THE North-east will share in a £140m pot of funding to boost hi-tech manufacturing, the Government has announced.

Part of the cash will go to the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), based at NETPark in Sedgefield in County Durham and Wilton on Teesside.

It focuses on industrial biotechnology, anaerobic digestion, smart chemistry, sustainable engineering, thermal technologies and printable electronics.

It is one of seven regional facilities across the country being grouped together to form a high value manufacturing technology and innovation centre that will receive more than £140m over a six-year period – with final details yet to be finalised.

The Government is hoping the cash will help bring ideas from scientists’ drawing board into the real world to create commercial products.

A CPI spokesman said: “This investment is excellent news for CPI and demonstrates the UK’s commitment to inspiring new innovation. It aids the on-going development of CPI’s world-class technology platforms in sustainable processing, printable electronics and high temperature processing, which enables British companies to benefit from and commercialise the results of leading research.”