NEWS
Factory of the Future opens
Queen’s University Belfast’s £100m Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) in Newtownabbey has officially opened, only days after its main contractor Henry Brothers was recognised with Overall Winner for the project at the Northern Ireland Construction Awards. The Centre is expected to create up to 1,500 jobs across Northern Ireland, contribute £1.3bn to the economy and support the training of 300 apprentices by 2050. Operational since April 2026, it was officially opened on October 6 by Minister for NI Sarah Owen, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald, Finance Minister John O’Dowd, MP Robin Swann and Antrim and Newtownabbey Mayor Henry Cushinan. AMIC’s expert engineering team supports businesses to explore and adopt technologies that may not otherwise be available to them in- house, helping them address future technology, skills and sustainability challenges. Engineers are already deploying technologies including robotics and automation, advanced materials, digital twins, artificial intelligence, advanced metrology and machining to improve productivity, efficiency and industry competitiveness. www.we-are-amic.com
Stakeholders meeting at SWC.
Decarbonising mineral processing & concrete
Plans are moving forward to create a Decarbonisation, Innovation and Skills for Concrete Centre (DISC) at South West College (SWC) in partnership with local industry and stakeholders. SWC recently welcomed representatives from the Mineral Products Association NI, Invest NI, DfE and local companies to discuss challenges and opportunities facing the mineral processing and concrete products industries as they work towards a low-carbon future. The proposed DISC Centre will create opportunities for industry and education to work collaboratively on practical solutions to reduce carbon emissions, develop new technologies
and processes, enhance skills and help businesses remain competitive as the sector transitions towards net zero. Discussions also highlighted the wider support available to local companies through the €7.6m PRISM (Colleges Powering Research & Innovation for Advanced Manufacturing) project. The programme is helping SMEs develop new and innovative products and processes while tackling decarbonisation challenges across traditionally hard-to-decarbonise sectors, and is supported through PEACEPLUS and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. www.swc.ac.uk
New research has been published addressing the impact of climate change on the construction sector, following record-breaking summer temperatures. Managing construction in a changing climate, the latest NHBC Foundation report, explores the impact of climate and weather hazards on the built environment and construction projects, and the steps the wider industry must take to mitigate risk to quality and delivery. Sweltering heat, intense rainfall, powerful storms and prolonged dry spells are proving increasingly common, presenting profound challenges for the built environment and those who design, Climate impact on construction
construct and maintain it. Drawing together the latest climate science and insights from experts across industry, academia and safety bodies, it highlights risks such as delays, material failure, insurance losses, increased build costs, compromised quality and risks to worker welfare for companies failing to prepare. Richard Smith, Head of Standards, Innovation & Research at NHBC, said, “This report encourages the industry to consider how to continue delivering high-quality homes year-round while mitigating operational and commercial risk.” www.nhbc.co.uk
AMIC, Newtownabbey.
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