The MTC, based in Ansty Park, Coventry, UK, develops and proves innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in an agile, low risk environment, in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions. We focus on delivering bespoke manufacturing system solutions for our customers. The MTC was established in 2010 with the objective of bridging the gap between academia and industry. The MTC undertakes industrially driven, applied research, taking new manufacturing techniques from TRL3 to TRL7.

The MTC is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC), which is a government-backed catalyst for the future growth and success of advanced manufacturing in the UK. The HVMC consists of six technology and innovation centres around the UK, working with companies of all sizes to accelerate the activity between technology concept and commercialisation. 

The MTC operates some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in Europe and employs a team of highly skilled engineers (>600), many of whom are leading experts in their field. This creates a high-quality environment for the development and demonstration of new processes and technologies on an industrial scale. The MTC’s areas of expertise are directly relevant to both large and small companies and are applicable across a wide range of industry sectors. 

In the UK the MTC represents one of the largest public sector investments in manufacturing for many years and has several large buildings on its campus including the MTC headquarters, Aerospace Research Centre (ARC) and the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre (AMTC). The workshop facilities in the main building and the ARC total over 20,000 square metres and can be configured to carry out confidential and secure work. The centre opened in 2011 and was founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI Ltd. The MTC is a rapidly growing business, reaching a turnover of £110M in 2024. Since its formal opening, the Centre has grown to over 950 employees and now has more than 100 industrial global manufacturing members.  MTC operates in sectors as diverse as maritime, aerospace, space, rail, fast moving consumer goods, construction, energy, and defence.

The UK National Centre Additive Manufacturing housed at MTC has outstanding facilities covering a wide range of manufacturing competencies, including Net Shape Manufacturing, Tooling & Fixturing, Computational modelling and Metrology & NDE which will be utilised in the projects. MTC’s focus is to prove innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in an agile environment in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions.

MTC also houses the UK Laser Processing Centre of Excellence, covering processes for advanced machining, surface engineering and material joining with over 20 different laser sources and more than 300 years of combined laser processing excellence.

Services offered

Facilities

• Product Innovation and Development
• Process Innovation and Improvement
• Digitial Transformation Solutions
• Growth and Scaling
• Supply chain transformation
• Sustainable Manufacturing and Net-Zero
• Skills and Training

Expertise

MTC has a wide range of industry specialists across the Space sector. MTC has delivered several large industrial projects to ESA, largely focussed on Additive Manufacturing, and MTC are currently the ESA Additive Manufacturing Benchmarking Centre.

We also have staff dedicated to manufacturing support, specifically targeting the needs of SMEs with design, manufacturing support and routes to production scale up.

MTCs main technology themes are:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Automation and Robotics
• Materials Engineering
• Industrial Transformation
• Manufacturing Systems
• Laser processing
• Metrology and NDT
• Digital Manufacturing
• Simulation and Modelling

Engineers from these specialisms could be available to offer support for the projects involved in the ESA Phi-Lab UK.

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