The High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult is the catalyst for the growth and success of advanced manufacturing in the UK. It helps manufacturing companies bridge the transition between early stage research and commercial application - the so-called Valley of Death – which typically involves big investments in facilities and expertise, without guarantee of success. Working with the HVM Catapult, reduces the risk significantly because companies can access the facilities and the expertise they need, whilst deferring the investment decision until it’s proven that the innovation can be scaled up and is realisable on a commercial scale.

There are seven High HVM Catapult centres across the country. They are:

• The Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) in Strathclyde
• The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) in Rotherham
• The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) in Wilton, Sedgefield and Darlington
• The Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry
• The National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol
• The Nuclear AMRC (NAMRC) in Rotherham
• The WMG Catapult Centre in Coventry

Between them, the centres possess a full range of technology capabilities covering all stages of manufacturing. The centres offer companies- ranging from big multinationals to SMEs- open access to full scale leading edge manufacturing equipment, world-class expertise and an environment of collaboration between companies, as well as between industry and research institutions and universities.

The 2015 Economic Impact Study into the HVM Catapult shows that, with every £1 of core government funding it receives, it generates an impressive £15 of net benefits to the UK economy. The study also shows that four out of five customers surveyed are convinced they would not have been able to achieve what they have achieved without HVM Catapult. It is these tangible business benefits that lead to the high and growing demand from industry for the HVM Catapult offer.