NMIS is a £65 million, industry-led international centre of manufacturing expertise led by the Scottish Government in partnership with its enterprise and skills agencies, University of Strathclyde and Renfrewshire Council.

The new energy carbon neutral facility next to Glasgow Airport will include a skills academy, a fully digitalised factory of the future and collaboration hub for manufacturers of all sizes and from all sectors to work together with research partners and the public sector to innovate and grow their businesses.

Glasgow-based HLM Architects is leading the NMIS design team, which also includes Waterman Group as civil & structural engineers, Davie + McCulloch as building services engineers and Robinson Low Francis LLP as cost mangers.

HLM will also be providing landscape architecture and interior design services, while Turner and Townsend has been appointed as project managers under Strathclyde’s Framework Agreement.

Ross Barrett, HLM associate, said: “The new NMIS facility is a hugely exciting project and we are really pleased to be working with all partners to respond to the ambitions for this centre. Our thoughtful design creates an innovative, flexible and collaborative environment where knowledge and creativity can be shared.

“Inspired by the materiality and colours of the Scottish landscape, this bold sustainable building sets out to create a unique character and identity for NMIS which will inspire and attract industry partners and academics alike.”

NMIS also includes two specialist technology centres - the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre (LMC), which was opened earlier this year by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), the only High Value Manufacturing Catapult centre in Scotland.

The application will now be considered by Renfrewshire Council.

Economy secretary Derek Mackay said: “Manufacturing is crucial to our economy and is a sector we want to see flourish in Scotland.

“This is a notable milestone for the NMIS facility and given the importance of responding to the global climate emergency, I am particularly pleased the facility will be energy carbon neutral and it is great that the facility will lead by example and demonstrate what is possible.

“NMIS will deliver benefits for businesses across Scotland well before the building is complete including through the existing capability available at the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre which adds to the wider support available from our enterprise agencies to help companies improve their productivity.”

NMIS and the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre, in which Strathclyde is lead research partner, will be the anchor institutions in the advanced manufacturing district. The district is benefitting from a £39m investment to provide the enabling infrastructure, funded through the Glasgow City Region City Deal. It is also home to the NMIS specialist technology centres.