A MULTI-MILLION pound centre for developing new manufacturing processes for the aerospace and car industries is to be set up in Renfrew.

The specialist facility will focus on the use of lightweight materials such as titanium and carbon fibre, which are increasingly being used across a number of industries to improve efficiency and performance and help reduce carbon emissions.

The £8.9 million centre is the first step towards creating a National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the unit will support highly-skilled jobs and help put the country at the forefront of lightweight manufacturing.

It will occupy the former Doosan Babcock facility in Westway, Renfrew, and will be run by the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) in Inchinnan.

Ms Sturgeon said: “The lightweight manufacturing centre will help businesses take advantage of the fact that sectors such as aerospace and the automotive industry are making more and more use of lightweight materials. It will deliver cutting-edge research and development projects.”