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Advanced Manufacturing Park moving ahead
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Within weeks Western expects to break ground at the Advanced Manufacturing Park to house a multi-million dollar project funded through a partnership with federal and provincial governments.
Ted Hewitt, Vice-President (Research & International Relations), did not reveal details of the new project that will take shape in the new research park, located on 25 acres, plus 3.2 joint access acres, assigned to the university in an innovative joint venture with the City of London and Fanshawe College.
An announcement is expected shortly, he said.
“It’s big, it’s unique, it’s the first and only on the planet and it’s going to be great news for London,” he said, following a meeting Wednesday of London Board of Control to review the agreement with London and Fanshawe.
A recommendation will be made at the city council meeting on March 8 that a Joint Venture Agreement and transfer of land be made to Western and Fanshawe for developing the park.
Western will build in Phase IV of the research park, located on Veterans Memorial Parkway, north of Highway 401 near Bradley Avenue. The objective is to attract research and manufacturing uses which utilize advanced manufacturing technologies and products.
Controllers heard that Western is also pursuing a second project for the new research park.
Hewitt hopes to secure funding for a partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute of Chemical Technology in Germany to establish The International Composites Research Centre and to bring a large?scale press for testing and manufacturing lightweight composite parts for the auto sector and other London industries.
The facility would be unique in Canada and will make London the leading site for advanced composite materials research and testing at a manufacturing scale for several industrial sectors in North America. These sectors include transportation, renewable energy, construction, and others.
These two projects are expected to take up about 10 acres, and the remainder will be available for other research and development opportunities.
“We are as excited as you are,” says London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best.
The board indicated it was committed to moving ahead as soon as possible on development of the research park.
Western’s role in the joint venture agreement will be recruiting research and development projects to the area and locating them onsite at the research park, “particularly projects that will mesh well with industry,” says Hewitt.
This is Western’s third research park, with a location in Sarnia that has a bio-industrial focus and a research park adjacent to the main campus focusing on research and development in areas such as biotechnologies and information technology.
The new research park presents opportunities for the Faculty of Engineering to work with industry partners and enables innovative and unique facilities to be built at the site to attract such industries.
“It’s such a great opportunity for London and for Western,” says Hewitt.
Western and Fanshawe will prepare a master plan for development of their land, which will form the basis of a site plan over the entire area. As part of the agreement, the research park cannot be used for conventional post-secondary academic program delivery.
Development of the Advanced Manufacturing Park must be completed within 15 years. The land will be transferred to Western for $1.
An announcement is expected shortly, he said.
“It’s big, it’s unique, it’s the first and only on the planet and it’s going to be great news for London,” he said, following a meeting Wednesday of London Board of Control to review the agreement with London and Fanshawe.
A recommendation will be made at the city council meeting on March 8 that a Joint Venture Agreement and transfer of land be made to Western and Fanshawe for developing the park.
Western will build in Phase IV of the research park, located on Veterans Memorial Parkway, north of Highway 401 near Bradley Avenue. The objective is to attract research and manufacturing uses which utilize advanced manufacturing technologies and products.
Controllers heard that Western is also pursuing a second project for the new research park.
Hewitt hopes to secure funding for a partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute of Chemical Technology in Germany to establish The International Composites Research Centre and to bring a large?scale press for testing and manufacturing lightweight composite parts for the auto sector and other London industries.
The facility would be unique in Canada and will make London the leading site for advanced composite materials research and testing at a manufacturing scale for several industrial sectors in North America. These sectors include transportation, renewable energy, construction, and others.
These two projects are expected to take up about 10 acres, and the remainder will be available for other research and development opportunities.
“We are as excited as you are,” says London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best.
The board indicated it was committed to moving ahead as soon as possible on development of the research park.
Western’s role in the joint venture agreement will be recruiting research and development projects to the area and locating them onsite at the research park, “particularly projects that will mesh well with industry,” says Hewitt.
This is Western’s third research park, with a location in Sarnia that has a bio-industrial focus and a research park adjacent to the main campus focusing on research and development in areas such as biotechnologies and information technology.
The new research park presents opportunities for the Faculty of Engineering to work with industry partners and enables innovative and unique facilities to be built at the site to attract such industries.
“It’s such a great opportunity for London and for Western,” says Hewitt.
Western and Fanshawe will prepare a master plan for development of their land, which will form the basis of a site plan over the entire area. As part of the agreement, the research park cannot be used for conventional post-secondary academic program delivery.
Development of the Advanced Manufacturing Park must be completed within 15 years. The land will be transferred to Western for $1.
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