Manufacturing & Supply Chain

Plans for a £100 million Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) at Global Point in Newtownabbey have been approved by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Planning Committee. AMIC is a £100 million project which is being delivered and led by Queen’s University Belfast, alongside industry, Ulster University and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council as part of the Belfast Region City Deal. Its flagship facility, a state-of-the-art ‘Factory of the Future’, is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, and will reinvigorate Northern Ireland’s industrial potential and address the future technology and skills challenges faced by the region’s manufacturing sector.

The Centre will turbocharge Northern Ireland’s manufacturing capabilities and embed a culture of innovation within advanced manufacturing to act as a driver for increased productivity.

The building is made up of three linear ‘pavilions’ running east/west separated by linear glass roof lights and vertical glass slots in elevation. Plans include an engineering hall of 4,500 sq m to the south, laboratory, and clean room spaces of 1,185 sq m to the north, social and education spaces over 2 floors of 1,059 sq m to the east and workplace of 1568 sq m at first floor level to the north.

While AMIC represents a capital investment of £100 million in the Borough, by 2050 it is estimated that the Centre will have contributed:

• 1,537 direct, indirect and induced permanent jobs.
• £73m annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
• £1.01bn economic Net Present Value (NPV) (lifetime of the project)
• 18% productivity uplift over 10 years.

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Alderman Stephen Ross said: “AMIC will be a game changer for the industry, offering advanced manufacturing and engineering businesses access to the very latest technology, specialist equipment and expertise.

“This significant investment is a great asset to our Borough and will further bolster the Council plans to transform Global Point into a world-class hub of advanced manufacturing. AMIC will join the well-established RLC facility and leading global companies Sensata Technologies and the Ardagh Group who have both secured multi-million-pound investments at Global Point which collectively exceed £300 million.”

Queens University’s BRCD Estates Programme Director Colm Lavery, said: “We are excited about this next step for AMIC, which is projected to reach site in spring 2024. AMIC and the ‘Factory of the Future’ will act as a springboard for manufacturing innovation, attracting new investment and opportunities for Northern Ireland globally. AMIC will create financial value for the economy, and it will deliver an increase in high quality jobs within AMIC, across the supply chain and the wider economy, whilst also delivering on Social Value as an integral part of our delivery strategy.”