Sheffield/Rotherham Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District

Located on the Sheffield/Rotherham border in South Yorkshire, the 100-acre Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) is home to a cluster of high value manufacturers including Boeing, Rolls Royce and McLaren with a focus on composite materials, aerospace, civil nuclear and energy.

IBI’s visioning work explored the potential for the AMP to become the core area of a fully integrated Innovation District dedicated to advanced manufacturing.

Commissioned by a client partnership comprising Sheffield City Council, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, both Sheffield universities and land owners Peel and Harworth, IBI Group led a team including transport, property and planning specialists to develop a vision and strategy for its implementation. This team was complemented by further specialists providing oversight and critical support for the economic case.

Our vision defined an innovation eco-system that included flexible development plots, start-up support, education and research, high quality housing, supporting infrastructure and multi-modal transport system, and a range of networking spaces and places all within a high quality, connected landscaped environment.

A key consideration was the impact that good placemaking can have in defining the right environment to attract high value businesses and a highly skilled workforce; re-defining an area for the era of the fourth industrial revolution.