AMION recently completed an evaluation of the ERDF-funded Composites Additive Layer Materials Engineering Research and Innovation Centre (CALMERIC) project for the University of Wolverhampton.
The CALMERIC project provided support to SMEs in the advanced engineering and manufacturing field in the Marches and Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas, particularly Shropshire and Staffordshire, to develop high performance components that are lightweight and make efficient use of materials.
The project involved both capital and revenue elements. The capital part of the project involved the acquisition of new equipment for use in supporting SMEs and the revenue element of the project involved collaborations between SMEs and the University.
The evaluation included a telephone survey of beneficiaries (carried out by Spirul) and consultations with project staff from the University.
Our evaluation demonstrated that the project has been successful in fostering long-term collaborations between the University and SMEs, with these forecast to result in significant employment and GVA growth in the next few years.