New Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Centre takes exciting next step

28 Oct 2026

West Suffolk Council has appointed business growth specialist Hethel Innovation Ltd. (HIL) as delivery partner for the new £17 million Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) Centre in Bury St Edmunds.

A mobilisation contract has been signed between the council and HIL to begin marketing the new state-of-the-art centre in readiness for opening in Spring 2027.

HIL has a strong track record and outstanding reputation across East Anglia for delivering innovation-led business growth, having supported over 800 businesses to date to scale and succeed across its network of sites, including Hethel Engineering Centre, Scottow Enterprise Park, Stowmarket Innovation Gateway and Broadland Food Innovation Centre.

HIL have been a long-standing partner on the project, having previously worked as technical advisors for the AME Centre. Their sector expertise, insight and innovation credentials have helped shape the vision for the centre and influenced its final design. The flagship Hethel Engineering Centre in Norfolk has served as the blueprint for this brand new AME Centre in the heart of Suffolk’s advanced manufacturing economy.

The AME Centre will deliver 17 self-contained, flexible workshop units, as well as meeting rooms and conference facilities, to support business growth, collaboration, and networking for the wider AME sector.

Cllr Indy Wijenayaka, Cabinet Member for Growth at West Suffolk Council, said: “I am delighted that HIL have come onboard, with their specialist knowledge in innovation and incubation space this will help propel the AME Centre forward.

“This is a vital project, designed to power the future of our local economy by providing a space tailored to support business growth in advanced manufacturing and engineering. Once complete the centre will offer opportunities for new employment and skills development, all in favour of our local communities.”

Chris Sargisson, Chief Executive Officer at Hethel Innovation, said: “Our team are thrilled to be delivering the new advanced manufacturing and engineering centre in Bury. As a brand new sister site to our Hethel Engineering Centre of Excellence in Norfolk, it sits at the heart of one of Suffolk’s strongest concentrations of advanced manufacturing and engineering, in a sector that already employs around one in ten workers across West Suffolk.

“Our tried-and-tested business growth model combines high-quality workspace, expert business support and collaborative innovation communities, and will provide the foundations and framework to accelerate innovation, commercialisation and growth in a sector which is forecast to more than double to £4.7 billion by 2050.”

Funding for the centre is coming from West Suffolk Council and Enterprise Zone funding, endorsed by Suffolk County Council and the Suffolk Business Board.

For more information, please email enquiries@hethelinnovation.com

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