The Duke of Edinburgh visits NMITE's Skylon campus

Hereford's New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) welcomed HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on Tuesday (October 1) where he was shown the new Skylon campus - a regional example of sustainability.

The building was completed in 2021 and is an exemplar of timber-based modern methods of construction.

READ MORE: NMITE’s first cohort secure jobs with top constructors

It is described as a "Living Lab" and stores 330,000 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).

The Duke was shown around the Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT) at the Skylon campus.

Professor Robert Hairstans, NMITE’s CATT director, was present for the royal visit.

"It is a privilege to have the opportunity to explain how CATT is being established as a nationally renowned centre for research and education excellence in timber construction for the delivery and upgrade of the built environment.

"Our work in collaboration with the sector and throughout the supply chain has an important part to play in achieving the net zero carbon ambitions of the UK whilst enabling a just transition by means of upskilling and reskilling the professionals of the future," said Hairstans, who is also professor of offsite and industrialised construction at Edinburgh Napier's (ENU’s) School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment (SCEBE).

During the visit, His Royal Highness met NMITE’s Foundation Year students, along with MEng and BEng Integrated Engineering students.

Several of NMITE’s Pioneers (NMITE’s first student intake from 2021) who have now entered the workplace were also there, along with representatives from NMITE’s recent Retrofit programme and Timber Technology Engineering Design (TED) short courses.

The Duke was accompanied by the Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire Mr Edward Harley CBE and he also met NMITE’s president and chief executive officer James Newby

The visit concluded with the unveiling of a commemorative plaque.