More than 100 representatives from forward-thinking companies around the country/West Midlands?? attended an event showcasing the work of the Manufacturing Technology Centre.

They included ?????

The aim of the event, held at ???? today (October 8), was to attract companies willing to join founding partners including Rolls-Royce, Aero Engine Controls and Airbus UK in investing in manufacturing R&D programmes at the new MTC facility which will be up and running at Ansty Park near Coventry in Spring 2011.

The MTC will bridge the gap for manufacturing companies between research and production. Manufacturing techniques will be developed and tested at the Centre thus reducing costs and risks to companies before they go into full-scale production.

MTC director Peter Flinn? said: "The MTC will help give UK-based manufacturing companies the edge in global competition by modernising and sharpening up their manufacturing processes. We're very pleased that so many companies attended today. We were able to show them that a very small investment in R&D through the MTC can reap them very large rewards."

Current research partners in the MTC are leading UK organisations University of Birmingham, University of Nottingham, Loughborough University and TWI Limited, the operating division of The Welding Institute.