GROBY, LEICESTER, UNITED KINGDOM-The Groby manufacturing site of GE’s Sensing business, part of GE Energy, Measurement & Control Solutions, has been awarded £4.2 million ($5.76 million) over the next five years from the U.K. Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF). The funding will be used to help the company to develop its GE U.K. metrology center and to continue its investment in advanced pressure sensor design and manufacture, creating innovative products for harsh environments, ranging from aerospace to sub-sea oil and gas production.

The RGF is a £1.4 ($1.89) billion fund operating across England from 2011 to 2014. It provides targeted support for businesses to allow them to expand and create jobs. The award is recognition of GE’s significant growth over the past few years and acknowledges and supports its planned investment in innovative technologies for a wide range of market segments, which will sustain existing jobs at the Groby site as well as creating a number of highly skilled, engineering and advanced manufacturing posts.

As Groby Site Leader Tim Povall explains,“We already are seen in GE as a Center of Excellence for pressure technology and can point to recent important developments such as our 4Sight calibration and maintenance software and our TERPS pressure sensor technology. This new funding will help us to continue to build our research and development capabilities and establish a world-class metrology center for GE in the East Midlands.”