We’re joined by Pete Osborne, Professor of Advanced Manufacturing at the University of Sheffield AMRC and Director at Innovation Launchpad Network+.

Pete has worked at the AMRC for nearly 18 years, having originally come to Sheffield from Norfolk to study engineering - and, like many, never left.

In this episode, Pete gives us a fascinating insight into the University of Sheffield AMRC: how it came about, what it does today, and the pivotal role it’s set to play in implementing the UK’s 10-year industrial strategy.

Pete traces the AMRC’s origin story back to a conversation with Boeing that sparked the idea for an independent centre where manufacturers could test and validate the latest technologies.

Backed by Boeing’s founding membership, that vision has grown into a powerhouse of over 100 industrial partners advancing manufacturing technology, supply chains, and workforce development across the UK.

We dive into the AMRC’s most exciting current projects, from the Compass composites facility (developing next-generation aircraft components at scale) to small modular reactors with Rolls-Royce, and a novel on-site hydrogen generation solution being developed by Sheffield-based startup Suiso.

Pete also makes a compelling case for what it takes to anchor innovation in a region: technology alone isn’t enough - you need supply chains, a skilled workforce, and the right local ecosystem all working together.

He draws a striking parallel between Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Park and Microsoft’s unlikely roots in Seattle, arguing that South Yorkshire has all the ingredients to continue attracting investment and high-value jobs.

The episode concludes with Pete’s take on the UK’s new industrial strategy: what it gets right (a clear sectoral focus, emphasis on skills, and being “unashamedly place-based”), and where it could go further - particularly on supply chain interconnectivity.

Episode Map

Section 1: The AMRC and its Origin Story — 0:16

- How a Sheffield professor, a local cutting tool company, and Boeing created the AMRC — 1:23

- What is the High Value Manufacturing Catapult? — 3:43

Section 2: The AMRC’s Focus Areas and Innovations — 6:46

- Core competencies: machining, composites, additive, digital, and more — 6:51

- Compass: composites at speed and scale for next-gen aircraft — 9:12

- Small modular reactors with Rolls-Royce — 9:12

- Suiso: on-site hydrogen generation for traditional industries — 9:12

Section 3: Energy, Sustainability, and the Digitalisation Challenge — 12:32

- AI and digitalisation’s growing energy demands — 13:05

- Factory Plus: the AMRC’s open-source smart data solution — 13:05

- The future of offshore wind and the challenges of scale — 16:06

Section 4: Anchoring Innovation in a Region — 18:45

- The three things you need to anchor innovation locally — 18:45

- Innovation districts: from concept to reality in Sheffield — 18:45

- From Orgreave Colliery to the Advanced Manufacturing Park — 22:11

- Changing perceptions of manufacturing careers — 24:58

Section 5: The UK’s Industrial Strategy and South Yorkshire’s Role — 27:49

- Why having an industrial strategy matters — 27:56

- What the strategy gets right: skills, place-based focus, sectoral clarity — 27:56

- Where it could go further: supply chains and regional finance — 27:56

- South Yorkshire’s fit: advanced manufacturing, defence, clean energy, transport — 32:58

- The ecosystem effect: Sheffield, Seattle, and the power of place — 35:23

You can find Pete on LinkedIn here.

Learn more about the University of Sheffield AMRC at amrc.co.uk.