TAIU
UK Innovation Zones

Advanced Manufacturing in the UK

Advanced manufacturing capability sits across Sheffield and Rotherham, the West Midlands, the North West, Bristol and the Central Belt, supported by an unusually strong applied research estate.

See this on the map →
Companies
15
Investors
14
Universities
6
Research centres
7
Facilities
6

Where UK strength is concentrated

Major clusters

Emerging & supporting clusters

  • Manchester

    Materials, health innovation, digital and the largest media cluster outside London

  • Bristol & Bath

    Semiconductor design, robotics, aerospace and quantum in one small geography

  • Leeds & West Yorkshire

    Health data, medical technology and financial services technology

  • Belfast

    Cyber security, advanced composites, fintech and screen production

  • Cardiff & South Wales

    Compound semiconductors, steel and materials, and broadcast production

Research, infrastructure and capital

Universities & research

High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres, university research factories and industrial research partnerships.

Investment

Capital intensity is high, so investment is dominated by corporate balance sheets, public co-investment and asset finance rather than venture capital.

Government support

Freeports and Investment Zones frequently target advanced manufacturing supply chains.

Organisations working in this area

  • Manchester Metropolitan University

    Universities · manchester

  • Advanced manufacturing Catapult capability, North West

    Catapult centres · manchester

  • University of Warwick

    Universities · birmingham

  • WMG

    Research institutes · birmingham

  • West Midlands Investment Zone

    Government programmes · birmingham

  • University of the West of England

    Universities · bristol bath

  • National Composites Centre

    Catapult centres · bristol bath

  • University of Sheffield

    Universities · sheffield

  • Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre

    Catapult centres · sheffield

  • Nuclear AMRC

    Catapult centres · sheffield

  • Liverpool City Region Freeport

    Government programmes · liverpool

  • Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult

    Catapult centres · north east

  • Teesside Freeport

    Government programmes · teesside humber

  • Humber Freeport

    Government programmes · teesside humber

  • Heriot-Watt University

    Universities · edinburgh

  • University of Strathclyde

    Universities · glasgow

  • National Manufacturing Institute Scotland

    Catapult centres · glasgow

  • Glasgow small satellite manufacturing cluster

    Companies · glasgow

  • Northern Ireland aerospace and composites cluster

    Companies · belfast

  • Wales Investment Zone designations

    Government programmes · cardiff south wales

  • Solent Freeport

    Government programmes · southampton portsmouth

  • University of Nottingham

    Universities · nottingham derby

  • East Midlands Investment Zone

    Government programmes · nottingham derby

  • East Midlands Freeport

    Government programmes · nottingham derby

  • Freeport East

    Government programmes · norwich east

UKIZ perspective

Research centres (7)

Accelerators (0)

  • No accelerator recorded yet.

Britain's applied manufacturing research is world class but demand-side connection to domestic customers is inconsistent. UKIZ proposes organising around customers, not facilities.

Ecosystem directory

Who funds, builds and researches this in Britain.

Investors (14)

Companies (15)

Universities (6)

Directory last verified: 15 August 2026

Explore the whole ecosystem →Who invests in what? →

Related proposed zones

Proposed by UKIZ · not a government designation

Sources

Methodology →