Materials Processing Institute

Jon Bolton, chairman of Teesside-based Materials Processing Institute, the national centre for research and innovation in the steel and metals sector, welcomed the chancellor’s emphasis on transforming the UK into a science and technology superpower, including £370m funding to boost growing technologies including supercomputing and artificial intelligence.

He said: “The Institute’s Digital Technologies Group is already a leader in key areas including data analysis, machine learning, and software engineering as part of the challenge to optimise industrial processes.

“That the chancellor recognises the importance of science in transforming the UK’s industrial and manufacturing base is encouraging and I also welcome his announcement on the creation of investment zones in the North East and Teesside, which will be clustered around universities and research centres.

“As well as conducting its own research, the Institute already works closely with Teesside University, and I look forward to contributing to innovative projects that can grow jobs and the local economy.”