New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE), which is working towards transforming engineering higher education, has announced a five-year relationship with Dietrich’s, the 3D CAD/CAM-software specialists for wood construction.
“We’re delighted to announce Dietrich’s as a sponsor now as we are just embarking on our plans for The Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT), showcasing timber as a construction material” explains Toby Kinnaird, Head of Partnerships. “This relationship with Dietrich’s provides us with access to leading industry software that would be extremely expensive on a commercial basis but which willbe invaluable to us in our teaching particularly with our learning by doing focus” continues Kinnaird.
As part of the agreement, in addition to supplying the software, Dietrich’s will providetraining for NMITE academics on an ongoing basis. Dietrich’s is a well-known supporter of software and training for education establishments around the world. Founded 37 years ago, Dietrich’s has been active in the UK for 15 years.
Terry Baity who heads up the UK for Dietrich’s said “We are delighted to be supporting NMITE at a particularly exciting time. We look forward to working with them and helping them and their future students get the most out of our tailor-made wood-based software which has already been used by over 10,000 customers for their demanding CAD tasks. As a world market leader ourselves we are delighted to partner with NMITE and are impressed by their intention to deliver the world’s most distinctive and innovative engineering curriculum.”
Last month (15 January 2020) NMITE announced that Oakwrights, the Hereford-based, oak-framed building specialists, were the winner of NMITE’s competition to help create the designs for its three new buildings:
• The Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT), showcasing timber as a construction material
• The Centre for Automated Manufacture (CAM), servicing the manufacturing sector
• Centre for Future Skills (CFS), a large flexible industrial space to allow development and testing of different technologies
The project to create NMITE is being strongly backed by engineering businesses, the Herefordshire community, Herefordshire Council, Olin College of Engineering (USA), professional engineering bodies and the UK Government, which awarded up to £23million in initial funding. £8million of this funding for the project was awarded by the Marches LEP via its Growth Deal with Government. Growth Deals are awarded to LEPs through a competitive bidding process to fund the delivery of projects to boost the local economy.
