Uni signs deal with Japanese manufacturer

A JAPANESE electronics giant has forged a research alliance with a department at the University of Manchester.

Murata Manufacturing, which employs 33,000 people, has signed a deal with the university to work on the research and development of nanotechnology.

It is working with Professor Paul O’Brien and his research team in the school of chemistry with help from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).

The partnership will give the university access to skills and equipment in Japan in exchange for giving a Japanese scientist specialist training in nanotechnology – the engineering of systems at a molecular level.

According to the NWDA Japan is the second largest Asian supplier of foreign direct investment projects to the UK. In 2008-09 Japan contributed 81 new projects and created 1,405 new jobs, the sixth largest FDI source to the UK.
 
The NWDA said it had been working closely with with Murata since 2007 to secure the arrangement. 

Yukio Sakabe, senior corporate advisor at Murata, said: “I am convinced that new technology and business in the field of nanotechnology will be realised in future from this project.”