Up to £7 million in grants for additive manufacturing collaborative research and development projects will be awarded by the UK government through an open competition.
The ‘Inspiring new design freedoms in additive manufacturing’ competition will open on 3 December 2012. It is focused on innovations that help businesses bring additive manufactured components and consumer items more quickly to market. The competition aims to accelerate UK firms adoption of additive manufacturing technologies by solving the remaining technical barriers and exploring new business models. Further competition information will be available at the end of October from the government departments and organisations managing the process. They are, the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council.
The UK government’s universities and science minister David Willetts said: ‘Building on £20 million of previous Technology Strategy Board support for additive manufacturing innovation, it will help secure more of this game-changing high value activity for the UK, driving economic growth and enhancing quality of life.’
The TSB’s additive manufacturing special interest group published the report, Shaping Our National Competency in Additive Manufacturing, in September. It recommended action should be taken in aiding new business models and the adoption of additive manufacturing technology.
