Queen's University Belfast has officially opened the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) — a near-£100m Belfast Region City Deal investment at Global Point, Newtownabbey — to accelerate innovation, skills and growth across Northern Ireland's manufacturing sector.

The Factory of the Future is expected to support up to 1,500 new jobs, add £1.3bn to the economy and train 300 apprentices by 2050.

Operational since April 2026, the centre was formally opened on 6 October by Minister for Northern Ireland Sarah Owen MP, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald, Finance Minister John O'Dowd, South Antrim MP Robin Swann and the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Henry Cushinan.

Designed with and for industry, AMIC responds to the needs of Northern Ireland's growing advanced manufacturing base. In its first six months, the team has welcomed firms from across the region and beyond, offering access to state-of-the-art facilities, specialist engineering expertise and collaborative opportunities to drive business growth.

The centre, funded in partnership with Queen's University, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and Ulster University, forms part of a wider £230m programme of innovation led by Queen's and supported by the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive through the Belfast Region City Deal.

President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Ian Greer, said: "Universities have an important role to play in supporting local businesses to innovate and adapt, and by bringing together academic expertise and industry experience, AMIC enables us to work directly with manufacturers to address real-world challenges. This close collaboration is central to how Queen's contributes to Northern Ireland's future and is a key component of the Belfast Region City Deal programme of investment.

"Alongside our other two transformational Queen's-led Belfast Region City Deal innovation centres, Momentum One Zero and iREACH Health, AMIC will help deliver lasting economic and social benefits for people across this region and beyond."

AMIC's engineers are helping businesses explore and adopt technologies that may be out of reach in-house, addressing future challenges in technology, skills and sustainability. Current deployments include robotics and automation, advanced materials, digital twins, artificial intelligence, advanced metrology and machining to boost productivity and competitiveness.

Among the flagship projects is the £9.5 million Project 4WARD, advancing welding automation in partnership with Hyster-Yale, Terex, 4DNI, Nugent Trailers and Datum Tool Design, with support from Invest NI. Alongside digitalisation and automation, the Factory of the Future team is tackling energy efficiency, renewable energy, circularity and resource use — helping manufacturers move towards a more productive, competitive and low-carbon future.

Speaking at the opening, Minister for Northern Ireland Sarah Owen MP said: "AMIC is a beacon for innovation which reinforces Northern Ireland's reputation as an ideal hub for global investment and is key to an exciting future for manufacturing in Northern Ireland.

"This world-class centre bridges the gap between groundbreaking academic research and real-world commercial application, bringing together Queen's University Belfast, Ulster University and industry partners under one roof.

"I'm proud that the UK Government's investment of almost £80 million in this centre through the Belfast City Deal, together with partners' support, will supercharge Northern Ireland business competitiveness, drive decarbonisation, invest in local talent and create high-value jobs."

Minister for the Economy Dr Caoimhe Archibald added: "This flagship investment demonstrates the power of partnership between central and local government, industry and our universities to drive economic transformation. The state-of-the-art facility will help businesses innovate, boost productivity and seize new opportunities in global markets. By providing manufacturers with access to world-class expertise, advanced technologies and collaborative research, AMIC will support the growth of a more competitive, regionally balanced and sustainable economy.

"The benefits of this will be felt across the north through stronger businesses, higher-value jobs and enhanced skills for future generations, helping to ensure long-term prosperity for communities and industry alike."

Speaking about industry impact, John Irwin, Chair of AMIC's Industry Board, said: "AMIC's strength is the partnership it supports between industry and academia, providing a world-class research facility, equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, staffed with highly experienced people, and critically, shaped by real manufacturing needs. It provides capabilities that were previously not readily available in Northern Ireland, enabling companies to test and validate innovations before investing, reducing risk, accelerating growth, and strengthening the competitiveness of Northern Ireland manufacturers. AMIC has listened and is now delivering."

AMIC builds on more than 55 years of industry-focused innovation at Queen's through the Northern Ireland Technology Centre (NITC), the Polymers Processing Research Centre (PPRC) and the Northern Ireland Advanced Composites and Engineering Centre (NIACE).