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The University of Nottingham is to lead a new £10m Centre for Innovative Manufacturing.

Working with companies in the aerospace, automotive and energy sectors, the centre will drive engineering research in the field of composite materials.

Funding for the new centre over the next five years includes £4.9m from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), with a further £1.8m from eight industry partners: Rolls-Royce, GKN, Airbus, Bentley, Lotus, Caparo, Luxfer and Vestas.

The university said the centre will work closely with businesses on tackling major research challenges, with the aim of turning ideas into new products and processes ready for the marketplace. It has the backing of National Composites Centre, part of the High Value Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Centres (TICs) which were also announced by the government last week.

Nottingham’s academic partners in the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing are the Universities of Bristol, Cranfield and Manchester.

Professor Andy Long of the University of Nottingham, the director of the new centre, said: “We are delighted to be leading this exciting initiative. This will underpin our efforts to study and develop the next generation of composites manufacturing processes.

“We have assembled a world class team of academic and industry partners, which will develop fundamental manufacturing science with real industrial impact.”

Professor Chris Rudd, pro vice chancellor for knowledge transfer and business engagement at the University of Nottingham, said: “We welcome the UK government’s latest investments in our manufacturing infrastructure.

“This university plays a key role in driving the development of innovative high value products and processes and we look forward to helping drive future prosperity and sustainable business development.”

The Nottingham centre is one of nine announced by David Willetts, universities and science minister.