New partnership to deliver greater impact for UK manufacturing

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The High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult and National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have agreed a new partnership that will deepen collaboration in areas of national priority, including artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum.

Dr Peter Thompson CBE, CEO, NPL, and Katherine Bennett CBE, CEO, HVM Catapult
Dr Peter Thompson CBE, CEO, NPL, and Katherine Bennett CBE, CEO, HVM Catapult - High Value Manufacturing Catapult/National Physical Laboratory

The two organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will establish combined programmes for greater impact on UK industry. It will include joint projects, sharing of infrastructure and exchange of staff.

HVM Catapult and NPL will explore joint research and development (R&D) activities in areas including high-precision timing for manufacturing, engineering transformation, exploitation of AI, sustainable materials, exploitation of quantum and engineering biology.

The MOU underlines the complementary capabilities and areas of mutual interest of HVM Catapult, a strategic innovation hub for UK manufacturing, and NPL, the UK's National Metrology Institute (NMI). Both organisations receive funding from UK government and NPL CEO, Dr Peter Thompson, sits on the HVM Catapult board as a non-executive director.

Through the partnership, initiatives will be established to integrate the science and engineering capabilities of the parties, with the aim of delivering greater impact for the benefit of the UK.

In a statement, Katherine Bennett CBE, HVM Catapult CEO, said: “This strengthened and structured collaboration between our organisations will allow us to tackle the global challenges and opportunities in the manufacturing sector, while aligning the investment we receive from UK government.

“By combining world-class innovation with metrology excellence, we can accelerate the development of cutting-edge solutions, strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in advanced manufacturing."

Dr Peter Thompson CBE, NPL CEO, added: “NPL and HVM Catapult share a common goal of creating value and impact across the UK. I’m delighted that we’re strengthening our collaboration and utilising our expertise across science, innovation and technology, so we can further enable growth and competitiveness across UK industry.”

The MOU will run for an initial period of five years.