Thousands of Welsh companies are set to benefit from a new centre of excellence offering hands-on advice to manufacturers across Wales. The new Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) forms part of a £15million programme initiated by the DTI to address the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises throughout England and Wales. Run by the National Centre for Product Design and Development Research (PDR) at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff the service will be based at the WDA's new Engineering Centre for Manufacturing and Materials at Port Talbot.
PDR is currently recruiting a team of specialist advisors who will deliver the pan-Wales service. The MAS will provide Welsh manufacturing companies with a range of easily accessible and subsidised support and services. It is aimed at supporting 2000 companies in the first three years of activity and will offer a range of services from manufacturing advice and diagnostic visits to new product and process development, rapid prototyping, ICT in manufacturing, and research and development.