Graphene, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Alliance GAMMA

Greater Manchester’s Graphene, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Alliance (GAMMA) is leading the delivery of the city-region’s industrial strategy for advanced materials.

It aims to create an advanced manufacturing super-cluster in the North of England, focused on advanced materials and industrial digital technologies to support advanced manufacturing in its transition to net zero. It will drive a more productive, sustainable, highly skilled, and innovative industry.

Core focus areas

Influencing Government policy

Acting as a focal point for Government engagement, working with BEIS and other Whitehall departments to influence the development of local, regional, and national policy and funding initiatives.
Working with Government to evaluate and design future Made Smarter industrial digitalisation programmes focusing on decarbonisation (NetZero) and supply-chain resilience of businesses across the North West, and beyond.
Working with industry, public and academic leaders to coordinate investments in a mega-cluster of translational research and interconnected training facilities along the North East growth corridor of the city-region, known as Gateway North – including an ‘Advanced Machinery & Productivity Institute’ with over £40m in grant funded investment already secured.

Improving productivity and growth

Transforming the productivity of Greater Manchester’s businesses through encouraging technology adoption including industrial digital technologies, advanced machinery tools, AI and robotics and advanced materials through specialist advice, grant funded projects, student internships, and leadership and management development.
Delivering industry-led ‘Manufacturing Innovation Networks’ to ensure that Greater Manchester has a clear view of the needs of businesses in the following strategically significant clusters – coatings, graphene and advanced materials, technical textiles, advanced machinery, and industrial digital.
Enabling businesses to become more resource efficient, respond more effectively to customer needs, develop new products and access new markets, and improve supply-chain efficiency.

Securing investment in infrastructure and people

Shaping the response to business skills gaps by ensuring that the necessary talent pipeline is in place to support businesses to adopt industrial digital tools / techniques, advanced machinery, and advanced materials to maximise the economic potential of our path to net zero and drive sustainable growth.
Working with our Greater Manchester inward investment agency MIDAS to ensure that the city-region is positioned as a globally leading hub for target industries come and experiment with, develop and adopt advanced materials, machinery, and digital tools thus driving economic growth.
Developing the business cases for strategic investments including working with local businesses, Rochdale Development Agency and the University of Manchester to develop the case for funding a Sustainable Materials Translational Research Centre on the Gateway North site.

Innovation must be at the forefront of our plans for growth. By bringing Greater Manchester’s manufacturing community together, we can stimulate the 4th industrial revolution in the city-region and address barriers to commercialisation and manufacturing growth. When partners from industry, academia and local and national government work together, we can attract investment and generate world-changing ideas.

— Juergen Maier CBE, Chair of the Greater Manchester Graphene, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Alliance (GAMMA) and Innovation Greater Manchester steering group member

MMU Hydrogen Fuel Cell Innovation Centre

Improve productivity through adopting Industry 4.0 technologies

Through the widespread adoption of technology across supply chains (especially amongst SME makers), upskilling workforces and identifying future skills needs; and driving a more ambitious, informed, and focused leadership for digitalisation.

Support the development of advanced manufacturing and materials sites across GM

By stimulating growth of the UK’s machinery manufacturing sector through key assets such as The Advanced Machinery and Productivity Institute and a potential sustainable materials translational research centre located in the Atom Valley development zone.

Ensure necessary skills in place to drive innovation and growth

Through place-based investment in skills infrastructure defined by industry, including upskilling and training programmes, and by generating better quality jobs and improved social outcomes across all Greater Manchester districts.

Advise on inward investment and marketing activity, including identifying potential target partners

By investing in infrastructure and skills to create place-based benefits which contribute to ‘levelling-up’, incentivising and enabling high growth businesses through high value knowledge flows with Greater Manchester universities, and positioning Greater Manchester as a globally leading hub for target industries.

Identify opportunities to apply graphene and other advanced materials technologies to address major challenges faced by the UK

Through innovative local, or international firms developing and adopting graphene and other advanced materials, and by driving investment to create a stronger graphene and advanced materials innovation ecosystem which accelerates commercialisation.

Identify wider barriers to advanced materials commercialisation and manufacturing growth and deliver local actions to address them

By driving investment to create an even stronger graphene and advanced materials innovation ecosystem which accelerates commercialisation.