A £1.5 million funding package has been approved for a Derby project that will turn the former Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre into the Infinity Prototyping Centre, with work now under way on the site. The scheme is expected to create 11 high-value jobs and is due to be completed in summer 2026.

The money comes from the East Midlands Combined County Authority and backs a collaboration with Derby City Council, the University of Derby and Infinity Technology Group Ltd. The new centre is intended to provide state-of-the-art services and flexible, collaborative workspaces for organisations across the nuclear supply chain, putting fresh investment into a site that has long been tied to advanced manufacturing in the city.

Cllr Nadine Peatfield said the IPC was “a great example of partnership working in action” and said the council was working with the University of Derby and Infinity Technology Group Ltd to deliver a project that would give “a huge boost” to the local economy and reaffirm Derby’s place as a national leader for innovation, manufacturing and world-class research and development. She also said the EMCCA investment would give the building “new life” and help the city deliver on its ambitions for sustainable growth, technological leadership and advanced manufacturing.

Claire Ward said the investment showed a commitment to creating high-quality jobs and supporting the industries that will power the future economy. She described the Infinity Prototyping Centre as “exactly the kind of forward-thinking project we want to champion” and said she was focused on unlocking the region’s full potential through both the Investment Fund and the East Midlands Investment Zone programme. Ward said the project was accelerating growth in advanced manufacturing and clean energy and would help keep Derby and the wider region at the forefront of innovation for years to come.

The project is part of the continued development of the East Midlands Investment Zone, and the site is expected to support that wider push by attracting new clients and partners. It also strengthens Derby’s role in advanced manufacturing, innovation, nuclear supply chain activity and low-carbon growth. For the city, the immediate significance is plain: a long-standing industrial building is being repurposed into a centre meant to bring jobs, specialist work and further investment into the area, with completion now set for next summer.