A new hub designed to help businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators bring new ideas to life has opened.
The Product Design Centre at the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Institute of Technology (IoT) provides an end-to-end product development service, featuring cutting-edge technology which can be combined with support from experienced and skilled engineers.
Equipment on offer includes CAD/CAM Systems, Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), electronics assembly and testing laboratory, 3D FDM and Polyjet printers and a Mazak 5-Axis CNC machine.
Georgina Barnard, Vice Principal: Institute of Technology, said: “We are pleased to launch this exciting initiative, made possible through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The Product Design Centre has been established to drive the growth of Staffordshire’s local businesses while providing valuable opportunities for local people to develop new skills and access hands-on competency-based training.”
Councillor Aidan Godfrey, Leader of Stafford Borough Council, said: “I am really pleased we have been able to provide funding towards the project with money we secured from government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This will be a fantastic facility and, yet again, another example of how we have been able to support local businesses and help them grow – whether that is via financial help, training, or through delivering expert advice.”
The centre also delivers a range of fully funded, career-focused training courses.
The IoT officially opened in September and is led by Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group.
