SQW progresses evaluations of the Midlands Advanced Ceramics for Industry 4.0 and Advanced Machinery and Productivity Initiative (AMPI) sponsored by UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund
Client: UKRI and National Physical Laboratory
UKRI’s £316m Strength in Places Fund helps areas of the UK build on their existing strengths in research and innovation to deliver benefits for their local economy. Specifically, the programme seeks to support innovation-led regional growth and enhance local collaborations involving research and innovation.
In July 2021, it was announced that a partnership led by Lucideon Group Ltd had secured £18.3m from UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund for the Midlands Advanced Ceramics for Industry 4.0 project. SQW, in conjunction with CityRedi at the University of Birmingham, was commissioned to undertake a multi-year process and impact evaluation of the project. The work involved four phases: development of a detailed Evaluation Plan; an initial Baseline Report; an Interim Process and Progress Evaluation; and a Final Evaluation in 2026.
The Advanced Machinery Productivity Initiative is another project supported by the Strength in Places Fund programme. It is a multi-year£22.6m industry-led initiative driving innovation for the UK’s advanced machinery designers, manufacturers and users with a specific spatial focus on Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire. SQW was commissioned by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to develop an Evaluation Framework for the intervention and to undertake Baseline and Interim Evaluation assessments covering both process and impact considerations.
For more information, please contact Luke Delahunty (SQW Project Director).
