoU is signed, and we look forward to taking it through to the next stage and creating a superb and much-needed asset for the region and the UK.”
C3D will deliver investment in the Estate’s Cheshire Gateway scheme using part of the 40,000 sq ft of existing buildings accessed directly from Junction 7 of the M56 and the new Knutsford-Bowdon A556 dual carriageway.
C3D will also provide grow-on incubation space to accommodate the emerging North West industrial digital technologies market and supplement Manchester Met’s existing central Manchester PrintCity facilities.
C3D will enable the implementation of advanced digital technologies in design, manufacture (3D printing/additive and advanced manufacturing) and service support.
Tatton Estate will support other science and technology businesses to occupy the remaining parts of the Yarwood Heath former farmstead to create critical mass and foster industry collaboration, in line with the opportunities presented with Industry 4.0 whilst supporting jobs and growth within the local economy.
Professor Craig Banks, personal chair in Electrochemical and Nanotechnology at Manchester Met and Faculty of Science and Engineering lead for Research and Knowledge Exchange, said: “It’s a fantastic initiative and will complement PrintCity which we have set up at Manchester Metropolitan University in the heart of Corridor Manchester.
“This is big, it’s disruptive and ahead of the curve and nothing like it anywhere else in the UK.”
