A NEW £1.2 million drive is under way to make Bolton a leading centre in the modern textile industry.

Researchers and new businesses will get extra support from Bolton Institute after the Bolton Incubator Unit is built on the Eagle site at the Institute's Deane campus.

It will allow businesses access to technical and management advice on advanced materials including research into fireproof fabrics.

The start of work on the project was marked yesterday with a turf-cutting ceremony by Dr Kim Alderson, Institute scientist and Female Inventor of the Year 2002.

She said: "The project will create good links with local industry."

The incubator units will be built in front of the Textile Centre in Eagle Mall. They will house up to 12 technical textiles businesses that will have access to various facilities at the Textiles Centre at the Institute.

They will include office and workshop facilities, IT and accounting support and networking opportunities.

An experienced non-executive chairman will be appointed to each company to help with problem-solving and business development.

The incubator will be run by Campus Ventures.

Mark Allanson, Director for Enterprise who led negotiations for the Institute, said: "This is a significant investment not only for the Institute but also for Bolton and the North-west.

"We have created a unique partnership with the textile industry, the Regional Development Agency, Bolton Metro and Campus Ventures to create new, high performance textile businesses."

Professor Subhash Anand, Director of Research at the Faculty of Technology, added: "It will be great to use the state of the art equipment together under one roof."