Abstract
The Ibberson Laboratory is a centre established at the University of Sheffield, partly financed by the European Community's Regional Development Fund (ERDF), to provide support for manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the South Yorkshire region of the UK. Initiated in November 1998, the Laboratory aids firms by providing technical expertise and access to advanced manufacturing equipment and manpower. These are applied in graduate placements and short-term projects that focus on new product/process development and technology transfer. This paper describes the background to the project and details the objectives, structure and operation of the Laboratory. A typical project scenario is outlined and the performance measures to be achieved in meeting the requirements of ERDF funding are discussed. Finally, the progress of the Ibberson Laboratory towards meeting these measures is reported.
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