THE NATIONAL MANUFACTURING INSTITUTE FOR SCOTLAND

That this House welcomes the announcement from the Scottish Government that the £65 million National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland will be based in lnchinnan in Renfrewshire; notes that the partnership between the Scottish Government, Renfrewshire Council and the University of Strathclyde will be an industry-led international centre of manufacturing expertise where research, industry and the public sector will work together to transform skills, productivity and innovation; recognises that manufacturing is of significant importance to the Scottish economy, employing more than 180,000 people in Scotland, accounting for 52 per cent of the country's international exports and making up more than a tenth of Scotland's GDP; further notes that this Factory of the Future will house an array of state of the art machinery and other manufacturing equipment including digital and robotic technology; and wishes all the partners involved the best of success as they strive to deliver this ambitious project and grow Scotland's reputation as a global hub for high value manufacturing.