Following an outline business case approval by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, the Wrexham Glyndŵr University Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC) is closer to securing Growth Deal funding.
In this exclusive interview feature, Professor Aulay Mackenzie, Pro Vice-Chancellor at Wrexham Glyndwr University and Programme Manager at Ambition North Wales, Robyn Lovelock spoke with Business News Wales about the Deal and the opportunity it could open for the wider region.
The project will be delivered across two University sites, St Asaph and Plas Coch in Wrexham. The aim is to help manufacturing businesses in the region to decarbonise. It will explore the integrated use of optics, photonics and composites as alternative, lighter-weight solutions with applications across all specialisms of manufacturing.
The urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and waste from manufacturing businesses is well-known, as are the potential benefits such as cost and efficiency savings. However, ever-changing technology and countless options can be daunting for many businesses. The Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre aims to bridge the gap by providing facilities and researchers from the University to work with businesses to explore solutions.
The next step will be for the project to deliver a full business case, which will enable work to begin on the Centre. The aim is to start construction towards the end of 2023, with an opening date estimated for 2025.
